Photo from the Caribou Child and Youth Centre Facebook page

By Liam Verster

#GoBlueAB

Caribou Centre’s social media campaign raises awareness of child abuse prevention month

Oct 9, 2020 | 8:36 AM

October is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Caribou Youth and Child Centre in Grande Prairie is doing it’s part to raise awareness and get people talking about the issue.

To mark the month, the Caribou Centre is making frequent posts on it’s social media platforms to raise awareness and educate people on the signs and types of child abuse that happens not only in Grande Prairie, but across Alberta.

“There’s things called grooming or sextortion, so we offer Instagram videos or Facebook videos that we can be more informative, so people can understand or look for a particular red flag, things like that. Kind of give more knowledge so that people know what’s going on,” says Erin O’Toole, the Program Coordinator for the Caribou Centre.

The Caribou Centre is one of eight Child Advocacy Centre in Alberta, which are all also taking part in a social media campaign called #GoBlueAB.

“October 24th is ‘Wear Blue,'” says O’Toole. “So we started a campaign in regards to that, connecting all the Alberta Child Advocacy Centres, and in showing support for abuse prevention month is to wear blue. So on that day, on October 23th, you wear a blue t-shirt and send in a selfie (using #GoBlueAB). We have active donations going on our website, and you can find those connections through our Facebook and Instagram pages.”

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O’Toole says the goal of the month is to create a hyper-awareness of child abuse in the communities, as one in three Albertans are victims or survivors of some form of child abuse. She says they hope that, along with bringing child abuse to people’s attention, they also spark some new conversations.

“Like much of any of the heavy topics that we’ve had along the way, whether that was mental health or any of those things, is just creating a safe space for people to talk about it. To know that children, you’re not in trouble when you bring those things up, and there’s a very safe space for you to be able to have those conversations and the trauma doesn’t have to take over your whole life. There’s resources here so that we can create change and create a safe space for kids to grow and become beautiful individuals and know that it can be a safe environment.”

The Caribou Centre is associated with the PACE Centre, and can connect child abuse victims, their families, and survivors with counselling services. They also have a safe space for victims of child abuse, a bright colourful room with toys and a service dog, which can be used when the victims are giving statements or testimonies to the RCMP.

O’Toole says those who are witness, victims or suspicious of child abuse are to call the non-emergency line of the local RCMP or police, and report it right away.