A survey of policies and practices of government agencies involved in the administration of youth justice and custodial care with respect to complaints of child sexual abuse and complaints by adults of historical child sexual abuse who were provided with government services, whether by employees of the government or by volunteers

A survey of policies and practices of government agencies involved in the administration of youth justice and custodial care with respect to complaints of child sexual abuse and complaints by adults of historical child sexual abuse who were provided with government services, whether by employees of the government or by volunteers. [...] Responses to child sexual abuse progressed in increments, beginning with increased awareness of child physical abuse in the 1960s and the introduction of mandatory reporting laws; followed by heightened awareness of the issues surrounding child sexual abuse in the 1980s and 1990s; and concluding, most recently, with the evolution and implementation of more sophisticated policy structures that outl [...] In the early 1980s, a federal commission was convened to determine the extent of child sexual abuse in Canada and to make recommendations concerning the adoption of the most appropriate responses to the problem. [...] In response to various high-profile commissions of inquiry into alleged abuse by service providers and the concomitant intense public interest in child sexual abuse, the authorities in England and Wales have periodically strengthened strategies designed to prevent child sexual abuse and to enhance interagency cooperation and the effectiveness of investigations. [...] B. C.’s approach of articulating a general policy to guide the making of a response to child abuse appears to be similar to the British approach, where two key documents provide the basis of the country’s response to abuse by service providers - Working together to safeguard children: A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and What to do if you’re worried