Major findings from the 2008 cycle of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008) were released in Montreal on October 25th at the opening of the 2010 Congrès of the Association of youth centres of Québec (ACJQ) and the 9th annual Looking After Children in Care conference.Click here to download the Full CIS-2008 Report
For a detailed explanation of the CIS methodology see the CIS-2008 Study Methods
Click here to access all new CIS-2008 Information Sheets
The CIS-2008 marks the third cycle of this national child maltreatment data collection. The CIS-2008 data was gathered from 114 child welfare agencies/offices in every Canadian province and territory. The study employed a similar methodology to the CIS-1998 and CIS-2003 studies so that comparisons can be made.
The primary objective of the CIS‑2008 was to provide reliable estimates of the scope and characteristics of child abuse and neglect investigated by child welfare organizations in Canada in 2008. Specifically, the CIS–2008 was designed to:
1.determine rates of investigated and substantiated physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, emotional maltreatment, and exposure to intimate partner violence, as well as multiple forms of maltreatment;
2.investigate the severity of maltreatment as measured by duration, and physical and emotional harm;
3.examine selected determinants of health that may be associated with maltreatment;
4.monitor short-term investigation outcomes, out-of-home placement, use of child welfare court;
5.compare rates and characteristics of investigations across the 1998, 2003, and 2008 cycles of the CIS.
In 2008 there were a total of 235,842 investigations conducted throughout Canada. While there was an increase of 100,000 investigations from 1998 to 2003, the number of investigations has remained stable between 2003 and 2008.
Neglect (34%) and exposure to domestic violence (34%) were the main reasons for investigations across Canada, for a total of 68% of cases. A small percentage of children are affected by emergency situations. While in most cases these situations do not jeopardize the immediate safety of children, their development and well-being are compromised. These children are at risk of significant impacts on their cognitive, social and emotional development.
Oversampling studies were conducted in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Additional oversampling studies with specifically adapted procedures were conducted in Quebec (EIQ-2008) and with selected First Nations’ service providers (FNCIS-2008). Oversampling reports will be completed in 2011.
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