Sexual Abuse in Canada’s Athletics: A Brief Overview
While sports are commonly thought to “be a safe, healthy environment which contributes to the positive development of young people, it is also an area where violence can manifest itself in various ways, including sexual assault.” Between 2 and 8 percent of all Canadian athletes are victims in sexual abuse at some point in their careers, a number which may come as a surprise to sports fans and sexual abuse prevention advocates alike.
Concerns for the safety and wellbeing of child and young adult victims have seen a sharp rise in recent years as incidents of sexual abuse in any environment—including athletics—are brought to the public’s attention thanks to the #MeToo movement and similar visibility efforts.
In as many as 98 percent of these incidents, the perpetrators of sexual abuse were coaches, teachers or instructors of the victims, violating the sense of trust and kinship that is highly valued in the context of an athletic team.
Is Sexual Abuse in Elite Sports a Hidden Epidemic?
Sexual Abuse by Doctors Continues to be a Problem in Canada
Sexual Abuse By Doctors
Google analytics tells me that the section of my blog is devoted to addressing the topic of Doctor Sexual Abuse tends to be the most frequently read of all the articles I have posted over the six years I have been writing this blog.
What that tells me is that there are a lot of people out there searching for information about this issue.
Canadian Abuse Survivors Speak up on Oprah Show
Perhaps it goes without saying, but childhood sexual abuse is a world wide problem.
Lat week I posted about Oprah’s show about male survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Since the show aired there have been a number of news stories about Canadian men who survived childhood sexual abuse who participated in the show.
Oprah Sheds Light on Male Childhood Sexual Abuse
My wife is a big fan of Oprah Winfrey. She is certainly one of the most influential people in North America (Oprah, not my wife). So I was pleased when my wife told me that Oprah had devoted two days to a show about male survivors of sexual abuse. The first part aired last week. Part two is scheduled to be aired today.
The show is about the stories of 200 adult men who were molested as children. I applaud Oprah’s efforts to encourage male survivors of sexual abuse to come forward.
Disclosure Painful
Doctor Facing 29 Charges of Sexual Assault
Toronto anesthesiologist Dr. George Doodnaught Doodnaught, worked at Toronto’s North York General Hospital.
Charged With Sexually Assaulting Sleeping Patients
Doodnaught was charged six months ago with sexually assaulting three of his female patients while they were under anesthesia.
John McKiggan Presenting at Institutional Liability for Sexual Assault and Abuse Conference
I have been invited to speak at the Canadian Institute’s Ninth National Summit on Institutional Liability for Sexual Assault and Abuse.
My presentation is Overcoming Key Hurdles in Bringing and Defending Child Sexual Assault and Abuse Claims.
The conference is taking place in Toronto April 7-8, 2010.
Psychiatrist Sued for Sex Abuse of Patient: Calgary
The Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons has released a decision that it has revoked the medical licence of psychiatrist Jeremy Roberts.
Roberts was accused of “professional negligence and sexual abuse.” A hearing found he had an inappropriate relationship with a patient that included sexual activity. The woman was not identified. The Alberta College’s policy regarding doctor/patient sexual contact can be found here.
The Calgary Herald has reported that the patient that filed the complaint has filed a lawsuit against Roberts seeking compensation for sexual abuse.
When is it okay for a doctor to have sex with their patients?
The Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons is trying to “cure” the “chronic problem” of doctors sexually abusing their patients.
This story in the London Free Press reports that the College is:
“…floating an updated set of guidelines for physicians that contains advice on when it’s appropriate for a doctor to be sexually intimate with someone they medically cared for in the past or a member of their patient’s family.”
When is it appropriate for doctors to have sex with their patients? Let me see…how about NEVER!
The doctor-patient relationship has to be one of the most powerful of fiduciary relationships. Patients have to place their complete trust in their physicians. Can there be a more vulernable position to be in?
The article reports that:
“…allegations of sexual abuse by doctors are heard regularly by the college’s disciplinary committee.”
For example:
A Toronto doctor for fondling and kissing his patient’s breasts and sending her an essay containing sexual innuendo.
A Whitby doctor for having sexual relations with a patient and attempting to placate her husband by offering to prescribe him medication.
The statement “First do no harm” is widely attributed to Hippocrates, author of the Hippocratic oath. Perhaps these sexually abusive physicians have never of him?
