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Big news headlines this month have include R. Kelly’s infamous interview with Gayle King (her poise in the face of his tantrum is a masterclass in composure under fire) and the fallout from a new Micheal Jackson documentary called “Leaving Neverland” – radio stations and even Spotify are looking at banning his catalogue of music from rotation. While the debate about how to handle the art created by problematic artists (*cough * Woody Allen *cough*) rages on, another important question has been raised: what were the parents thinking, leaving their sons alone with a grown man for sleepovers and whatnot?

Unfortunately, perpetrators of sexual violence often engage in a process called grooming, and while many people understand how these predators groom children, it is lesser-known that the grooming process often includes parents/primary caregivers (and as this opinion piece states, an entire culture).

Want to know more about grooming? Check out this resource on our website. Worried that a child in your life might be subject to some kind of abuse? Learn about your Duty to Report (protocols vary by province) – you’ll never be penalized for making a report in good faith, and you also have the option to report anonymously. The bottom line? If you are worried that a child is being abused, call the Ministry of Social Services or your local police/RCMP.

There are only a few seats left in SSAIC’s First Responder to Sexual Assault training course taking place at The Willows on Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30.

What can you expect to take away from the training?

– A comprehensive coil-bound workbook to take home
– A folder containing additional resources
– A detailed understanding of the personal, cultural, and legal aspects of sexual violence
– The ability to recognize, define, and respond appropriately to disclosures of sexual violence

Details and online registration available on our website.

Talk is cheap – Saskatchewan needs to spend more money on mental health

Mental health professional Joanne Schenn illuminates how provincial mental health services have not kept pace with people experiencing serious issues and crises. Schenn makes an effective case for the need to treat mental illness with the same consideration as any other physical illness. In this op-ed piece, the author outlines the urgent need for publicly funded mental health services in Saskatchewan to stem the rising tide of depression and suicides.

The Science is clear: Childhood trauma affects health outcomes later in life

In this TED Talk, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains how childhood traumas such as abuse, parental addictions or mental illness impact a child’s developing brain. Those who have experienced severe childhood adversity may be at higher risk for heart disease or  cancer later in life. If we recognize the effects of childhood trauma as a public health issue, steps can be take to prevent and treat the impacts. “This is real and this is all of us – we are the movement.”