Cathy Vine, M.S.W.
Executive Director, Voices for Children, Toronto, Ontario
My work at Voices for Children over the last five years hasinvolved mobilizing knowledge regarding the conditions and issues which promote and hinder children’s healthy development in Ontario. We use a number of strategies—from publishing reports to arranging for youth to meet with elected officials to holding major conferences—to ‘translate’ the science of healthy child development into practical action-oriented information. Included below are samples of activities and publicationsfocused on increasing public understanding about family violence.
Working with researchers and practitioners from across Canada, we assembled acomprehensive picture of the scope, nature and impact of violence in Canadian families. This book was designed for use primarily by professionals and students:
Alaggia, R. & Vine, C. Eds. (2006). Cruel but Not Unusual: Violence in Canadian Families. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier Press. (Table of Contents attached)
Working with researchers and experts to ‘translate’ research into more accessible materials, we use our popular e-Bulletin service to reach 5,000 subscribers including educators, service providers, media, policymakers, elected officials, parents and youth. Sample reports include:
Children and women first? Voices from the front lines of domestic violence on the impact of child welfare reporting
By Angelique Jenney, Child Development Institute, Ramona Alaggia, University Of Toronto,
Josephine Mazzuca, Child Development Institute and Melissa Redmond, University Of Toronto
March 2006
Just another dramatic statistic?
Looking behind and beyond the startling rise in Canadian child abuse numbers
An Interview with Dr. Nico Trocmé
October 2005
Safe harbour for all of our young citizens: Preventing child abuse and neglect in Ontario
An Interview with Dr. Peter Jaffe
October 2004
Working directly with young people themselves to have their views and experiences heard, this report was developed from roundtables held in 6 regions of the province and was ultimately presented to the Government of Ontario, on the steps of the legislature, by ten of the participating youth. The youth went on to deliver several workshops and were popular presenters at the First Children and Youth Summit sponsored by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services in Ontario:
Just Listen to Me: Youth Voices on Violence
Stephanie J. Ma, Participant, Ontario Youth Roundtable Discussions on Violence
November 2004
Conducted in-depth interviews with adults who wanted to share their experiences ofchild sexual abuse with the broader public following the death of Martin Kruze--a man who spoke very publicly about his own sexual abuse experiences and his desire to prevent other children from being abused:
Vine, C. & Challen, P. (2002). Gardens of Shame: The Tragedy of Martin Kruze & the Sexual Abuse at MapleLeafGardens. Vancouver, BC: Greystone Press.