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September 25, 2004

Child abuse costs $15B a year

The figure cited in the UWO study is being called conservative.
Peter Geigen-Miller, Free Press Reporter 2004-09-25

The price tag for child abuse in Canada runs to more than $15 billion a year in judicial, employment, health and other costs, says a new study at the University of Western Ontario. The study, which included physical, emotional and sexual abuse, neglect and witnessing violent behaviour in the definition of child abuse, was done for the Law Commission of Canada.

Drawing from a variety of federal and provincial sources, the study examined the cost of child abuse in 1998.

The researchers came up with an annual total of $15.7 billion, a figure they say falls far short of the actual cost of child abuse.

"Even this conservative estimate, however, shows the great cost to Canadians," said Western economics professor Audra Bowlus.

The study included judicial, social service, education, health, employment and personal costs.

The largest component was more than $11.3 billion in employment costs resulting from income lost by child-abuse victims.

Basically, child-abuse victims earn less than other people, said Katherine McKenna, a professor in Western's Centre for Women's Studies and Feminist Research.

"We know they do less well in school, they have less educational attainment, they earn lower salaries. Because they have more health problems, they miss more days of work.

"There are all kinds of compounding effects throughout their lives."

The goal of the project was to contribute to the reduction of child abuse in Canada by showing the problem affects all Canadians, said McKenna.

"Although we may think we save money by not putting funds into early detection and prevention of child abuse, in the long run we end up paying far more as a society. There is a cost of doing nothing."

Bowlus said the study shows that a well-planned investment in the early detection and prevention of child abuse would significantly benefit victims.

It would also result in significant cost savings for individuals and society as a whole.

Terry West, acting executive director of the Children's Aid Society of London and Middlesex, said the study findings come as no surprise.

"The prevalence of child abuse and risk to children and harm to children is quite significant in Canada," said West.

Because the work of children's aid societies is confidential, people aren't aware of the extent of the problem, he said.

"It would really only be ourselves working with the police that have a sense of the number of child victims."

Londoner John Swales, a victim of childhood sexual abuse by a Catholic priest, likewise was not surprised by the $15.7 billion total.

"It's a number that's hard to get your head around . . . but when you look at the proliferation of child abuse, it comes as no surprise," said Swales.

"I think child abuse is a lot more prevalent than we're willing to accept as a society. It's rampant."

Swales said he knows first-hand the long-term emotional and financial toll of abuse.

The abuse study began in 2000. Researchers used data from 1998 because it was the best available at the time.

OTHER COSTS OF ABUSE

Judicial: More than $616.6 million for policing, court actions, legal aid, criminal injuries compensation and penal costs.

Social services: More than $1.18 billion for programs by publicly and privately funded agencies.

Education: More than $23.8 million for special education services needed to deal with behaviour and learning problems in abuse victims.

Health: More than $222.5 million for the immediate trauma of abuse and long-term medical costs for adult survivors of abuse.

Personal: More than $2.3 billion for everything from relocation costs to drugs and legal proceedings.

Posted by Nealus at September 25, 2004 11:08 PM

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