Bulletin staff
Continuing from last year, the number of reports handled by the Outaouais’ Child Welfare System Centre (DPJ) has again increased.
In 2016-2017, the DPJ treated 6,164 reports, up from 5,680 in 2015-2016, representing a 8.5% hike. This translates to about 17 cases daily.
Of the more than 6,150 reports received, the regional DPJ upheld 2,508 to be investigated and rejected 3,656. From the 2,508 reports upheld, 505 (20%) concerned teenagers, 1,057 involved 5 to 12 years old and 953 were about 0 to 5 years old.
This year, the DPJ’s public awareness campaign will focus on troubled teenagers and how to better understand and help the region’s youths.
Topping the charts of the reasons why people are calling the DPJ is “child negligence”, at 22%, closely followed by “physical abuse” at 18.5% and “neglect plus risk” at 15.8%. At the opposite end of the spectrum is “abandonment” with eight cases investigated, about 0.3% of the total.
The origin of these reports of harm vary, but the group labeled by the DPJ as “workers from various organizations”, which include health-care workers, submitted about 33% of all reports, the highest percentage.
The police, individuals from education and those from families all reported about 20% of cases each in 2016-2017, while about 7% originated from the community – neighbours, friends, passers-by.
