Sexual Offenses | More than 250 school workers have been charged in Canada

A report by the Canadian Center for Child Protection indicates that 252 current or former school personnel in Canada committed or were accused of committing offenses of a sexual nature against 548 children over a five-year period, from 2017 to 2021.

It also reveals that 38 other staff members were criminally charged with offenses related to child pornography during the same period from 2017 to 2021.

These data are surprising and rather infuriating, laments Noni Classen, director of education of the center based in Winnipeg.

M^me Classen said it is the only pan-Canadian portrait of sexual offenses in schools that is publicly available. The center searched disciplinary records, media sources and criminal case law to build the database.

The report includes everyone working in a school environment, including teachers, administrators, bus drivers and maintenance staff.

Because education falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, most agencies charged with overseeing the discipline of school employees are not required to make the results of investigations public. There is a total lack of transparency, according to M^me Classen, and she suspects the numbers in the report are an underestimate.

“It’s the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

The report indicates that 71% of the victims were girls and 29% boys, where gender could be identified. Of all offending behaviors, 37% involved physical contact.

The center is made up of survivors of sexual assault perpetrated by teachers. The group calls for the creation of independent national or provincial bodies to investigate sexual exploitation between teachers and students. He also wants a national inquiry into child abuse by school staff and restitution for survivors.

The report says 167 school staff faced criminal charges over the five years, primarily of sexual assault, sexual interference and sexual exploitation.

M^me Classen argued that all children have a right to safety, especially in schools. More than 58% of offenses took place on school grounds.

When a trusted adult or authority figure exploits that trust, the harm to the child escalates, Ms.^me Class. A sexually explicit text message or an inappropriate comment can be devastating to a child, she added.

Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook were the most commonly used platforms to facilitate victimization, the report said.