Positive Family Legislation

It seems we are always quick to complain about legislation and policies we don't like. Yet, we frequently fail to acknowledge some very fine pro-family legislation that is quietly being passed in Canada. This is particularly the situation in Ontario. For the first few years of Premier Harris' Conservative government, it seemed that his concern was mainly with fiscally conservative issues. There appeared to be scant concern for social issues. This is no longer the case.

As noted in the last issue of Reality, July/August 1998, "Good News for the Family on Child Care", p. 6, the Harris government has provided, at long last, some financial recognition for a parent at home. That is not the only positive pro-family policy, however. Others include:

1. Abstinence as a Form of Birth and Disease Control

In June, the Ontario Minister of Education, Dave Johnston, announced that abstinence as a positive choice must be taught to all Grade 8 children in Ontario schools.

Children are also to be taught other methods of preventing pregnancy, but school boards and parent councils will play a role in determining how this should be presented. According to Mr. Johnson, "If some boards choose to go beyond that [abstinence] into more detail, that's their choice". In other words, boards and parents will have a say as to whether the basic discussion of abstinence will suffice.

It is significant, too, that children will also be instructed on sources of support and information in regard to healthy sexuality -- namely, their parents, guardians and doctors!

This is a very positive change and long overdue. Certainly the previous approach to sex education has proven, through painful experience, to be an abject failure. The former approach was based on the incorrect assumption that most young people are sexually active. According to a survey by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, as many young people now practice abstinence as engage in sexual activity. They should, therefore, be provided with full information on birth control. Despite this, according to a report given at the annual meeting of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, between 1987 and 1994, there was an 18% increase in teenage pregnancy, and abortions had risen 50% faster for teenage girls, who also had the highest rate of STDs, (See Reality, March/April 1998, p. 8, "Sex Education -- An Expensive Failure".)

It's time to try other approaches -- such as the one being put forward by the Ontario government -- namely, teaching youngsters to say "no."

2. Legislation to Curb Teenage Prostitution

Bill 18 (An Act to Protect Children from Prostitution) has been brought before the Ontario legislature. It is modelled on the pioneer legislation introduced in Alberta last spring by Calgary MLA, Heather Forsyth.

This Bill will give police the power to apprehend children engaged in prostitution and place them in secure houses for care and assessment for up to 72 hours without a court order.

In the name of constitutional correctness, these children would not be apprehended for being prostitutes (prostitution is a matter of federal jurisdiction), but they would be removed from the streets as sexually abused children who require protective care.

Following three days of confinement, a child would voluntarily enter more intensive treatment, return to his/her home, or be placed in long-term child protection by social services.

The province's pledge is to enhance health services, life skills, job training and crisis intervention for these vulnerable children by providing special programs directed at assisting them to stay off the streets.

Bill 18 also gives additional powers to Social Services to seek restraining orders against pimps, drug dealers or abusive parents who might induce the child to re-enter prostitution.

On September 28, REAL Women appeared before the Ontario Standing Committee on Social Development applauding the Bill. However, we did make a few substantive recommendations to strengthen the Bill. These recommendations included the following:

• no abused child under 16 years should be released from care without adult supervision;

• the names and license plates of "johns' and pimps should be released to the media for public disclosure;

• police should be requested to report pimps to Revenue Canada so that the pimps will be further curtailed in their attempts to live off the avails of prostitution;

• parenting courses should be provided in school curriculum and public forums.

We also strongly urged the government to introduce the "Positive Prevention of Child Abuse Program", initiated in the State of Hawaii (See Reality, November/December 1997, p. 1, "A Positive Response to Child Abuse"), which has reduced the incidence of child detention in that state by an incredible 99%.

REAL Women stated in its brief:

There is a consensus in the literature, which is very much confirmed by the practical experience of those working in the social services field, that most of the children involved in teenage prostitution come from abusive homes.

This factor draws youngsters into the commercial sex trade. In short, children who are physically, sexually and/or emotionally abused from an early age have low self-esteem and addiction difficulties, which make them vulnerable to the lures of pimps and prostitution.

Such children are the tragic victims of their dysfunctional families. A major factor in curbing child prostitution, therefore, lies in creating better families. Otherwise, the wheel of dysfunction grinds inexorably on. Dysfunctional children grow up to be dysfunctional adults, who then give birth to children who become dysfunctional also. This cycle of human destruction must be stopped.

We concluded by stating that the implementation of the Hawaiian Head Start Program in tandem with Bill 18 would be a positive response to crime, child abuse and the tragedy of teenage prostitution in the province.

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