September 28, 1998

To:Board of Health

From:Dr. Sheela V. Basrur, Medical Officer of Health

Subject:Toronto Roundtable on Prostitution Involving Children and Youth

Purpose:

To inform the Board of Health on the results of a continuing initiative to reduce commercial child sexual abuse.

Source of Funds:

Not applicable.

Recommendations:

(1)That the Board of Health receive the report "Toronto Roundtable on Prostitution Involving Children and Youth" for information.

(2)That this report be referred for information to the Child Advocate and to the Task Force on Community Safety.

(3)That the following recommendation regarding business licencing be referred to the Commissioner of Urban Planning & Development for consideration during the harmonization of licensing by-laws.

"that Toronto City Council consider making changes to Metro licensing by-laws to eliminate the practice of involving children and youth in prostitution in settings such as massage parlours, escort services, bath houses, and adult entertainment establishments."

Background:

In February 1997, the (former) Toronto Board of Health requested consultation with the Toronto Police Juvenile Squad, other appropriate social service agencies and the Toronto Board of Education to develop a report on the prevention of prostitution involving children and youth in Toronto. Toronto Public Health assumed the role of organizer and facilitator to generate strategies to effect change in Toronto. A roundtable mechanism was used and three meetings were held to discuss the current situation and to develop recommendations. The report "Toronto Roundtable on Prostitution Involving Children and Youth" provides a brief background of this process and the recommendations of the Roundtable.

Comments:

The Roundtable process successfully functioned as an independent working group made up of varied stakeholders. The resulting report of Roundtable recommendations is intended to be used by all participating agencies to support both internal and external advocacy, especially to encourage regulatory and practice changes. It is hoped that it will also be used by other organizations, institutions and governments in taking a more active role to reduce commercialized sexual abuse of children and youth.

Public Health, as a member of the Roundtable, will appear before the Standing Committee on Social Development, Legislative Assembly of Ontario, on September 28, 1998 to comment on Bill 18, An Act to Protect Children Involved in Prostitution. The presentation will serve to impress upon the Committee the benefits of a shift in social thinking about prostitution involving children as commercialized child sexual abuse. The report of the Roundtable will be tabled by Public Health at that meeting. Additional members of the Roundtable have indicated that they will also refer to the report in their presentations to the Committee.

Contact Name:

Connie Clement

Director, Public Health Planning and Policy

Toronto Public Health

tel: 392-7451

fax: 392-1483

email: cclement@city.toronto.on.ca

Dr. Sheela V. Basrur

Medical Officer of Health

Toronto Roundtable

on

Prostitution Involving Children and Youth

Recommendation for action to end

commercialized child sex abuse

Fall, 1998

Author: Liz Lines

Additional copies and information available from:

Tracy LeachSusan Miner

Toronto Public HealthStreet Outreach Services

phone:416-392-7451phone:416-926-0744

fax:416-392-1483fax:416-926-9552

email:tleach@city.toronto.on.ca

Background to the Roundtable

At its meeting held on February 11, 1997, the Toronto Board of Health requested that the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the Metropolitan Toronto Police Juvenile Squad, other appropriate social service agencies and the Toronto Board of Education, report on the prevention of prostitution involving children and youth, and the existing situation.

The above range of agencies and organizations suggested for the consultation indicates the complexity of this multi-faceted issue of which health represents but one aspect. Thus, in response to the Board of Health request, Toronto Public Health, Health Promotion and Advocacy Services, assumed the primary role of organizer and facilitator to a short-term consultative process.

On June 26, 1997, the first of three, three-hour Roundtable discussions was convened at Toronto Public Health. Invitations to attend were extended to representatives from 16 different agencies and organizations which had been identified, in part, through a networking process. Following from the Board of Health request, invites were informed that the purpose of the Roundtable was to assess the current situation in regard to children and youth involved in prostitution in Toronto and suggest appropriate advocacy initiatives. The original list of Roundtable invitees appears in Appendix A.

In the end, agencies and organizations represented at one or more of the Roundtable meetings included the following:

Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS)

Covenant House

Evergreen

Getting Out (GO)

Street Outreach Services (SOS)

Youthlink / Inner City

Metro Toronto Police - Juvenile Task Force and Criminal Investigation Bureau

Ministry of the Attorney General

Ministry of Community and Social Services

Toronto Board of Education - Student Support Services

The individuals who attended one or more of the Roundtable meetings from these agencies and organizations are named in Appendix A.

