Let’s together build a community free of violence toward children
The Violence Prevention Centre is a Southeastern New Brunswick not for profit launching its first capital campaign to expand Boreal, its Child and Youth Expertise Centre, which supports the prevention of sexual violence cases toward our region’s children and teenagers. The Violence Prevention Centre was founded in 1999 and has more than 20 years of experience helping the most vulnerable in our province. Boreal, an entity of the Violence Prevention Centre, was founded in Dieppe in October 2017.
The Centre’s team strives everyday toward its goal of providing children a life free of violence, which could not be achieved without its devoted team of volunteers. The Because We Know Campaign is committed to launching a community-based movement to change societal behaviors around this growing problem, as well as the conversation and culture surrounding sexual violence, with the ultimate goal of eliminating this violence within our region over the next two generations.
Putting an end to violence toward children should be a top priority on which everyone is aligned.
The Because We Know Campaign has set a goal of raising $3.5M to support additional and modernized infrastructure that will allow the Centre to increase its intervention capacity to meet the growing and pressing needs of the region. This campaign will fund the purchase of new premises for Boreal in Greater Moncton, as well as the construction of an extension to the existing building in Kent.
Sadly, the number of young victims of sexual violence is increasing at an alarming rate and the Centre recognizes the need for immediate and urgent action in delivering professional services for young victims of sexual violence in the Southeast region of New Brunswick. Here are some statistics illustrating the urgency of the situation within our region. Unfortunately, these statistics are reflective of the violence currently happening within our community.
The Statistics Speak for Themselves
Each year since the end of the 1980s, sexual assault cases reported to the New Brunswick police department are higher than the national average.
Statistics Canada states that sexual assault against children is often underreported.*
In 2018, in New Brunswick alone, 579 sexual assault cases were reported to the police, meaning that more than 48 cases toward children and adults are reported monthly.**
The most recent statistic indicates that 65% of victims are children under the age of 18.***
However, less than 5% of sexual assault cases are declared to the police.
Sexual assaults on children and adolescents are almost twice as high in rural areas vs in cities.*
The 2012 Canadian census stated that the Greater Moncton region ranks third amongst Canadian metropolitan areas with regards to sexual offenses against minors declared to the police.*
Since its 2017 opening, Boreal has supported more than 350 sexually assaulted children in the Southeastern New Brunswick region.
Boreal helps on average three new children per week and this number keeps increasing.
*Statistics Canada. (2014). Police-reported sexual offences against children and youth in Canada, 2012. [Online]
Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14008-eng.htm.
**Government of Nouveau Brunswick. (2019). Now You Know. [Online] Government of Nouveau Brunswick. https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/corporate/promo/sexual_violence.html
***Government of Nouveau-Brunswick. (2014). [Online] https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/eco-bce/WEB-EDF/pdf/en/EqualityProfile-2014.pdf
Words From the Campaign’s Co-Chairs
It is with great honour that we serve as co-chairs of the Because We Know Campaign. This is a difficult topic but one that drastically needs increased awareness and a call for action. We are committed to shedding light on the importance of this cause with a purpose of eliminating sexual violence against children in our province. Now, more than ever, we must come together and demand societal changes. Directly or indirectly, this campaign touches us all.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the number of children at risk, which is one of the reasons we decided to get involved in this campaign. On behalf of our children, let us come together as a community to help fight our society’s injustice and take concrete action to end this violence against children of our region.
This major fundraising campaign is the result of many years of work within our communities to help victims overcome their traumatic experiences and reach their full potential. This campaign is so important right now and is an opportunity for us to be part of a movement of change for our region and for future generations.
As co-chairs, we are advocates of the well-being of children and adolescents in our communities. We both sit on the Centre’s board of directors and volunteered at the Violence Prevention Centre and Boreal. We are committed to further supporting this organization to help the greatest number of children and adolescents in need in our region. Your donation to the Because We Know Campaign will help support young victims of sexual violence and their families as well as raise awareness toward this cause in our community.
We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to learn about this campaign. Thanks to you, we will provide a better life for all children and adolescents who have been victims of sexual violence in our region. Now, Because We Know, we have an obligation to act and give our children the chance to reach their full potential by living a life free of violence. Coming together in solidarity to put an end toward violent conduct toward children is our commitment. We owe this to them, for their future and for the future generations.
Nicole Belliveau
Co-Chair Because We Know Campaign
Lyne Chantal Boudreau
Co-Chair Because We Know Campaign
The Impact of Your Contribution
Contributing to this campaign will help Boreal address its clientele’s urgent needs to ensure that our region’s children live a life free of violence. We have a collective duty to protect our children and to give them an opportunity to develop and thrive in a safe environment allowing them to reach their full potential. No child should experience violence and live in constant fear.
The Because We Know Campaign represents Southeast New Brunswickers’ acknowledgement that this violence exists at home, in our province, and their willingness to eliminate sexual violence toward our children.
The Campaign’s Objectives
Raise $3.5M to fund the purchase of new premises for Boreal in the Greater Moncton region, as well as the construction of an extension to the existing building in Kent.
Increase and improve access to services for children and adolescents of Southeastern New Brunswick.
Educate and raise awareness in our community to initiate a movement of social and behavioural changes to put an end to sexual violence toward children.
Project and infrastructure
The purchase of new premises for Boreal in the Greater Moncton region as well as the construction of an extension to the existing building in Kent will allow Boreal to continue its incredible work and address the urgent and increasing needs.
Increasing and improving access to essential services for all children from the community will allow the organization to:
Provide integrated support services to a greater number of children and adolescents victims of sexual assault to ensure that they can receive the necessary assistance adapted to their individual needs. An integrated model minimizes family displacements and offers young victims and their parents a safe and warm environment in the hope of limiting symptoms of anxiety and trauma. When in a safe environment, children can develop and grow to reach their full potential.
Offer integrated and enhanced services quicker so that children from the community can overcome this traumatizing experience and have a chance to develop fully.
Because We Know, We Must Now Act
The organization is struggling to meet the demands needed to help children and adolescents victims of sexual assault in Southeastern New Brunswick. The Because We Know Campaign will help provide the organization with the necessary infrastructure to meet the urgent demand as well as to create a community-based movement of behavioural change toward sexual violence against children.
We are all responsible for the well-being of our children. We are extremely grateful for your support and contribution to the Because We Know Campaign.
Let’s come together to make our region violence free for our youth and help make our province a better place moving forward.
To report a suspected case of child abuse, call 1-833-SDDSTel (1-833-733-7835)
or 1-800-442-9799 (after-hours emergency social services).
For additional information and resources, please visit
www.centreboreal.com or call (506) 383-8300.