Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, my department has recently participated in the development of a handbook called 'Dealing with Child Abuse." I believe it will be an important contribution in helping to address a serious issue which I know is of great concern to all of us.
This handbook was developed in cooperation with the departments of Education, Culture and Employment; Health and Social Services; and, Justice, and with the support of the RCMP, Crown prosecutors and the Northwest Territories Teachers' Association. The book has been designed by northerners to be relevant to the northern context. It will build on some important work undertaken by these departments and agencies in recent years to combat the problem of child abuse.
The book explains the signs of child abuse and how to listen for a child's disclosure that they have been interfered with. Too often, children may try to tell someone that they are suffering abuse but the complaint goes unnoticed because those who receive it don't have the knowledge necessary to appreciate what is being said to them. This book will help solve that problem.
The handbook also talks about what to do when a child discloses that they have experienced abuse. Knowing where to go to make sure that the necessary reports are made to get the child some help and to initiate the necessary enquiries is an important step. This book describes how to get those things done.
I am also pleased to report that the work done to prepare this handbook has increased the interest in this important issue among educators. School staff are interested in pursuing more intensive training. We are encouraging them to invite their colleagues in policing, social services and health care to join them in this and in adopting joint planning initiatives to address this issue in their communities.
Adopting a collective approach to tackling the problem of child abuse has already produced results and I believe that much more can be achieved.
Mr. Speaker, departments and agencies which cooperated in the development of the child abuse handbook are also updating an interagency protocol designed to enhance their collective capacity to address child abuse issues. This government, for some time now, has advocated this kind of interagency, holistic approach to social issues and this is one area where real progress is being made.
Mr. Speaker, the goal is to make sure that when a child calls out for help, help will be there and the response will be the best that we can give. Our children can, and must, be able to expect that from us.
Mr. Speaker, we are all aware that we experience disproportionate levels of child abuse and child sexual abuse in the Northwest Territories. That will only change if we are prepared to have the courage and the commitment to confront the problem in every community. The best place to start is in the home; but I believe that we must also act to ensure that our schools are a safe haven where children can find those who will listen and provide help, if and when help is needed.
Regrettably, there have been some occasions when that may not have been the case in the past. It would be an oversight if I failed to mention that there have been some instances when individuals working in our schools, or in other agencies, have themselves been the perpetrators of child abuse.
I note, for example, the recently completed case involving Maurice Cloughly who, after a guilty plea, is now serving a lengthy sentence, and rightly so, for years of abusive behaviour. Students who suffered from that abuse have carried the emotional scars from what happened to them for many years. 1, and I am sure all of us in this Assembly, profoundly regret that such a thing could happen here.
My view is that we need to express a collective apology to all who have experienced abuse in that case and in others. We must commit to continuing to make sure that our schools are an inhospitable climate for those who would abuse children entrusted to their care.
Mr. Speaker, my hope is that, by helping school staff to better understand the dynamics of child abuse, by providing clear information about where to go to get help and by improving interagency and intergovernmental cooperation to address these issues, we are taking the most important steps to combat a problem which demands our attention. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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