In Quebec, on average, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be victims of sexual violence before the age of 18 (Hébert et al., 2009; Tourigny et al., 2008). Furthermore, 98% of sexual violence experienced by the children we see at Marie-Vincent was committed by someone they knew.
Although the data on sexual violence are already significant and alarming, the numbers are nonetheless underestimated and may represent just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, a study shows that one third of adult respondents never disclosed a childhood sexual assault, and among those who did, a significant percentage waited until years later. Since sexual violence is difficult to prove and many obstacles to disclosure remain, particularly among toddlers, some authors estimate that only 10% of childhood sexual abuse is reported to the authorities (Hébert, Tourigny, Cyr, McDuff et Joly, 2009).
Yet toddlers are particularly vulnerable, not least because they depend on adults to meet all their basic needs. Children aged 0 to 5 are constantly near adults who may disregard their personal boundaries. At this age, their critical thinking, cognitive and language skills are still developing, sometimes preventing them from clearly distinguishing between “right” and “wrong,” distrusting adults, understanding what’s happening to them and verbalizing it. As a result, their word is often challenged. And yet, other than disclosure, there is no explicit sign to establish beyond a doubt that a child has been a victim of sexual violence.
Did You Know?Fire prevention in early childhood environments is mandatory in Québec; according to the latest available data, 0.11 children out of 100,000 died from a fire in Québec in 2019-2020 (Government of Québec, 2023). For its part, prevention of sexual violence against young children is optional. It is not explicitly mentioned in early childhood education programs. In 2022, 328 cases (out of 100,000) of sexual violence against children or serious risk thereof were reported to the DPJ (Government of Québec, 2022). |
The Lantern program, created by Marie-Vincent, strives to prevent sexual violence against toddlers
The most effective way to prevent sexual violence is to educate children about sex, and to do so from an early age. Lantern is designed to teach children self-protection skills, then to raise awareness among parents and to train and equip the professionals around children to create a protective community.
If you’d like to further your knowledge and enhance your skills in this area, we encourage you to register for our upcoming training sessions this winter. The courses are specifically designed for the family daycare provider to provide the comprehensive knowledge needed to better support your young charges in their development.
Sex education and prevention of sexual violence against toddlers: A challenge for all family daycare providers!
The reality of family daycare is that educators work in the home, with closeness to families but without direct access to professional support from colleagues. In such a context, teaching sex education and the prevention of sexual violence to toddlers can present some challenges.
Last year, the training course Parler de sexualité de manière adaptée aux enfants, pour des relations égalitaires was enhanced to more effectively suit the circumstances and specific needs of family daycares. Its objectives are to:
- Find answers and tools to help teach toddlers about sex;
- Encourage the development of healthy, egalitarian relationships among children;
- More adequately protect toddlers from sexual violence.
This issue of concern demands that we commit to building a future without sexual violence. Every registration we receive helps build a community that protects, educates and prevents. Together, we have the power to make a difference.