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PROGRESS REPORT ON... child abuse
Paul Pallan
BC Children's Commissioner
Recent advancements...
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public awareness of child abuse has increased
significantly in the last decade
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there is much greater knowledge and appreciation
of the forms that child abuse can take, the extent of
the problem in society, and the possible long-term consequences
of experiencing or witnessing abuse
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there is an increasing recognition that
the views of children are important and must be listened
to. Moreover, there is growing recognition that a chid
has a right to be safe and protected from abuse
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there have been significant improvements
in legislation and policy to help protect children from
violence
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there is a growing awareness that addressing
child abuse is a societal responsibility. All of us-parents,
government, communities-have a role to play
Current issues...
Some cultures have a greater acceptance of some
forms of violence and believe the state should not interfere
in family matters. While we need to respect cultural differences,
the health, safety and well-being of children must be our
number one priority.
Future Directions...
We need more research on "best practices"
around early intervention and prevention techniques in the
area of child abuse. We need to have a clearer understanding
of what works and what doesn't-both with new and emerging
approaches as well as existing practices.
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