The Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair on Child Sexual Violence

Cutting-edge expertise in sexual violence for 20 years

Since its creation in 2005, the Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair has established itself as a pillar of expertise in Québec in the prevention, detection, and intervention for young victims of sexual violence and children with sexual behaviour problems.

The Research Chair is led by university professors and researchers specializing in the services provided at Marie-Vincent.

Did you know?

Marie-Vincent is the only child and youth advocacy centre in Canada that funds its own research chair!
Since 2010, researchers from the Chair and Marie-Vincent staff have met regularly to discuss research projects and initiatives related to sexual violence against youth. The 100th meeting took place in June 2024.

Mission of the Research Chair

Develop high-level Québec-based expertise in the prevention, detection, and treatment of sexual violence against children and adolescents.

Impact of the Research Chair

For youth and their families

The Research Chair ensures that Marie-Vincent’s specialized services remain at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge and best practices. By documenting the interventions provided, our clinical team can continuously improve its approach to offer more effective support tailored to the needs of youth.

For the community

The Chair is a true incubator for innovation, both in terms of expertise and the projects led by Marie-Vincent. By sharing its research results, it strengthens the understanding and prevention of sexual violence, thereby contributing to building a protective community.

For professionals

The Chair contributes to the evolution of practices in sexual violence and the development of cutting-edge knowledge throughout Québec and internationally. It helps identify promising approaches for preventing sexual violence, trains a high-level clinical and scientific successor generation (students, researchers, and practitioners), and creates new courses and training programs on sexual violence in Québec’s universities.

Objectives of the Research Chair

Increase knowledge that will allow practitioners and partners of Marie-Vincent to develop specialized services and improve the quality of services for victims of sexual violence (ages 0-17) and their families, as well as for children under 12 with sexual behaviour problems. Specifically, the Chair enables Marie-Vincent to develop specialized tools, practice guides, or intervention protocols and innovative prevention practices.

Share research results concerning the nature and consequences of sexual assault, the evaluation of specialized prevention and intervention services offered by Marie-Vincent and its partners, and their impact on youth to ensure the evolution of practices and the development of cutting-edge knowledge.

Train a high-level successor generation that benefits from an exceptional research environment due to its proximity to Marie-Vincent and its services.

Enable Marie-Vincent to exercise leadership in the development of specialized services and cutting-edge training.

Research Areas

  • Identify the profiles of children, parents, and adolescents who benefit from Marie-Vincent’s services.
  • Evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of different services offered and psychosocio-judicial trajectories.
  • Evaluate Marie-Vincent’s prevention initiatives.

 

At the end of the psychotherapeutic treatment offered at Marie-Vincent, studies conducted by our researchers (Hébert and Daignault, 2015) indicate that children who benefited from it have, among other things:

  • better self-esteem
  • fewer anxiety symptoms
  • fewer symptoms of depression
  • fewer post-traumatic stress symptoms
  • fewer thoughts leading to a feeling of guilt regarding the victimization they experienced

Our Co-Chairs

Martine Hébert, Ph.D.

Martine Hébert, Ph.D.

Full Professor, Department of Sexology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
Martine Hébert Research Laboratory

Co-Chair of the Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair on Child Sexual Violence
Research Gate | Google Scholar

Isabelle V. Daignault, Ph. D.

Isabelle V. Daignault, Ph. D.

Psychologist and Associate Professor, School of Criminology, Université de Montréal
Isabelle V. Daignault Research Laboratory

Co-Chair of the Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair on Child Sexual Violence
Research Gate | Google Scholar | www.cedaj.openum.ca

Mireille Cyr: An Invaluable Contribution to Marie-Vincent

Honorary Professor, Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal
Research member of the Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Relationship Problems and Sexual Violence (CRIPCAS)
Research Gate | Google Scholar | psy.umontreal.ca

Mireille Cyr, now retired, has left an indelible mark on the history of the Marie-Vincent Research Chair. Along with Martine Hébert, she co-founded this innovative initiative, guided by exemplary scientific rigour and a deep passion for the cause of young victims of sexual violence. Her pioneering research, notably on mothers of child victims of sexual assault and the NICHD non-suggestive interview protocol, has transformed professional practices and influenced interventions with victims and their families. A recipient of the Marie-Andrée-Bertrand Award in 2020, Mireille leaves a scientific and human legacy of invaluable worth.

Discover research publications and reference works

Le témoignage des mineurs à la Cour : profils et besoins des jeunes et apport d’un programme de préparation

Gadoua, M., Daignault, I. V., Cyr, M., Lachambre, S., & Dufour, K. (2023).

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Profiles of teenage athletes’ exposure to violence in sport: An analysis of their sport practice, athletic behaviors and mental health

Daignault, I. V., Deslaurier-Varin, N., & Parent, S. (2023).

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Alexithymia as a mediator between intimate partner violence and post-traumatic stress symptoms in mothers of children disclosing sexual abuse

Dubé, V., Tremblay-Perreault, A., Allard-Cobetto, P., & Hébert, M. (2023).

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Differential profiles of sexually abused adolescent boys

Gauthier-Duchesne, Am., Hébert, M., Blais, M., & Wekerle, C. (2023).

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