What is it. A policy brief is a short, accessible document summarizing an issue, explaining why it matters, and identifying practical actions that governments, funders, or systems can take. Unlike research reports, policy briefs are designed for decision-makers who may have limited time to read the evidence or who may not be as familiar with…
What is it. This webinar explores the outcomes and impact of CYACs from the perspectives of young people. It highlights early findings from a study at an urban CYAC that is grounded in youth experiences of their visit and the difference it made for them. Youth Researchers, Tyler Birse, Noah Harris, and Alyssa Seneviratne discussed what is working, what matters most, and ways CYACs can create spaces where youth feel welcome, comfortable and calm during a time that is often stressful and difficult. …
What is it. Information obtained from children and youth is often the sole piece of evidence in police investigations of child abuse. This framework identifies key forensic interviewing practices to ensure legally sound, trauma-informed information gathering methods. It offers practical guidance to build interviewer capacity and improve the quality and consistency of forensic interviews across jurisdictions. How can it help me? Currently, Canada does not have a national governing body…
What is it. Child disclosure is the cornerstone of child abuse cases. This report outlines key development considerations for collecting evidence from children including executive functioning skills, language development, memory processes and impact of stress on memory, and how they shape the quality of a disclosure. It examines common challenges children face when providing evidence and identifies the unique role of CYACs to improving their experiences within the justice system. How can it help me? CYACs play…
What is it. This document is a rapid evidence synthesis that summarizes new research on forensic interviewing between 2018-2024. A rapid evidence synthesis uses a quick yet rigorous approach to identify, review, and synthesize the most relevant research on a specific topic. This synthesis was completed in four phases: developing the search strategy, retrieving, and screening relevant literature, extracting and synthesizing key findings, and contextualizing the evidence with practical considerations. The search strategy was…
What is it. Before downloading the report, listen to this 30-minute conversation with the authors, Kristen Coyne and George Harris Jr. Encompass Support Services Society, the host organization of the Langley Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, partnered with a Cultural Advocate to explore the National Guidelines through a First Nations perspective. What began as an…
What is it. This webinar explored the role of quality assurance in maintaining the integrity of child forensic interviews. Quality assurance involves systematic processes used to ensure that services (e.g., forensic interviews) meet established standards and deliver consistent, reliable outcomes. Dr. Sarah MacDonald provided clear, practical recommendations to assess the quality of child forensic interviews through three key…
What is it. Responding to child abuse and neglect requires a coordinated response from child protection, mental health, medical, law enforcement, judicial, and victim services team members Yet fragmented systems make it difficult to understand service pathways. This study was conducted to address that gap by using Le SIAM’s new intersectoral database. The authors explored child and youth characteristics and…
What is it. Collecting consistent data across CYACs helps to reveal child abuse trends, highlight areas for ongoing improvement, guide service innovation, and inform practice directions for CYACs. This study highlights the need to collect consistent data to improve service delivery and strengthen programming that supports children, youth, and families who have experienced abuse. The authors describe a collaborative approach used by the…