Marie-Vincent Symposium – Preventing Sexual Violence from Ages 0-17
How can we prevent sexual violence from an early age and throughout youth development? How can we adapt our interventions to better equip young people at every stage of their lives?
On June 3, 2025, Marie-Vincent invites you to a day of reflection, discussion, and learning to address these essential questions. This symposium will bring together experts and professionals dedicated to protecting youth aged 0 to 17, highlighting concrete and field-adapted approaches.
Conferences, workshops, and partner organization booths will provide opportunities to explore practical strategies tailored to the realities of young people and the professionals who support them.
Scroll down to discover the program, speakers, and practical information.
With financial support from the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The day’s schedule
- 8:30 – 9:00 AM: Participant arrival and check-in
- 9:00 – 9:30 AM: Welcome remarks
- 9:30 – 10:30 AM: Opening keynote
- 10:30 – 11:00: Break
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Choice of 4 workshops
- 12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch
- 1:00 – 2:00 PM: Tour of kiosks
- 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Choice of 4 workshops
- 3:00 – 3:30 PM: Break
- 3:30 – 4:30 PM: Panel discussion
Discover the Exhibitor kiosks at the Symposium
Several organizations will be present with interactive kiosks to share their expertise.
Each kiosk will offer educational materials, intervention tools, and valuable information for professionals, families, and anyone interested in child protection and youth support.
Click here to view the list of exhibitor booths.
More kiosks will be added soon—stay tuned!
MORNING WORKSHOPS
Neurodiversity and Sex Education : Discover the Iris Project-L’Anonyme
Preventing sexual violence against neurodivergent youths (individuals on the autism spectrum and/or with an intellectual impairment) can seem a complex undertaking. Since 2018, L’Anonyme has implemented an array of initiatives aimed at reducing the incidence of sexual violence in this especially vulnerable group. With the Iris project, the team gives a neurodivergent clientele the means to develop behaviours that foster egalitarian, safe and consensual
intimate relationships. Iris’s four-phase approach (sex education workshops, training for professionals, individual sex education and interventional research) has been impactful in the various environments it has been implemented. This presentation will look at the success factors and challenges encountered during the project’s execution. The team will also share the most effective practices in sex education and intervention by underscoring the need to consider the self-determination and agentivity of this group of youths, who are so often misunderstood when it comes to issues of intimacy.
Learn more about Rozanne Côté-St-Germain and Camille Johansson from L'Anonyme.
L’Anonyme is a community organization that works to promote safe behaviours and egalitarian relationships and prevent sexually transmitted and blood-borne illnesses (STBBIs) through a humanistic, community-based approach. The sex education program is undertaken by a team of sexology professionals who work hard every day to create activities intended to improve sexual well-being and the development of critical thinking in the target groups. Rozanne Côté-St-Germain and Camille Johansson both earned B.A. degrees in sexology at UQAM. The objectives they pursue in their work with neurodivergent clients are fuelled by a desire to meet the need for adaptation and the challenges faced by these engaging individuals in a context of sex education. They are also motivated by a sincere desire to open the dialogue on intimacy with the individuals they meet.
To prevent early sexualization of children is to also prevent sexual violence – Francine Duquet
The sexual messages disseminated by certain media or information technologies (reality shows, advertising, online video games, social network celebrities or influencers, online pornography, etc.) can at times portray a stereotypical, simplistic and even worrying image of sexuality. This is compounded by the difficulty for some adults to broach the topic of sex with young people. What impact can these images have on a child’s perception of body image, friendships or
intimate relationships, privacy, consent and more? How can we reframe the possible influence of this bombardment of sexual messages and develop their critical thinking, self-confidence and ability to assert themselves? In this workshop, we will concretely illustrate what we mean by social hypersexualization and early sexualization. We will look at the challenges created by these issues for children. Concrete intervention examples will be described to give adults the tools to provide guidance to youngsters. And lastly, the question of guidelines and boundaries will be examined, as they are crucial to sex education. They are fundamental tools for encouraging healthy psychosexual development and preventing sexual violence. In short, combatting early sexualization gives young people the knowledge they need to develop a healthy and egalitarian view of sexuality, thus reducing their vulnerability to abusive behaviours.
