Resources

For a Youth

Handbooks and Downloads

For a Caregiver

Has something happened to you? We have lots of resources to answer questions and help you heal.

Click on the button below to access the latest apps, videos, reading material and games!

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For a Caregiver

Handbooks and Downloads

For a Caregiver

Are you a parent or caregiver to a child or youth that has suffered abuse? We have resources to help guide and support you!

Click on the button below to access books, videos and apps to help you through this journey with your child.

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Handbooks and Downloads

We have a number of downloadable resources for both youth and caregivers.

Click below to check out some informative books and guides.

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Websites

www.youthspace.ca --online or text chat and support.

www.mindyourmind.ca --Mind Your Mind is a space for youth and young adults (ages 14-24) to find support when going through tough times. It's a place to get unstuck. A place to share, grow, and learn, a place to meet people like you who are coping with challenges, a place to get what you need for yourself and your friends. Designed by youth for youth.

www.kidshelpphone.ca (1-800-668-6868) -- Kids Help Phone provides information and support. Confidential and safe. Live web chat or phone support.

www.youthinbc.com --Youth in BC-Help and information for mental health

www.scarleteen.com --Scarleteen - Sex Ed for the Real world – inclusive, comprehensive, supportive sexuality and relationship info for teens and emerging adults. Information, videos, facts, help, and online chat and text support.

Cosmic Kids Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga/videos

BC Mental Health Service Portal: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/mental-health-support-in-bc

Anxiety BC Youth: http://youth.anxietybc.com/

Apps

MindShift

Stay Alive

MindShift is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it.

Stay Alive

Stay Alive is a pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide

Pacifica

Breathe2Relax

Stress, anxiety, and depression can get in the way of you living your life. Pacifica gives you psychologist-designed tools to address them based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness meditation, relaxation, and mood/health tracking

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing

Self Reporting

Are you under 19? Has something happened to you? You are not alone.

If you or someone you know has been hurt by someone, or is experiencing abuse, violence, or neglect there are people here to help you.

Get help by calling the helpline at 310-1234. You do not need an area code. You can call at any time of the day or night and you do not have to give your name.

If you are in immediate danger – call the police – 9-1-1 24 hours a day 7 days a week

Telling someone that you have been hurt or are experiencing abuse can feel scary. There are people here to support you. You can call a Victim Service worker that can answer questions and help you with the reporting process.

If you live in the Greater Victoria Area, call a Victim Service worker at (250) 385-6111, Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.

What is Abuse?

Physical abuse is often the most easily recognized form of abuse. Physical abuse can be any kind of hitting, shaking, burning, pinching, biting, choking, throwing, beating, and other actions that cause physical injury, leave marks, or cause pain. Physical abuse of a child is when a parent or caregiver causes any non-accidental physical injury to a child. There are many signs of physical abuse.

Sexual abuse: Sexual abuse occurs when an adult uses a child for sexual purposes or involves a child in sexual acts. It also includes when a child who is older or more powerful uses another child for sexual gratification or excitement.

Sexual abuse of children includes:

Non-contact abuse
Making a child view a sex act
Making a child view or show sex organs
Inappropriate sexual talk
Contact abuse
Fondling and oral sex
Penetration
Making children perform a sex act
Exploitation
Child prostitution and child pornography

Emotional abuse: When a parent or caregiver harms a child’s mental and social development, or causes severe emotional harm, it is considered emotional abuse. While a single incident may be abuse, most often emotional abuse is a pattern of behavior that causes damage over time.

Child neglect is when a parent or caregiver does not give the care, supervision, affection and support needed for a child’s health, safety and well-being. Child neglect includes:

Physical neglect and inadequate supervision
Emotional neglect
Medical neglect
Educational neglect

Family violence can affect anyone. It can happen in any kind of family. Sometimes parents abuse each other, which can be hard for a child to witness. Some parents abuse their kids by using physical or verbal cruelty as a way of discipline.

Behavioural Indicatiors

In a young child:

Excessive sadness, frequent crying, anxiety.
Inserting objects into the vagina or rectum.
Excessive dependency, fear of home or a specific place; excessive fear of men or women, lacks trust in others.
Age-inappropriate sexual play or sexually explicit drawings.
Sudden non-participation in activities, poor peer relationships, self-image; overall poor self-care.

In an older child:

Sudden lack of interest in friends or activities, unable to "have fun" with others.
Startled response to touching.
Overwhelming interest in sexual activities.
Hostility towards authority, truancy and/or running away from home.
Wearing of provocative clothing or layers of clothing to hide bruises.
Recurrent physical complaints that are without physiological basis.
Suicide attempts, drug/alcohol misuse, poor personal hygiene, promiscuity, sexual acting out in a variety of ways.

Physical Indicators

Sleep disturbances and nightmares.
Sudden weight change.
Cuts or sores made by the child on their arms.
Recurring physical ailments.
Difficulty in walking or sitting, excessive itching in the genital or anal area due to infections.
Torn and stained or bloody underwear.
Sexually transmitted diseases.
Pregnancy.
Injuries to the mouth, genital or anal areas.

If You Suspect Abuse

If you think or suspect a child or youth (anyone 18 and under) is being, is at risk of being, or has been abused or neglected, you have the legal duty to report your concerns to a child protection worker at:

Helpline for Children: 310-1234

Ministry for Children: 1-800-663-9122

If the child or youth is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or your local police department.

Websites

National Child Trauma Stress Network (USA) -- Resources and information for supporting your child with trauma

Open Mind BC -- Help and information for mental health

The Door That’s Not Locked -- Run by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, The Door That’s Not Locked website provides information for parents, caregivers, and professionals for Online safety, including age appropriate resources

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection -- The Canadian Centre for Child Protection is a registered charity dedicated to the personal safety of all children

Wise Practices -- Wise Practices is a new website that was created to respond to the First Nations' youth suicide epidemic by supporting communities

Welcome to the Victoria Child Abuse Prevention and Counselling Centre

Resources

For a Youth

Handbooks and Downloads

For a Caregiver

For a Caregiver

Handbooks and Downloads

For a Caregiver

Handbooks and Downloads

Handbooks and Downloads

Handbooks and Downloads

COVID-19 Resources

For a Youth

Websites

Videos

Apps

MindShift

Stay Alive

Stay Alive

Stay Alive

Stay Alive

Stay Alive

Pacifica

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax

Self Reporting

Are you under 19? Has something happened to you? You are not alone.

What is Abuse?

Resources for Caretakers

Behavioural Indicatiors

Physical Indicators

If You Suspect Abuse

Videos

Websites

Handbooks and Downloads