Children exposed to domestic violence
On the occasion of this 21st annual report, the directors of youth protection have chosen to unite their voices to speak about an important and often overlooked aspect of their work: children exposed to domestic violence.
Domestic violence has devastating effects on children and young people, affecting their emotional, mental and physical well-being. For directors of youth protection and provincial directors (DYP/DP), it is crucial to recognize that children exposed to domestic violence can experience fear and insecurity, which can lead to problems. mental health, behavioral disorders and academic difficulties. Violence in the home disrupts a child’s normal development, affecting their ability to form healthy relationships and feel safe. In these cases, the intervention of the DYP/DP, in concert with several partners, becomes necessary and essential to enable a stable and secure environment to be found, where children can rebuild themselves and regain a sense of normality.
“Children exposed to domestic violence may suffer psychological problems, including physical symptoms, intrusive thoughts, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, relationship difficulties, aggressive behavior, school problems or risky behaviors. As DYP/DP, we must ensure the safety and development of children and support parents, who are legally required to protect their child,” mentioned Ms. Caroline Brown, director of youth protection at the CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches.
“For DYP/DPs, the exposure of children to domestic violence is a very serious issue, which requires concerted work and constant vigilance. To achieve this, we need the entire population. As significant adults for these children, as parents and witnesses, we are all part of the solution,” emphasized Mr. Patrick Corriveau, director of youth protection at the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
Provincial statistics 2023-2024
- In 2023-2024, reports of exposure to domestic violence accounted for 12.5% of all reports received. In Quebec, this represents one in eight reports or nearly 50 reports per day.
- During the year 2023-2024, 2.66% of Quebec children aged 0 to 17 are taken care of by the DPJ, compared to 2.64% in 2022-2023. In total, 20% of children were taken into care because of psychological mistreatment and 12% because they were victims of physical abuse or seriously at risk of being so.
- At the provincial level, in 2023-2024, there will be 134,871 reports processed.
- At the provincial level, in 2023-2024, there will be 42,378 reports retained.
Regional statistics 2023-2024
Chaudière-Appalaches
- The DPJ of Chaudière-Appalaches processed 7,644 reports during the year 2023-2024, compared to 7,812 last year, which represents a decrease of 2.15%;
- Number of reports retained: 2,872 compared to 2,623 last year, which represents an increase of 9.49%;
- The report retention rate is 37.6%. Last year it was 33.6% (number of reports retained/total number of reports);
- The majority of reports again this year come from employees of public organizations (43%);
- The living environment of children whose situation is taken care of by the DYP is the family environment at 58%.
Capitale-Nationale
- The DPJ de la Capitale-Nationale processed 10,316 reports during the year 2023-2024, compared to 10,013 last year, which represents an increase of 3.03%;
- Number of reports retained: 3,781. This is an increase in reports retained of 6.60% compared to the 2022-2023 fiscal year, when there were 3,547;
- The report retention rate is 35.4%. Last year it was 36.7% (number of reports retained/total number of reports);
- The majority of reports again this year come from employees of public organizations (39.41%);
- The living environment of children whose situation is taken care of by the DYP is the family environment at 61.46%.
For more information, you can consult the complete virtual press kit of the DPJ 2023-2024 report
