Survey 2005...

Media attention given to child sexual assault cases creates public awareness

A CROP/FMV survey indicates that Québécois are increasingly aware of the disastrous consequences of child sexual assaults. For example, the media attention given to criminal cases such as the Guy Cloutier lawsuit caused a great deal of anger and indignation, generating positive results in that it helped increase public awareness, rather than trivializing the issue as some feared it would. The public now has a clearer understanding of how difficult it is for victims to report an assault or an assailant, especially when it involves a person they know and love.

Another major advance in understanding the harsh reality of sexual assault victims—we now understand that victims may suffer and wait several years before breaking their silence because they are ashamed and afraid that others will judge them. Persons burdened with a terrible secret find it easier to denounce their assailants if they feel less alone, and better understood and supported.

• 77% of Québécois believe the main effects of reporting sexual assault cases in the media is to inform them and make them aware of the problem.
• 17% of respondents believe that the main result of focusing media attention on these assaults is to trivialize them.
• 96% of respondents believe it is important to break the silence surrounding the sexual assault issue and to be able to discuss it openly.
• One adult in three knows one (13%) or more (20%) persons among their families and friends who were sexually assaulted as children.