By Lisa Clowery, president and CEO of Marie-Vincent
Today, we mark World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence. As the head of an organization that supports daily children and adolescents who are victims of such violence, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on the situation and share the reasons that give me hope.
Established by the UN in 2022, this day reminds us that the plague of sexual violence affects millions of young people around the world, shattering millions of lives, mainly those of young girls.
In Quebec, recent data shows that minors under the age of 18 account for 62% of victims of sexual offenses reported to the police (Sexual Offenses in 2019, Ministry of Public Security – 2021). 99% of the youth we see at our facilities have been assaulted by someone they know.
November 18 aims to promote dignity, health, healing for survivors, and their access to justice, in a reality where, too often, shame keeps them silent. It also emphasizes prevention and education efforts, powerful levers for building a more educated society capable of providing a real safety net for our youth.
At Marie-Vincent, every year, we support hundreds of young victims of sexual violence and children with sexual behavior problems, as well as their families. We offer them psychosocial, psychotherapeutic, socio-legal, investigative, and medical services under one roof, in collaboration with our partners.
We also help prevent sexual violence through several prevention programs and numerous training courses that reach, each year, more than 6,000 people working with youth.
We are at the heart of the solution, part of a valuable network of organizations in Quebec and Canada working in sensitive areas such as education, health and social services, socio-judicial services, and community services.
I sincerely believe that one of the solutions lies in cooperation. Indeed, we are a founding member of the Child and Youth Advocacy Centres across Canada (CYACC), which brings together some 40 organizations that coordinate their efforts and share their expertise.
While Marie-Vincent already offers support to youth who are victims of sexual exploitation, we must remain vigilant and adapt our practices and tools to new forms of violence that are just as devastating for victims, such as online sexual violence.
In our ongoing efforts, we can count on the support of the Marie-Vincent Interuniversity Research Chair, which enables us to enrich our thinking, develop adapted programs, and evaluate the effectiveness of our various initiatives. It is the richness of this perspective that also helps guide our actions.
However, all this work could not be done without the ongoing vital backing of generous donors and organizations, as well as public authorities. Our mission is absolutely essential, and in order to pursue it, we call on the government to reaffirm its commitment to youth by placing the treatment and prevention of sexual violence at the heart of its priorities.
The consequences of this violence can be catastrophic for young victims. Without treatment, they may develop addictive behaviors, exhibit suicidal tendencies, engage in risky sexual practices, and suffer from social isolation.
As I mentioned, November 18 is also a day to celebrate the healing of these victims. That is where the strength of the Marie-Vincent team lies: when tragedy strikes, when children go through the unthinkable, we enable these young people and their families to regain hope, rebuild their lives, flourish, and continue to dream. Every day, we witness incredible acts of resilience on their part, acts that inspire us and renew our determination to continue our work.
Together, one step at a time, let’s build a world free from violence against children and adolescents.