View Francine Duquet’s full bio
Francine Duquet is a sexologist (B.A., M.A., sexology, UQAM) and has a doctorate in education from Université de Montréal. She specializes in sex education (concept and approach) for children and adolescents and in training courses for professionals in the education, health and social service/community sectors (issues, requirements and ethical competency). For close to 30 years, she has given conferences and taught training courses in Québec, Canada and abroad to practitioners, parents and children/youths. Since 2005, she has run the Outiller les jeunes face à l’hypersexualisation program (www.hypersexualisationdesjeunes.uqam.ca), which features “turnkey” sex education training courses and programs (Oser être soi-même (Duquet & al., 2023) (Duquet, Gagnon & Faucher, 2010); Be True to You (Duquet & al., 2023); On est encore des enfants! (Duquet, 2017) ; Séduction, Sentiments amoureux et Intimité : quand ça nous transporte ou quand ça dérape (Duquet & al., 2020)), all aimed at combatting the issues of social hypersexualization and early sexualization and fostering the development of egalitarian relationships. The free teaching tools are downloadable from the site (under the Tools tab). It is worth mentioning that Oser être soi-même has twice won the Prix Égalité award from the Secrétariat à la condition féminine (2014, 2024) and that the program On est encore des enfants ! won an award for innovation (SePSI-UQAM, 2014).
The Compass program/Prevention of Sexual Violence for Ages 6-12) in community centres, recreational centres and camps – Marie-Vincent
Developed by Marie-Vincent as a continuation of the Lantern program, the Compass program teaches prevention of sexual violence to children and youths ages 6 to 12 and their immediate entourage. It was designed for practitioners in the community and recreational settings as well as workers employed at day camps and summer camps (supervisors, team leaders, coordinators, psychosocial professionals and activity leaders). The Compass training modules aim to combat sexual violence against children and youths through sex education and the promotion of healthy, egalitarian relationships. A sex education toolkit, adapted and free of charge, is provided to all sectors that undertake the training. This workshop will look at the various development phases of the Compass program so that participants may learn its foundations, best practices for prevention of sexual violence for children and youths ages 6 to 12, and the Compass program tools.
View Jessica Martin’s full bio
Jessica Martin has a B.A. in psychology, a certificate in youth intervention and a graduate diploma in art therapy. She is a member of the OTSTCFQ's (order of social workers and domestic therapists) acquired rights registry. Since 2020, she has been with Marie-Vincent's
prevention and training team as a project manager and trainer. Previously, Jessica worked for 11 years as a human relations officer and trainer with Québec’s youth protection agency, the Direction de la Protection de la Jeunesse. She has a keen interest in child protection, supporting children's development and dealing with cases of abuse, and her career path has led her to intervene at the crux of a family crisis triggered by a disclosure. At Marie-Vincent, her protective role continues in a new form, this time working prior to the crisis and equipping the important adults in the child’s world to prevent the risk of sexual violence and to react effectively when confronted with it. The intention is to build a protective community for all children and youth.
View Katherine Jodoin's full bio
Katherine holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in sexology, with a research and intervention major. Her interest in sex education and teaching prevention of sexual violence to youths was developed by a wide range of professional experiences in the sexology department at UQÀM. During her studies, she became interested in evaluating the effects of the Empreinte - Agir ensemble contre les agressions à caractère sexuel training program for high school staff. She started her career as a sexology counsellor with Grossesse-Secours, a pro-choice and feminist community organization, where she was able to strengthen her passion for sex education and develop expertise in promoting positive sexual and reproductive health. Since 2023, Katherine has been part of the Marie-Vincent team as a project manager and training instructor, giving her the opportunity to work on the Compass program and the Voies project. She is committed to providing access to high-quality, inclusive, appropriate and positive sex education, and feels privileged to contribute to the development and implementation of tools and training for the prevention of sexual violence with a view to building a protective community for all youth.
