Health and Community Services

October 22, 2008

Campaign Launched to Raise Awareness on Duty to Report Child Abuse

A new campaign by the Provincial Government sends a strong reminder to the public about the duty to report child abuse with the tagline See it. Report It. It�s the Law. The campaign also includes information to inform the public on how to report abuse and what happens after a report is made. The Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services, provided details on the campaign today.

"Children and youth have a right to be safe and protecting that right is everyone�s responsibility," said Minister Wiseman. "It is the legal and moral obligation of every member of the public to report any information surrounding child abuse. This campaign adds another level of support for children by ensuring people understand their responsibility in helping to protect children from harm and how they can help families access the support they need."

The campaign consists of a series of print and radio ads as well as brochures which outline the various forms of abuse and maltreatment, including physical, emotional or sexual harm, living with violence and being left without adequate supervision. The ads also direct the public to the phone numbers in each region where they can report child abuse.

"The children portrayed in the ads don�t necessarily fit society�s image of an abused child," said Minister Wiseman. This was intentional to encourage people to look beyond the stereotypes and understand that abuse can happen to any child and it can take many different forms."

This campaign follows the introduction of significant initiatives to strengthen the Child, Youth and Family Services system including the addition of over 100 new positions across the province and the development of a provincial strategy for services provided to children, youth and their families. Each of these is supported by an unprecedented additional $9 million annual investment, as announced in 2007.

"All of the measures we have put in place have been done in the best interests of families and children," added Minister Wiseman. "While the first priority is the safety and well-being of children, our objective is to offer families supports that enable them to care for their children and help them to thrive as a family unit. All the resources that we have put in place strengthen our ability to support families."

The mandatory reporting of child abuse or maltreatment has been a part of provincial legislation since the 1970s and was updated in the more recent Child, Youth and Family Services Act, proclaimed in 2000.

A detailed brochure on the duty to report can be viewed at www.gov.nl.ca/health.

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Media contact:

Glenda Power
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-1741
glendapower@gov.nl.ca

2008 10 22                                                   1:40 p.m.
 


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