The economic costs of child abuse in Canada top $15 billion, according to a new study at The University of Western Ontario.
“Our goal with this research is to contribute to the reduction of child abuse in Canadian society, by increasing the awareness of how the costs and consequences of child abuse affect all Canadians,” says Katherine McKenna, professor in Western’s Centre for Women's Studies and Feminist Research.
Audra Bowlus, one of the study’s co-authors and professor in Western’s Department of Economics, says, “Our findings indicate a well-planned investment of substantial public funds in early detection, prevention and treatment of child abuse would not only significantly benefit child abuse victims, but is also sound fiscal policy that would benefit us all.”
Tanis Day, an independent consultant who also co-authored the report says, “An interesting aspect of economic costing is that it often provides a middle ground on which both fiscal conservatives and anti-violence activists can meet. Both can agree that something that affects society so negatively and to such an extent must be prevented.”
The researchers included physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect and witnessing violent behaviour in their definition of abuse. Total costs (from 1998) are broken down as follows: