74 www.rnca.ca The 3 R’s of Child Protection Every child deserves to be protected from harm and live in a safe and healthy environment. Sadly, this is not the reality for every child that calls Canada home. We’re all responsible, as adults, for protecting the well-being of children — the leaders of today and tomorrow. But how can we help? Child Protection in Canada: Your Responsibilities and Why It Matters Although you and your family may not be contributing to the problem of abuse in Canadian households, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have a responsibility to other Canadian children — especially if you’re someone who works within your community or children specifically. Abuse can be difficult to spot. Not everyone has the same standards for what they consider an abusive caregiver-child relationship, and it’s possible that you’ve spotted the signs in the past without knowing it. The first step in stopping child abuse is knowing how to identify it from an outsider’s perspective — or, more importantly, from the inside. Some parents and caregivers continue the cycles of abuse from their own families without realizing it. The effects of child abuse don’t stop when the child is an adult. There are both physical and mental health conditions that arise in adulthood from the trauma of childhood abuse. If we want a healthier Canada for future generations, we all need to understand how to put a stop to child abuse. But what is child protection and what does it consist of for you and the children in your life? Here are the 3 R’s of child protection — recognize, respond and report abuse — that every adult should know. Step 1: Recognize Abuse Recognition has to do with both the child and the trusted adults in their life. It’s crucial to inform children of their rights and help them know what is and isn’t OK in a caregiver-child relationship. It’s the responsibility of the adults in their lives (teachers, counsellors, other family members, mentors, etc.) to educate children on identifying abuse and abusers. It’s not the child’s responsibility to stop the abuse. Designed by Freepik
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==