Introduction

• Author: Loree Armstrong Beniuk, Jo-Anne Hughes, and Jack Reynolds
• Pages: 1-2

1

Introduction

The ultimate aim of this book is to benef‌it children who have experi-

enced sexual abuse. It consolidates information regarding child victims

and the role they have in Canada’s justice system. Child Victims in Canada’s

Justice System is both informational and instructional. It can be used as a

reference document, a training tool, an academic textbook, or a guide for

developing policies and procedures.

Crimes against children take many forms. This book focuses primarily

on child sexual abuse, yet much of the content is informative regarding

other crimes commied against children.

Readers will learn about:

• child sexual abuse—its def‌inition, extent, symptoms, disclosure, and

investigation;

• Canada’s criminal justice system as it relates to child victims and

witnesses;

• Canada’s criminal law on crimes against children;

• Current best practice information regarding:

 support and court preparation for all child victims and witnesses, and

 prevention and treatment of child abuse;

• procedural maers for those working with child victims; and

• sentencing of child sex of‌fenders in Canada.

This material, for the most part, has Canada-wide application and will

be useful to child protection workers, social workers in clinical practice with

children, victim services workers, victim/witness assistance caseworkers,