POLICY JOURNEY
TECHNICAL OVERVIEW
A national policy and advocacy framework for child sexual abuse deterrence and survivor support.
PROTECT Canada delivers a coordinated, evidence-based national framework addressing systemic failures that enable child sexual abuse and impede survivor recovery - organized across six priority domains, each with a dedicated working group.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Jurisdictional fragmentation as a systemic barrier
Canada’s child protection landscape is characterized by significant jurisdictional variation across federal, provincial, and territorial frameworks. Mandatory reporting, institutional accountability, survivor support infrastructure, and legal definitions vary substantially - producing inconsistent outcomes.
Existing national coordination mechanisms have not produced the legislative harmonization required for durable, population-level impact. PROTECT Canada addresses this structural gap through a multi-sector coalition model organized around six evidence-based priority domains.
FRAMEWORK ARCHITECTURE
Six pillars. Four cross-cutting commitments. One shared framework
01
Judicial Reform & Criminal Code Modernization
Coercive control criminalization, sentencing consistency, victim rights, trauma-informed court processes, Bill C-16 provisions.
02
Online Safety & Technology-Facilitated Exploitation
Platform CSAM accountability, 24-hour takedown, AI-generated abuse, sextortion, age verification, data preservation.
03
Institutional Accountability
Mandatory reporting harmonization, Trey’s Law alignment, NDA limitations, Limitations Act reforms.
04
Survivor Rights & System Stabilization
National service standards, care portability, Victims Bill of Rights, sustainable funding models.
05
Prevention & Early Intervention
Cross-jurisdictional prevention, curriculum standards, caregiver tools, early risk identification.
06
Trafficking Response & Family Violence
Cross-sector identification, survivor-informed pathways, national and cross-border coordination.
PRINCIPLES APPLIED ACROSS ALL PILLARS
Cross-cutting commitments
Indigenous perspectives
01
Reconciliation principles and culturally appropriate approaches; Indigenous organizations and leaders are core coalition partners across all six working groups.
Trauma-informed development
02
Survivor perspectives incorporated in a structured, ethical, and non-extractive manner, foundational to framework legitimacy.
Non-partisan collaboration
03
Cross-partisan engagement designed for durability beyond electoral cycles through evidence-based recommendations.
Evidence and lived experience
04
Peer-reviewed research, systematic jurisdictional comparison, measurement-based outcomes, and frontline expertise.
LEGISLATIVE LANDSCAPE
Current federal legislative context
Bill C-16 (Protecting Victims Act) - Pillar 1 (judicial reform, victim rights) and Pillar 4 (Victims Bill of Rights enhancements)
Bill C-291 - Pillar 2 (online CSAM reporting requirements, 24-hour takedown)
Bill C-63 trajectory - Pillar 2 (online harms framework, platform accountability)
Bill C-16 deepfake amendments - Pillar 2 (AI-generated CSAM)
Trey’s Law - Pillar 3 (mandatory reporting in sport and institutional contexts)
Limitations Act reforms (provincial) - Pillar 3 (civil claims for survivors of historical abuse)
National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking- Pillar 6 (cross-sector coordination framework)
Legislative status to be updated regularly as bills progress. Working group leads monitor developments relevant to their pillar.
Ready to engage with the framework?
Join a working group, contribute research, or request a briefing for your organization.
