New study unveils spike in sexual abuse reports in Canadian schools

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reveals that 584 children experienced sexual abuse between 2017 and 2021 across Canada.

The report suggests 252 current and former school workers were accused of committing sexual abuse. Thirty-eight more were charged for child pornography-related offences during the same period.

Any person working in a school environment from teachers, administrators, custodial staff, and bus drivers were included in the report.

Seventy-one per cent of the victims were girls and 29 per cent were boys. According to the release, 37 per cent were physical contact offences.

READ MORE: Former school bus driver in Burlington arrested for sexual assault

The centre’s director of education, Noni Classen, suspects the report numbers to be an underestimate.

As education falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, individuals responsible for managing disciplinary actions of school staff are not required to make investigations public.

Classen said that children are harmed when an adult exploits their trust.

The majority of school employees want consistency in disclosure and more policies to ensure the safety of students, she said.

READ MORE: Police charge St. Catharines teacher with sexual assault involving student