What is it. This study analyzed 180 Canadian judicial decisions from 153 child sexual abuse cases that involved grooming to develop a taxonomy of grooming behaviours. While grooming has been researched in both in-person and online contexts, few studies have compared the two—especially when offenders use both methods (i.e., mixed grooming). This research helps fills…
What is it. Testifying can be extremely stressful for young victims, especially during cross-examination, potentially causing emotional and psychological harm. This journal article explores the effectiveness of Québec’s Child Witness Program (Programme Témoin Enfant—PTE), which supports children and youth who must testify in court following confirmed cases of violence. The PTE aims to reduce this…
What is it. Professionals recognize that the criminal legal process can be harmful for child and youth victims. However, it is important to know how children and youth experience the legal process to develop responsive supports and processes to reduce harm. This literature review summarizes what is known about children and youth’s experiences with the legal process for child sexual abuse cases. The authors identified four themes on what children and youth need to safely participate in the legal process: to be protected, to be…
What is it. This article responds to pressing, systemic issues in how sexual violence is handled in the Canadian criminal justice system. The authors outline persistent issues in sexual violence and justice such as underreporting, low conviction rates, and high rates of “unfounded” cases. Despite legal reforms and increased awareness, many victims still face skepticism…
What is it. There is a presumption that these cases involve “technical” statutory rape, classified as consensual experimentation between peers, which the assault was “technical” due to the age differences among the peers. However, evidence shows that most cases involve significant age gaps, abuse by trusted individuals, and ongoing patterns of coercion and exploitation. This study examined over 500 criminal cases involving 625 female youth to understand how cases are characterized in legal decision-making and whether common…
What is it. This study examined Canadian court decisions from judges in 510 cases of sexual abuse against female youth. The authors wanted to understand sexual abuse cases in court where the victim was legally able to provide consent. In Canada, the legal age of consent is 16 years, however youth as young as 12…