Every day in the BC Coastal Region, thousands of children are emotionally, physically or sexually maltreated by parents, caregivers, acquaintances or peers.

Too many of these children suffer in silence because of fear, lack of information or a belief that they are to blame for their own maltreatment.

Abuse affects people of all ages, in every community.  It wears many faces and contributes to many social problems.·

• Nearly 100,000 child protection investigations are conducted in Canada by provincial social services each year. 
• It is estimated that one quarter of all children are abused before they turn 16 – and nearly 30 per cent of the time the perpetrators are adolescents.
• Suicide rates have risen dramatically among teens. In 1996, the suicide rate for Canadian males aged 15 to 19 was 18.5 per 100,000 people – almost twice as high as the 1970 rate. Recent findings indicate that abuse and bullying often drive young people to suicide.
• Abuse has existed for centuries in every society – but remains hidden, tolerated, discounted and denied. Children and families become embedded in pain and dysfunction while society attempts to respond with crisis interventions that are often ‘too little, too late.’
• Studies have shown that prevention education is critical to stopping the tragic cycle of violence. Those who were abused as children are more likely to repeat the offence themselves or to get involved in other forms of criminal activity.