Support for Victims - Assault Victims

Online Exploitation

The exploitation of children via the Internet is a vastly growing problem in Canada. The 2009 Report of the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime entitled Every Image, Every Child: Internet-Facilitated Child Sexual Abuse In Canada offers a "Fast Facts" section with some alarming findings1:

  • Commercial child pornography is estimated to be a multi-billion dollar industry worldwide.
  • Thousands of new images or videos are put on the Internet every week and hundreds of thousands of searches for child sexual abuse images are performed daily.
  • It is estimated that there are over 5 million unique child sexual abuse images on the Internet.
  • The children in the images are getting younger:
    • 83 percent of children are 12 years old or younger.
    • 39 percent had images of children between the ages of 3 and 5.
    • 19 percent had images of infants under 3 years old.
  • The content of the images and videos is becoming increasingly violent:
    • Over 80 percent of the images involve penetration.
    • 20 percent of the images involve torture or bondage.
    • The number of images of "serious child abuse" has quadrupled between 2003 and 2007.
    • 87 percent had images of prepubescent children that were highly graphic.

"The Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Counselling Program is part of the Ontario government's strategy to help protect children and youth from exploitation on the Internet and to assist victims of online sexual abuse.

The program provides for immediate counselling services to be made available to eligible child and youth victims of Internet sexual exploitation and members of their families (Office of the Ontario Attorney General)."

Due to the horrific nature of this particular form of victimization, it is important for the victims of online exploitation to access available help as soon as possible.

Resources for Victims of Online Exploitation

  • OTTAWA VICTIM SERVICES

    Contact Info:
    www.ovs-svo.com/en
    250 City Centre, Suite 600
    Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6K7
    Tel: 613.238.2762
    Email: info@ovs-svo.com

  • OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE (OPS) VICTIM CRISIS UNIT
    Tel: 613.236. 1222 Ext. 5822

  • INTERNET CHILD EXPLOITATION COUNSELLING PROGRAM

    Contact Info:
    18 King Street East
    7th Floor
    Toronto, Ontario M5C 1C4
    Tel: 1.888.579.2888 or 416.326.2430
    Fax: 416.235.4494
    Email: ice@ontario.ca

  • YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU
    http://www.ysb.on.ca/
    Tel:
    Ottawa: 613.234.5511
    Downtown: 613.241.7788
    East End: 613.834.2660
    West End: 613.596.5621
    Emergency: 613.729.1000
    Mobile Crisis: 613.260.2360

  • KIDS HELP PHONE
    Tel: 1-800-668-6868 (Help Line)

  • CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF EASTERN ONTARIO — SEXUALLY ASSAULTED YOUTH COUNSELLING

    Contact Info:
    www.cheo.on.ca
    401 Smyth Road
    Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1
    Tel: 613.737.2360
    Assessment: 613.737.2496
    Fax: 613.738.4235

  • CENTRE FOR TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE AND SEXUAL TRAUMA

    Contact Info:
    http://centrefortreatment.com/
    203 MacLaren Street
    Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0L4
    Tel: 613.233.4929
    Fax: 613.233.4947
    Email: centrefortreatment@yahoo.com

  • CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY OTTAWA

    Contact Info:
    http://www.casott.on.ca/
    Tel: General Inquiries: 613.747.7800
    To report child abuse or neglect: 613.747.7800

    • MAIN OFFICE — Children's Aid Society of Ottawa
      1602 Telesat Court, Gloucester, Ontario K1B 1B1

    • Kanata South-West Services
      150 Katimavik Road, Suite 2000 Kanata, Ontario K2L 2N2

    • Walkley South-East Services
      1600 Walkley Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1V 6P5

    • Somerset West Community Health Centre
      55 Eccles Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6S3

    • Vanier Community Service Centre
      282 Dupuis Street, Vanier, Ontario K1L 7H9

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