Halftime project: Preventing violence and cyber sexual violence against student athletes – Marie-Vincent
In the last few years, we have seen numerous cases in the news of athletes disclosing the fact that they had been victims of violence, both in person and online. This newfound attention in the public sphere to the issue of sexual violence in sports sheds light on an enduring problem. To address this issue, Marie-Vincent is currently developing the Half-time project. The aim is the prevention of sexual violence and cyber sexual violence in school sports through educational activities and intervention measures for youths ages 12 to 17. The project is being funded by Public Safety Canada and will run from 2023 to 2028. This presentation will give participants an overview of the Halftime project and the phases it has implemented over the past two years. Some tools developed for it and aspects to be improved based on evaluations will be discussed.
View Marielle Boudreault's full bio
Marielle has a certificate in social sciences and a bachelor's degree in sexology. Her academic and professional experience has led her to work with teenagers and run prevention workshops on a range of topics, including sexual violence, consent, intimacy and sexual awakening. Along with three years spent in mental health support services, she has also done counselling with parents. Currently a project manager and trainer at Marie-Vincent, Marielle oversees training for professionals in the health and social services network and is working on a project to prevent sexual violence and cyber-violence in sports.
View Vanessa-Remy-Sauriol's full bio
Vanessa has bachelor's and master's degrees in criminology from Université de Montréal. It was during her university studies and internship that she developed a passion for community and prevention work with young people. She has over a dozen years of experience in violence prevention through the development of social skills in children and adolescents and skill-building in adults. Nurturing her passion for prevention and training, Vanessa is now a project manager and training instructor at Marie Vincent and considers it a privilege to work on preventing sexual violence among teenagers
.
AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
Cyber-Heroes: Turning Adolescents into Allies to Combat Cyber Violence Against Girls, Women, and LGBTQ+ – Les 3 Sex*
Information and communication technologies (ICT), including cell phones and social networks, are an integral part of daily life and have a considerable influence on the way we interact and communicate with other people (Cousineau, 2021; Dunn, 2020). Digital spaces dedicated to group conversations, such as social networks and forums, have fostered the creation of spaces where individuals can congregate as a community to share various topics of mutual interest (Cousineau, 2021). These digital environments have also led to the rise of communities whose members share similar ideologies and express opinions on such topics as masculinity, misogyny and opposition to feminism, and thus creating the manosphere (Cousineau, 2021). Cyber-Heroes is a program for the prevention of cyber violence committed by adolescent males against girls, women and LGBTW+-Les 3 sex* individuals. This presentation is a concise portrait of the literature review, content in the prevention program on cyber-violence, the preliminary results of an awareness-raising campaign, and the obstacles and facilitators to working with boys and adolescents.
View Mariane Gilbert's full bio
As sexologist, Mariane is interested in contemporary issues including new technologies, social media, politics and feminism. Her work as director of the awareness-raising component of Les 3 Sex* has enabled her to tackle a range of issues, such as sexuality in seniors, hope among young queers, masculinities and masculinism, and many others. Her vision of sexology is inextricably linked to politics. This is reflected in her global vision of sexological issues, which leads her to repeat ad nauseam ‘everything is in everything,’ much to the chagrin of her colleagues.
Children’s literature: A great way to teach sex education in a comprehensive, positive and inclusive way. – Nathalie Ringuette
This workshop will describe strategies and practical tools for teaching sex education to children ages 4 to 12. The focus will be on children’s literature as a vehicle for addressing various themes relating to sex education. The content will be based on a comprehensive, positive and inclusive view of sex and suggestions will be offered on how to better incorporate the profiles of children with special needs. Through concrete examples, participants will learn how to include these resources in their practice and thus teach sex education activities that are meaningful for children.
