Canada Got a “C-” on Protecting Children from Sexual Violence: That Should Alarm All of Us

A new global evaluation of government efforts to prevent and respond to sexual violence against children and adolescents has given Canada a grade of just 71.4 out of 100 — a “C-.”

For a country that often sees itself as a global leader on children’s rights and wellbeing, the result is sobering.

The 2026 Out of the Shadows Index evaluates 60 countries across laws, policies, services, prevention systems, and justice responses related to childhood sexual violence. The Index does not measure the prevalence of abuse itself. Instead, it measures whether governments have the systems in place to prevent violence, support survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Canada’s mediocre score tells us something important: even countries with resources, institutions, and public commitments to child wellbeing are still falling short when it comes to protecting children and adolescents from sexual violence.

At The Helix Foundation, this matters deeply to us.

Our work is grounded in the belief that young people deserve systems that are safe, responsive, equitable, and built around their realities — not systems that ask them to navigate harm alone. Whether we are supporting youth leaving care, investing in youth leadership, advancing human rights, or amplifying youth voice in policy conversations, the underlying principle is the same: young people should not have to fight for protection, dignity, or support.

The findings from the Out of the Shadows Index reinforce what many young people, advocates, and frontline organizations have been saying for years: prevention cannot be an afterthought.

The Index highlights several key pillars needed to address childhood sexual violence effectively, including governance and accountability, prevention, healing, and justice. These are not isolated issues. They are deeply interconnected with mental health, housing insecurity, poverty, online safety, education, child welfare, and social isolation.

Importantly, the report emphasizes that effective prevention requires more than awareness campaigns. Governments must invest in evidence-based supports such as trauma-informed services, caregiver support, school-based education, accessible reporting systems, trained healthcare providers, and survivor-informed policymaking.

That last point is critical.

Too often, youth are excluded from decisions that directly affect their safety and wellbeing. Policies are created for young people rather than with them. Yet the research is increasingly clear that durable, effective systems are built when young people and survivors are meaningfully included in shaping them.

At Helix, we see this every day through the work of youth leaders and community organizations across Canada. Young people understand where systems fail them. They understand the gaps between policy and lived reality. And they are already developing solutions — if adults are willing to listen.

The urgency of this work is growing. Technology-facilitated abuse and online exploitation continue to rise rapidly. Recent reporting in Canada found that police-reported online child sexual exploitation rates have increased dramatically over the past decade. While data can never fully capture the scale of harm, these trends underscore how quickly risks are evolving and how essential coordinated prevention efforts have become.

But there is another reason this conversation matters.

A “C-” is not simply a policy failure. It reflects a broader societal tendency to treat child and youth wellbeing as reactive rather than preventative. We often intervene only after harm has already occurred. We underfund community supports. We expect schools, families, youth workers, and healthcare providers to carry enormous responsibility without sufficient resources or coordination.

And young people pay the price.

The good news is that change is possible. The Out of the Shadows Index itself was designed as a roadmap for action, highlighting practical steps governments can take to strengthen prevention and support systems.

But meaningful change will require more than rankings and reports.

It will require political courage. Sustained investment. Cross-sector collaboration. And a willingness to centre the voices of young people themselves.

At Helix, we believe youth deserve more than symbolic commitments. They deserve systems that are proactive instead of reactive, compassionate instead of bureaucratic, and designed to help them thrive safely and fully.

Canada can — and must — do better.