Addressing Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth
Assistant Deputy Ministers' Committee on Prostitution and the Sexual Exploitation of Youth
The ADM's committee coordinates provincial government action on issues related to prostitution and the sexual exploitation of children and youth. The committee includes representation from eight provincial government ministries and is chaired by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
In 2006, the committee partnered with the National Crime Prevention Centre to offer funding to communities seeking to develop and implement three-year comprehensive and coordinated community action plans to address prostitution and the sexual exploitation of children and youth. Grants totalling approximately $400,000 were provided to B.C. programs working to prevent the sexual exploitation of women, children and youth. Download list of programs that received funding  .
Stop the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth Awareness Week
The week recognizes the importance of supporting communities to develop prevention, education, enforcement and intervention strategies to address the sexual exploitation of children and youth. Activities include a provincial forum, a fuchsia ribbon campaign and local school and community-based events held throughout the province. more>>
Children of the Street Society
The Children of the Street Society, funded by the ministry, develops public awareness and prevention strategies for youth, families, educators and service providers. It offers a number of school-based programs and resources and support for parents, caregivers and Community Action Teams across BC. more>>
Community Action Teams (CAT)
CAT teams are groups of service providers and community partners who are working to develop local strategies to address prostitution and sexual exploitation. While working towards the goal of eliminating the exploitation of children and youth in prostitution, many of their efforts with respect to adult prostitutes focus on harm reduction and improving working and living conditions. Activities include prevention and education, service coordination and legal/enforcement approaches.
Community Action Teams are comprised of service providers such as police, social workers, and health professionals; representatives from municipal and provincial governments; educators and school administrators; parents; youth; and non-profit agencies. Download list of Community Action Teams in B.C.
Taking Action
A series of six handouts for communities addressing sexual exploitation of children and youth was developed by the Justice Institute of B.C. with funding provided by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. Individuals and groups wanting to take action in their communities on issues related to the sexual exploitation of children and youth may use these handouts to guide them through the process of setting up a Community Action Network, creating a community action plan, applying for funding, building awareness, and more. Download the Taking Action handouts
The Taking Action handouts are part of a larger online toolkit designed to be a one-stop resource for information about the commercial sexual exploitation of children and youth. The online toolkit connects youth and adults to province-wide resources, programs and service agencies that work towards addressing the sexual exploitation of children and youth., that will be made available to communities in 2007. View the Sexual Exploitation toolkit on the Justice Institute of B.C. website – www.jibc.ca/seytoolkit/
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