Prior to the meeting on June 26, participants were provided with three current reports to consider in preparing for the Roundtable: Handbook for Action Against Prostitution of Youth in Calgary (undated; Calgary); Community Consultation on Prostitution in British Columbia: Overview of Results (March, 1996; British Columbia); and, Children Involved in Prostitution: Report by the Task Force on Children Involved in Prostitution (January 28, 1997; Alberta). These reports were based on current literature, results of research projects, and lengthy consultations regarding the development of recommendations pertaining to children and youth involved in prostitution.

The Report from Alberta and, in particular, its recommendations served as a general framework for discussion. Based on the outcomes of the June 26 Roundtable, a provisional set of recommendations was developed by Roundtable participants for consideration at a second meeting convened on October 15. This process of recommendation development and refinement was concluded during a third and final meeting of the Roundtable on October 31. Discussion at each of the three meetings was wide-ranging and frank.

The recommendations that were developed reflect, at least in part, the following assumptions on the part of Roundtable participants:

*The phrase 'children and youth involved in prostitution' refers to those who receive consideration for their sexual services, not to johns or pimps or others who may exploit them.

*Unless otherwise noted, the framework for the following recommendations pertains to children and youth under the age of 18 years.

*Some recommendations may reflect the fact that, in its application, the Young Offenders Act makes distinctions between youth who are 16 or 17 years old and those who are 13 to 15 years old.

*Province-wide policies and programs are needed to address the issues, since many of the youth on the streets of Toronto and other urban centres are from other municipalities.

*Prevention and early identification of risk must start at an early age and involve families and communities.

Given the constraints imposed by the limited timeframe of the Roundtable process and its somewhat fluctuating membership, the following recommendations should be viewed as expressions of agreement amongst the individuals in attendance. These recommendations are not reflections of the positions held by all participating agencies and organizations.

The report is intended as a tool for agencies, institutions and governments to use in taking a more active role in reducing commercialized sexual abuse of children and youth. As such it should be cited, reprinted and distributed widely. (No copyright is held by Roundtable members).

Recommendations

Legal definitions and regulatory approaches

1.1that prostitution involving children and youth be defined as commercialized child sexual abuse;

that children and youth involved in prostitution be treated as victims of sexual abuse, and;

that those who give money or other consideration in exchange for sexual services of children and youth be treated as having committed the offence of commercialized child sexual abuse.

1.2that the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Corrections and the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, and the federal Minister of Justice review, as appropriate, the Ontario Child and Family Services Act, the federal Young Offenders Act and the Criminal Code of Canada, with the intent to amend these Acts to reflect the direction proposed in recommendation 1.1.

1.3that the federal Minister of Justice review the efficacy of existing provisions of the Criminal Code in relation to those individuals who procure and purchase the sexual services of youth and children in various sectors of the prostitution industry including, for example, escort services, massage parlours, advertisers (i.e., advertisements in print media and electronic messages on the Internet advertising sex services with underage individuals);

that the federal Solicitor General in consultation with the federal Minister of Justice review existing provisions of the Criminal Code in relation to those individuals who procure and purchase the sexual services of youth and children to determine how these provisions might be more effectively and vigorously enforced and prosecuted.

1.4In recognition that the intra- and inter-provincial and inter-municipal movement of children and youth for the purpose of prostitution is a frequent occurrence: that the Minister of Justice and provincial Ministers acknowledge this activity and develop legislative, enforcement and research strategies to address such movement, including a review of legislation with respect to child welfare, prostitution and other related provisions, for the purpose of addressing commercialized child sexual abuse.

1.5that Toronto City Council consider making changes to Metro licensing by-laws to eliminate the practice of involving children and youth in prostitution in settings such as massage parlours, escort services, bath houses, and adult entertainment establishments.

Provincial Policy and Practice

2.1that the province increase its funding to prevent prostitution involving children and youth, and for associated research related to prevention and intervention, and to provide appropriate interventions for children and youth identified as being involved in prostitution, and;

that such programs should recognize that prostitution involving children and youth includes both males and females, and should address the multiplicity of issues influencing and affecting the lives of children and youth involved in prostitution.

2.2that, in the context of school-based programs developed to prevent prostitution involving children and youth, the Ministry of Education facilitate funding and the setting of broad program parameters at board of education and provincial levels, and;

that program content and delivery details be locally developed, and new program initiatives be coordinated with existing services.

Interventions and Outcomes

3.0that a working group comprised of representatives from the police, Crown's office, Children's Aid societies and other social agencies review the protocol originally developed by the Mayor's (later, 'Metro') Special Committee on Child Abuse to determine its applicability to the context of commercialized child sexual abuse, and;

that this working group develop an interdisciplinary protocol to be followed by their respective organizations to support children and youth involved in prostitution, both through the court process and in the community.

