$4.7 Trillion
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** Canada is losing approximately $4.7 trillion in lifetime economic cost and loss because we have never fully counted the impact of child sexual violence. That estimate is based on […]
Words Have Power. Water Heals.
Five Great Lakes in 18 days. One day for every year of my childhood. The wind moves me. The water heals me. The land holds me. The sun gives me strength. Over 18 days, I swam in all five Great Lakes. What began as a cold-water plunge journey became something much bigger. A journey through […]
The Collage Collection
Breathing the Night Out: The Collage Collection brings together 78 collages, one for every chapter of my memoir, Breathing the Night Out: A Story of Intergenerational Sexual Violence and Healing. These collages helped me write the memoir. When words were not enough, I turned to images. The memoir tells what happened. The collages show what […]
Are Debtors’ Prisons Making a Comeback in Ontario?
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** I have a question for Ontario. And I think we need to ask it before we build thousands of new jail beds. Are debtors’ prisons making a comeback? Not […]
Two Artists. One Mission. Ending Child Sexual Violence.
I am a writer. Lara St. John is a world renowned violinist. We tell our stories through different art forms, but we are united by the same purpose. We are both survivors of child sexual violence and warriors committed to ending it through education, justice, and love. I had the privilege of attending the premiere […]
A Systemic Crisis We Keep Refusing to Name: Sexual Violence is Everywhere
Click here for the full media story At what point do we stop treating sexual violence as isolated incidents and start recognizing it for what it is a systemic crisis? It is everywhere. And yet again, this victim had to wait to step forward, just as so many children are forced to wait in silence, […]
The Hidden Numbers: Child Sexual Violence and Canada’s Justice Gap
**This is independent, non-commercial research undertaken in the public interest. It was written to be shared freely and often, in the true spirit of knowledge sharing.** My nephew has been sitting in Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay for almost six months for stealing two cars. Triple time. Meanwhile, his grandfather, my dad, served two […]
Reflections: The Gatehouse’s Transforming Trauma Festival
The title of this festival was bang on. After three days at the Transforming Trauma Together Festival, I did not just learn about ending child sexual violence. I felt the possibility of it. I felt what can happen when survivors stop carrying shame that never belonged to them and start finding community, voice, art, truth […]
Dear Lara Review: Beauty in the Pain
Dear Lara’s Canadian premiere was, in a word, SPECTACULAR! Canadian Lara St. John’s documentary uncovers a world of horror and grief for children in the classical music industry. From a young age, she toured the world, performing in the most prestigious venues for some of the most influential audiences, while also surviving child sexual violence […]
Scotland Leads the Way
Hey Canada, it’s time to learn from Scotland on how to protect our children from sexual predators. Scotland is leading the way in the fight against child sexual violence. They have enshrined children’s rights into law, recognizing that protection is not optional, it is a responsibility. Children’s Rights in Scotland Every child deserves to be […]