Last month, as part of the project “Parole aux jeunes (PAJ) – Mieux prévenir et agir contre l’exploitation sexuelle”, eighteen teenagers met during a “lac-à-l’épaule “*, in order to reflect on the first year of the project, with the IBCR team, and to launch the next step, i.e. the collection of data.
For two days, young people from three groups involved in the project met for the first time and together discussed issues that had previously been discussed separately. The meeting between the participants thus made it possible to share experiences and to forge bonds between the groups.
Since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, dozens of teenagers have taken part in workshops and working sessions on different themes related to the prevention of sexual exploitation, considering the use of technologies, and the effect of the pandemic. They were asked to give their point of view on different prevention tools and to make connections with their experiences. The aim of this event was to prepare the data collection that will take place in the coming months. During the summer, the participants of the project “Parole aux jeunes” will conduct interviews and share questionnaires with other young people of their age to find out their point of view on targeted themes, such as the influence of social networks on young people, interpersonal relationships (including romantic relationships, friendship, power, trust, etc.) and sexual consent.
At the beginning of the school year, in September 2022, the groups will share their observations and conclusions with the intent of developing and formulating recommendations. These recommendations will be useful for the work of the key players responsible for developing sexual exploitation prevention campaigns in Quebec.
© Photo: Morag Bélisle
*A “lac-à-l’épaule” is a strategic meeting that allows a team to discuss important directions while being in a secluded environment. This allows participants to take a break from their daily lives and focus on their goals.