Construction begins on new youth shelter

CAMBRIDGE, July 3, 2003 /CNW/ - The Argus Residence for Young People, an emergency and transitional shelter for homeless youth between the ages of 15- 24, celebrated the start of construction on a 10-bed shelter with an official ground breaking ceremony today.

"The construction of this shelter demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to providing housing for at-risk and homeless youth," said Janko Peric, Member of Parliament for Cambridge on behalf of the Honourable Steven Mahoney, Secretary of State responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. "This new shelter will not only provide a safe, stable environment for homeless youth, but will also teach them essential life skills. Federal strategies to address youth issues are helping those most in need at the community level, and this project is a prime example."

Eva Vlasov, Executive Director of Argus Residence said, "This new shelter is the result of a group of individuals, businesses, CMHC and Human Resources Development Canada coming together to support young people in our area. These 10 new spaces for homeless youth are a significant addition and will allow our community to respond with appropriate housing and counseling services for youth in very difficult situations.

"It really takes a cooperative approach between government, business and individuals to make these good things happen. Our staff and volunteers have worked hard on behalf of the young people in our community and they are looking forward to the completion of this new shelter."

CMHC, Canada's federal housing agency, committed $180,000 to the project through its Shelter Enhancement Program (SEP). The SEP offers financial assistance for the repair, rehabilitation and improvement of existing shelters for women, children and youth who are victims of family violence as well as the acquisition or construction of new shelters and second stage housing where needed.

Other partners contributing to the project include HRDC, contributing $150,000 through the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI), $26,245 from the Provincial Homelessness Initiative Fund and approximately $35,000 raised from local community and service clubs.

The shelter will also provide services, amalgamated with a comprehensive life skill acquisition program that, with the support of community partners, prepares young people for independent living or if feasible, a safe and healthy return home.

For further information:
Angelina Ritacco, CMHC,
(416) 218-3332; Eva
Vlasov, Executive Director, Argus Residence, (519) 650-0452

Guardian U.K. Female sex offender nursery worker

Angry scenes as nursery worker appears in court on sexual assault charges

Vanessa George remanded in custody after crowds jeer from public gallery and throw missiles outside court

The Guardian, UK
June 11, 2009

A court drawing of Vanessa George

A nursery school worker was jeered and spat at when she appeared in court today, charged with sexual assault and making and distributing child abuse images.

Vanessa George, 39, who worked at the Little Ted's nursery in Plymouth, was remanded in custody amid angry scenes in and outside the city's magistrates court.

George, of Plymouth, faces three counts of sexual assault on girls and one on a boy. She is also accused of making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children. Read More ..

BBC News- The sexual abuse by women of children and teenagera. survivors of sexual abuse done by women.

BBC, UK TV
Programme - 1997

The sexual abuse by women of children and teenager

A surprising 86% of survivors of sexual abuse were not believed when they said the abuser was a woman.

Many myths were exposed, such as the one that women only sexually abused when coerced by men - they in fact played the lead part. Also the myth that women are incapable of cruelty - what was shown was beyond belief.

Women commit 25% of all child sexual abuse

250,000 children in UK have been sexually abused by women

Women in our society have been portrayed as victims, but somewhere within their victimisation they have learned that to abuse children gave them a sense of power, control, agency, and therefore they use the abuse of children to gain those things.

Jacqui Saradjiam: (clinical psychologist)
I think people find it so difficult to see that women sexually abuse children because the whole view of women is of nurturers, carers, protectors - people who do anything to look after children - and they see the women as victims rather than enemies or perpetrators of any abuse.

Michelle Elliott: (Director - children's charity Kidscape)
I think the issue strikes at the core of what we perceive ourselves as women to be. I think that it's easier to think that it's men - men the enemy, somehow - but it can't be women - it's one thing women can't do. Women can be equal, we can be free, we can be in charge of companies, but we can't sexually abuse children - That's a load of rubbish.

The Guardian newspaper logo

Female Teacher jailed for sex with boy

The Guardian, UK
August 16, 2005

A married primary schoolteacher was jailed for 15 months yesterday after admitting having sex with an underage teenage boy.

Hannah Grice, 32, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to two counts of indecent assault on the boy, who was aged 14 and 15 at the time of the offences.

Sentencing her at Stafford crown court, Judge John Shand told Grice, from Cannock, Staffordshire, she had abused her position of trust.

"Cases such as this are, of course, made worse by the fact that you were a member of the teaching profession," he told her. "You should have been very sensitive indeed to child welfare issues." Grice was also ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years. Read More ..

Canadian flag
Health Canada Publication

The Invisible Boy: Revisioning the Victimization of Male Children and Teens

"... the existence of a double standard in the care and treatment of male victims, and the invisibility and normalization of violence and abuse toward boys and young men in our society.

Despite the fact that over 300 books and articles on male victims have been published in the last 25 to 30 years, boys and teen males remain on the periphery of the discourse on child abuse.

Few workshops about males can be found at most child abuse conferences and there are no specialized training programs for clinicians. Male-centred assessment is all but non-existent and treatment programs are rare. If we are talking about adult males, the problem is even greater. A sad example of this was witnessed recently in Toronto. After a broadcast of The Boys of St. Vincent, a film about the abuse of boys in a church-run orphanage, the Kids' Help Phone received over 1,000 calls from distraught adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. It is tragic in a way no words can capture that these men had no place to turn to other than a children's crisis line."

Female Teacher Accused of Sex Abuse

The Braxton County teacher admitted having sex with three middle school students, State Police said. U.S.A.

Toni Lynn Woods, 37, of Strange Creek - Female sex offender registry

March 3, 2005

A Braxton County middle school teacher is in police custody after allegedly confessing to sexual misconduct with five of her students.

Toni Lynn Woods, 37, of Strange Creek was arrested Wednesday on eight counts of sexual assault. Read More ..