View Nathalie Ringuette's full bio
Nathalie Ringuette, a sexologist and clinical lecturer with the department of psychiatry and neurosciences in the faculty of medicine at Université Laval, has been working in sex education since the start of her career, particularly with children and teenagers, including those with ID or ASD. Her background as a high school
teacher and sexologist has guided her in developing a number of teaching kits in collaboration with partners in the education, health and social services sectors. Some of these projects have even received regional and provincial recognition. Currently a teaching consultant at the Centre de services scolaires de la Capitale, Nathalie’s primary focus is on preventing sexual violence and promoting best practices in dealing with sexual behaviour problems in children. She also works with schools on issues of sexual and gender diversity, school culture, promotion/prevention (mental health, screen time, psychoactive substances) and sex education (Québec culture and citizenship content and programs).
Prevention and interventions in cases of sexual exploitation; pooling of knowledge and tools – Marie-Vincent
Sexual exploitation and the trafficking of minors is a worrisome reality that is playing an increasingly prominent role in interventions with children and youths. “Heads or Tails” is a sexual exploitation and human trafficking prevention project that emphasizes self-esteem and the promotion of healthy, egalitarian relationships, consolidating knowledge and essential skills in young people and promoting the use of prevention tools for professionals and practitioners. This workshop is intended to give participants a deeper understanding of the issue of sexploitation, to identify risk factors, and to explore prevention and intervention strategies. Concrete, free tools in the prevention kit created by Marie-Vincent are designed to support professionals in their practices.
View Gabrielle Dupuis's full bio
Gabrielle earned her bachelor’s degree whit 3 certificats, victimology, criminology and drug addiction at University of Montréal, and also completed a short undergraduate program on sexual and interpersonal violence at Université du Québec à Montréal. She began
her career at Montréal’s Centre de jeunesse, working as an educator with girls aged between 12 and 17. It was in this environment that she developed an interest and experience with young people in difficulty. Gabrielle eventually joined Marie-Vincent's training-prevention team as a project manager and training instructor. She works on prevention and intervention projects in the context of sexual exploitation and human trafficking, an area that is particularly important to her.
View Vanessa Rémy-Sauriol's full bio
Vanessa earned bachelor's and master's degrees in criminology at Université de Montréal. It was during her university studies and internship that she developed a keen interest in community and prevention work with young people. She has over 12 years of experience in violence prevention, teaching the development of social skills in young people and adolescents and skill-building in adults. Nurturing her passion for prevention and training, Vanessa is now a project manager and trainer at Marie Vincent and is proud to work with teenagers on the prevention of sexual violence.
Pathway project: Pave the way for the prevention of sexual violence among children who need special support
Pathway project, a continuation of the Lantern program, is designed to establish preventive practices to protect children who need special support ages 4 to 12 from sexual violence. The project emphasizes tools and sex education training tailored to needs, empowerment, and the promotion of healthy, egalitarian relationships. Pathway project is intended for professionals in community organizations, schools (public, private or specialized) or early childhood education environments and for children who need special support. It was made possible by support from Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon.
For this workshop, participants are invited to learn the specifics of sexual violence prevention for children who need special support ages 4 to 12, as well as the various dynamic and adaptable tools developed for those children and their immediate entourage. *Pathway project and tools are more specifically intended for school-age children with cognitive and/or communication difficulties resulting from a mild intellectual impairment (ID), autism with mild needs or language issues (LD). For the sake of simplicity, however, the more general term “children who need special support” will be used.
View Nadia Tranchemontagne's full bio
Nadia joined the Marie-Vincent prevention training team in September 2020. From the outset, she was involved in training courses for primary schools. Since March 2024 she has occupied the role of project manager and training instructor for Voies, a sexual violence prevention project for children with special needs, in addition to her role as trainer for the web game Delicate Spots. An ardent defender of inclusion and believer in recognizing the importance of diversity and egalitarian relationships, Nadia has put her values to work at Marie-Vincent and raises awareness of the need to give young people a sex education that combines quality, inclusivity and flexibility.