3.1that the Protocol Regarding the Provision of Services to Homeless and Runaway Youth Under Sixteen Years of Age (Interagency Committee on Homeless and Runaway Youth; Toronto, August, 1993. Attached as Appendix B.) be implemented by all associated community-based agencies in Toronto, and;

that this protocol be reviewed by an interagency committee for its applicability to 16 and 17 year olds.

3.2that until such time as children and youth engaged in prostitution can be treated as victims of commercialized child sexual abuse, the Attorney General should approve specialized diversion programs for 16 and 17 year olds involved in prostitution.

3.3that a fuller spectrum of placement options is needed for children and youth involved in prostitution, ranging from locked facilities for those who are, for example, at high risk for self-injury, to community-based groups working in cooperation with Children's Aid societies.

3.4that social service agencies, police and justice system personnel strengthen alliances to ensure seamless services, and develop and revise protocols as needed, so that each child and youth benefits from a coordinated case management approach where all members of the team work together for the benefit of the youth.

3.5that intra- and inter-jurisdictional mechanism(s) be developed (e.g., amendments to the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and regulations, and changes to protocols regarding the Child Abuse Registry), to allow for improved information sharing amongst agencies and service-providers, and for the tracking of youth involved in prostitution through the system while respecting their rights.

3.6that appropriate learning environments (e.g., alternative school programs) be available province-wide to adolescents and young adults involved in prostitution who want to return to education or training, and;

that, in addition to school-based programs, a range of training/work-based alternatives be available including, for example, mentorships and apprenticeships, with adequate financial support as required.

Prevention - Home, School and Community

In recognition of the potential for early sexual abuse experiences to normalize patterns of behaviour that are conducive to later involvement in commercialized sexual abuse, it is further recommended

4.1that an agency or working group be struck to develop a media campaign to raise community awareness regarding commercialized sexual abuse, and to educate parents about the risk factors for abuse that might be relevant to their family situation (e.g., a new step-parent, or a new boarder).

4.2that existing 'street-proofing' models introduced to young children to raise awareness about abduction and assault by strangers be extended to include the concept of abuse by persons known to the child.

4.3that the delivery of school-based prevention and intervention programs continue. Such programs should include: the training of classroom teachers to identify risk factors; specification of roles and scope of involvement for teachers, other board personnel, trained agency staff and/or peers in education, support and referral; the delivery of educational/awareness prevention sessions to students in small group learning formats; and, the provision of an environment and a curriculum that are conducive to safe disclosure.

4.4that classroom teachers and teachers-in-training receive ongoing education and training that presents and reinforces the concept of children and youth involved in prostitution as victims of commercialized child sexual abuse, and expands teachers' understanding of child welfare legislation and their responsibilities to report suspected cases of sexual abuse.

Appendix A

Original invitees to the Roundtable

Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS)

Covenant House

Evergreen

Getting Out (GO)

Hospital for Sick Children

Metro Toronto Police:Juvenile Task Force

Criminal Investigation Bureau

Sexual Assault Squad

Metro Toronto Children's Aid Society

Ministry of Community and Social Services

Native Child and Family Services

Reconnecting Youth

Shout

Street Light

Street Outreach Services (SOS)

Toronto Board of Education

Youthlink/Inner City

Roundtable Participants

Carol Appathurai, Ministry of Community and Social Services

Mike Beauparlant, Metro Toronto Police-Juvenile Task Force and Criminal Investigation Bureau

Peggy-Gail Dehal-Ramson, Youthlink / Inner City

Carloes Francis, Youthlink / Inner City

Tom Gregory, Covenant House

Shelley Hallett, Ministry of the Attorney General

Vicki Kelman, Toronto Board of Education - Student Support Services

Michael Krause, Evergreen

Linda Lalonde, Getting Out (GO)

Craig Lewers, Metro Toronto Police-Juvenile Task Force and Criminal Investigation Bureau

Susan Miner, Street Outreach Services (SOS)

Tam Nguyen, Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS)

Steve Nguyen, Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS)

Jan Rothenburger, Evergreen

Richard Waugh, Toronto Board of Education - Student Support Services

Appendix B

Interagency Committee

on Homeless and Runaway Youth

Protocol

Regarding the Provision of Services

to Homeless and Runaway Youth

Under Sixteen Years of Age

Toronto, Ontario: August 1993

Appendix C

Reference Reports

Children Involved in Prostitution: Report by the Task Force on Children Involved in Prostitution, January 1997, Alberta. Note: This report served as a general framework for discussion.

Community Consultation on Prostitution in British Columbia: Overview of Results, March 1996, British Columbia.

Handbook for Action Against Prostitution of Youth in Calgary: Recommendations of the Prostitution Policy, Service and Research Committee for the Calgary Community, undated, Calgary.