Hundreds of child pornography charges are filed each year against minors who produce or share explicit content without their partner’s consent, often as early as elementary school.
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“In the end, they get electronic devices that are extremely efficient. Then they are not necessarily aware that by sending photos they are committing two or three crimes,” stresses Me Louis-David Bénard, prosecutor at the Youth Office of the Director of Law Enforcement and Law Enforcement (DPCP).
Since 2018, an average of more than 300 cases of possession, distribution or production of child pornography have been filed in the Juvenile Division each year.
I Louis-David Bénard, Prosecutor in the Director of Law Enforcement and Criminal Enforcement (DPCP) Office of Juvenile Affairs. He is also the coordinator of the SEXTO project. Photo Louis Dominique Lamarche
The Journal obtained this data from the DPCP under the Access to Information Act as the Quebec government steps up its fight against sexual violence in our schools.
This phenomenon continues to be felt this year as the authorities registered 59 charges in the first three months of 2023.
But these statistics paint an incomplete picture of the phenomenon, warns Me Bénard.
“I am convinced that we will not see everything that happens,” said the prosecutor.
shame and isolation
Most of these behaviors begin outside of school. For example, a person is filmed during a sexual relationship without their knowledge and the video is then disseminated.
Or a boy receives lewd photos of a girl and shares them with friends without her consent.
It also happens that after a breakup, one of the partners takes revenge by sharing pictures on social networks.
“It’s a crime that can be very damaging to young victims, because these people are in the midst of development,” argues Marie-Christine Villeneuve, spokeswoman for the Network of Crime Victim Support Centers. It often triggers a strong sense of shame and often leads to isolation. »
Marie-Christine Villeneuve, Communications and Public Relations Coordinator of the Network of Crime Victim Support Centers (CAVAC). LINKEDIN
In order to prevent and intervene quickly, the SEXTO project was launched a few years ago in cooperation with schools, the police and the DPCP. In certain cases, this can avoid the initiation of criminal investigations.
Even before high school
“We prefer to educate young people through this process rather than taking them to court,” stresses Me Louis-David Bénard, the project coordinator. A sexting file can quickly get out of control. »
A clever strategy, especially since the average age of the accused is falling.
“We named it because we’re seeing more and more cases in elementary school,” the prosecutor said.
“We have inquiries from elementary schools saying: you are 11 years old, what do we do? It requires a report to the protection of minors. “Young people under the age of 12 cannot be prosecuted,” he adds.
Since January 2020, more than 400 police officers from the Sûreté du Québec have also taken part in the SEXTO project training.
Benoit Richard, Lieutenant-Coordinator of Communications at the Surete du Québec. Photo Chantal Poirier
“The most important thing is to have a very clear speech with these young people,” said Benoit Richard, deputy coordinator at the SQ.
If more prevention in this area is always welcome, “it has to be done within a framework and curriculum that is reasonably well defined,” the police officer insists.
Regular discussions about sexuality to promote awareness
Parents and teachers need to build a bond of trust with the new generations to discuss sexuality and prevent gaffes related to sharing explicit content, a staff member explains.
“There’s this kind of ongoing and informal conversation that parents can have from a very young age,” summarizes Sara Mathieu-Chartier, associate professor of sex education at the University of Montreal.
“It’s about taking chances right when something’s happening in the news, we talk about it openly so that we can calmly and gradually arm ourselves to deal with different situations,” she adds.
The importance of acting quickly when sharing explicit content is always felt, as evidenced by the numerous child pornography charges filed with the Quebec Juvenile Chamber each year.
Sara Mathieu-Chartier, lecturer in sex education at the University of Montreal and community researcher at Club Sexu. Screenshot of Club Sexu website
Beyond the legal
But before it ends up in court, there are upstream strategies to sensitize young people, argues Sara Mathieu-Chartier.
By first discussing broader concepts, such as consent or shared pleasure, one can move on to sending bold pictures or messages step-by-step.
“One of the interesting interventions is to talk about why are we doing this? Why do we sext with someone? emphasizes the community researcher from Club Sexu. It will always be about understanding the intentions and feelings behind it, which go beyond the mere legal discourse. »
Appropriate education
In schools too, the approach of teachers can be complex.
“Despite the openness and good will, there is also the feeling of not being adequately trained and of having taken on a great deal of responsibility,” notes Ms. Mathieu-Chartier, who has trained school teams and teachers in recent years.
In any case, adults should avoid “overpowering potential victims” and blaming them for their actions.
“If it happened to our teenager and we’re in a situation where a photo is circulating, it’s going to be a lot longer before we seek help,” says the professor.
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