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Child abuse in our community - Radius Child & Youth Services

Radius Child and Youth Services addresses the problems of abuse, neglect and interpersonal violence to help children under the age of eighteen lead healthy lives and break the intergenerational cycle of interpersonal violence.

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"No matter what neighbourhood you drive through, every 4th, 5th or 6th house is experiencing something. One in three girls and one in five boys will experience some form of abuse by the age of 18. And it's absolutely independent of economic circumstances."

"If not for the support of Radius Child and Youth Services I would not be where I am today, healthy, happy and looking forward to a bright future. Thanks to their care, I look to the future with hope and know that I am worthy of love and caring." (Jakub, referred by a friend's mother who noticed bruises when he was twelve. Read about Jakub's story here.)

Radius Child and Youth Services addresses abuse, neglect and interpersonal violence to help children up to the age of eighteen who are affected by it. They deal with about 450 clients, 150 in Oakville. Sadly, many victims of abuse never receive the help they need. Children and youth referred to Radius receive comprehensive assessments and individualized treatment based on evidence-informed practice. Many of their young clients are in treatment for over a year, with the average being 18 months.

During the pandemic, the waitlist has increased from four months to eighteen months. A professional able to help a client dealing with sexual abuse must have at least a year of specialized training on top of a Masters in Social Work. So, it has been impossible to ramp up to meet the dramatically increased incidence of child abuse. The strain on staff dealing with victims, knowing that so many are languishing on the waiting list, has also taken its toll.

When Radius started nearly 40 years ago (originally an amalgam of Halton Trauma Centre and the Safe-T Program at Thistletown), the concept of children's mental health and expertise in it were both new. Radius seeks to support children who have experienced abuse, neglect and witnessing interpersonal violence, giving them the tools and strategies needed to heal from the trauma they have endured, building futures free from abuse. Radius also works with youth who have been sexually offended under the age of eighteen: "Up to that age, we can influence the way they will act as adults and try to break the cycle that perpetuates abuse, changing their developmental trajectory," says Allan Bishop, interim Executive Director. "The cycle of violence and abuse is generational. Victims, in turn, become perpetrators if the cycle is not interrupted."

"Once in a while, the nightmares come back, but I feel that Radius Child and Youth Services has given me the tools to work through them." (Madison, abuse survivor. Read about her journey here.)

Radius responds to trauma working both in and outside family units, only re-uniting families when it is absolutely certain it is safe to do so. About 90% of young offenders are male. Cases are referred by the Children's Aid Society, schools and teachers, the United Way agency network, and sometimes the police. In the case of perpetrators, the youth justice system may engage Radius to try to stop abusers from re-offending. Sometimes, Radius will be brought in by court order. Radius will also refer to other United Way agencies when the case requires different skillsets.

Along with its responsive programmes, Radius is developing a Youth Dating Violence Project to educate young people in mutual respect to break the patterns that lead to abuse.

Needless to say, the strain this work puts on clinicians is serious. They too need support and to feel rewarded for the contribution they make to the community, and all the more so in the pandemic. Staff at the centre normally includes between 25-28 clinical workers and 6-7 administrative personnel. United Way funding allows Radius to maintain two senior clinicians in Halton, and the Ontario government funds core operations.

"Our relationship with the United Way is longstanding. The continuity of support they provide has been key to our ability to hire, train and retain staff over the long term. The investment needed to give staff the specialized expertise needed in this field means this kind of sustained funding is essential," says Allan.

Child victims of abuse, neglect and interpersonal violence need our help. It takes a village to raise a child; it has famously been said. Our community needs to be that village for these children, victims of intergenerational trauma manifesting in severe abuse that can, without the right treatment and support, cripple their lives forever. There are numerous implications at a societal level for children, and youth left untreated for abuse and neglect, including an impact on our mental health system and community safety and health. You can help Radius Child and Youth Services by donating to the United Way.

Many of us have charities we support for personal reasons. However, there is a wide variety of needs in our community. The United Way goes to great lengths to identify these needs and find and assist vital agencies with good processes to address them. United Way funds mean these agencies can spend more of their resources helping Oakville residents and less of them looking for money. As donors, we can't know the best way to spread our donations around, but donations of all sizes from many Oakvilleans can be turned to their best effect through the United Way. And who knows when we, or someone close to us, will need help from one of these services. Our donations to the United Way ensure they will all be there for us if that day comes.