New reports shines spotlight on sexual abuse in schools, local supports available

“We were surprised, shocked and probably disheartened at the report.”

A collection of media sources, a search of disciplinary records and criminal case law found 252 current or former school personnel in K to 12 schools committed or were accused of committing sexual offences against at least 548 children in a five-year span. Over the same timeframe, 38 current or former school personnel were criminally charged for stand-alone child pornography-related offences. All in all, 290 school personnel were identified as part of the report.

“I think the numbers themselves were quite telling nationally, something we haven’t seen here locally, but we’ve seen a specific occurrence or two over the past 10, 20 years,” says Secondiak.

The report also highlighted abuse by gender and grade level. Seventy-one per cent of victims are female, and more than half of cases by gender occur in high school settings.

While the numbers themselves are disturbing, several support systems, both locally and provincially already exist should victims come forward.

“Keep telling until someone believes, because people will believe.” _{– Christina Johnson, Sanare Centre}

The Students First Amendment Act was passed just last year in the legislature, offering more transparency with the creation of a public online registry of certified teachers. The act would also require school authorities to conduct criminal record and vulnerable sector checks when employing a teacher or teacher leader, and then every five years onward while employed.

The Sanare Centre here in Medicine Hat offers education to the community through a program called First Responders to Sexual Assault and Sexual Abuse. At its core, it is training on how to respond in a way that is helpful, not harmful.

“This training has been offered across the community,” says Christina Johnson, executive director of Sanare Centre. “We’ve worked with schools, we’ve worked with school boards, we’ve been in schools for approximately 20 years teaching our different programs.”

She says the training gives children and school personnel the right tools in dealing with situations of sexual abuse in a school setting.

“If a child was to reach out to us following one of our education programs within schools, or just to get general information as to what to do following [or] experiencing sexual abuse by an adult, we would absolutely take enough information to determine that it is possible that the sexual assault occurred, and then we would assist the individual in reporting to police or to children’s services, whichever is the most appropriate service,” says Johnson.

Secondiak adds school resource officers in local high schools will be the first point of contact should victims come forward.

Both Secondiak and Johnson agree reporting and telling those you trust is the best way to move forward with any action, but it can be difficult. The report says less than 14 per cent of females and 10 per cent of males disclose their abuse.

“Keep telling,” Johnson says. “If a child, a youth feels uncomfortable with what’s occurred, to keep telling until someone believes, because people will believe.”

Local school boards were contacted, but those that responded chose not to comment in regard to the details of the report.

More information about the supports provided by the Sanare Centre can be found at sanarecentre.ca. If you are in need of immediate support, contact Alberta’s One Line for Sexual Violence at 1-866-403-8000, or local police.

by Gates Guarin

New reports shines spotlight on sexual abuse in schools, local supports available

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