Denunciations are soaring among young people
The influence of social networks and the #metoo movement could contribute to the phenomenon, experts say
Sexual offences committed by minors and reported to the police have increased considerably in 2021 on the territory of several police forces in Quebec, according to data obtained by La Presse. A "social phenomenon" that worries Fady Dagher,
director of the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil.
At the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), which covers more than 1,000 municipalities and territories across the province, the number of cases opened annually for crimes of a sexual nature where a suspect was under the age of 18 increased from 439 in 2015 to 1439 last year. This is an increase of 228%. Just between the years 2020 and 2021, the increase was 55%.
The increase is notable for all types of key offences, including sexual assault, sexual interference, distribution of intimate images or child pornography, incest, incitement to sexual contact, luring with a computer and voyeurism.
The SQ is not the only police force to experience such a resurgence. At the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL), cases for sexual offences committed by minors also more than doubled between 2015 and 2021, from 61 to 133. The increase is particularly marked between 2020 and 2021, with an increase of nearly 42% in one year.
The same is true in the city, where the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM)
went from 183 cases in 2015 to 294 in 2021, a growth of nearly 61%.
And the trend seems to continue in 2022 for all three police forces. For the first half of the year,
764 files were opened at the SQ, 76 at the SPAL and 166 at the SPVM.
A preliminary report by the Ministry of Public Safety released on July 29 reported a 29% increase in police-reported sexual assaults in the province between 2020 and 2021. It would therefore seem that the adolescent population is disproportionately affected by this increase.
Between social networks and social phenomenon"There has been a clear increase in the use of social media in crimes of a sexual nature [in recent years]," said Fady Dagher, director of SPAL, in an interview with La Presse regarding the publication of SPAL's annual report at the end of June.
"And it's becoming more and more trivialized," he adds.
Sexual offences committed by minors and reported to the police have increased considerably in 2021 on the territory of several police forces in Quebec, according to data obtained by La Presse. A "social phenomenon" that worries Fady Dagher,
director of the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil.
At the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), which covers more than 1,000 municipalities and territories across the province, the number of cases opened annually for crimes of a sexual nature where a suspect was under the age of 18 increased from 439 in 2015 to 1439 last year. This is an increase of 228%. Just between the years 2020 and 2021, the increase was 55%.
The increase is notable for all types of key offences, including sexual assault, sexual interference, distribution of intimate images or child pornography, incest, incitement to sexual contact, luring with a computer and voyeurism.
The SQ is not the only police force to experience such a resurgence. At the Service de police de l'agglomération de Longueuil (SPAL), cases for sexual offences committed by minors also more than doubled between 2015 and 2021, from 61 to 133. The increase is particularly marked between 2020 and 2021, with an increase of nearly 42% in one year.
The same is true in the city, where the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM)
went from 183 cases in 2015 to 294 in 2021, a growth of nearly 61%.
And the trend seems to continue in 2022 for all three police forces. For the first half of the year,
764 files were opened at the SQ, 76 at the SPAL and 166 at the SPVM.
A preliminary report by the Ministry of Public Safety released on July 29 reported a 29% increase in police-reported sexual assaults in the province between 2020 and 2021. It would therefore seem that the adolescent population is disproportionately affected by this increase.
Between social networks and social phenomenon"There has been a clear increase in the use of social media in crimes of a sexual nature [in recent years]," said Fady Dagher, director of SPAL, in an interview with La Presse regarding the publication of SPAL's annual report at the end of June.
"And it's becoming more and more trivialized," he adds.
This could be, for example, sexual exploitation directed by adolescents and adolescent girls
or the manufacture and distribution of child pornography, he argues.
The pandemic has seen an increase in online assaults and incest cases, says Mélanie Lemay, founder of Québec contre les violences sexuelles. "While parents were in front of the screen, young people were also left for long hours in front of the screen," she says.
But the return to school did not solve everything.
or the manufacture and distribution of child pornography, he argues.
The pandemic has seen an increase in online assaults and incest cases, says Mélanie Lemay, founder of Québec contre les violences sexuelles. "While parents were in front of the screen, young people were also left for long hours in front of the screen," she says.
But the return to school did not solve everything.
Just to me, at my scale and without asking the question, I heard stories of three gang rapes in
three different primary playgrounds. And that's never been publicized.
Mélanie Lemay, founder of Québec contre les violences sexuelles
In Fady Dagher's opinion, the phenomenon must be taken seriously. "We have possible solutions, but we are more reactive than proactive."
A side effect of the #metoo movement?However, several researchers specializing in sexual violence consulted by La Presse were cautious in analyzing the data.
Indeed, sexual assaults have always been under-reported to law enforcement, they point out.
An increase in whistleblowing does not necessarily mean an increase in crime.
"The #metoo movement has had a great deal of responsibility to raise awareness of the fact that acts of sexual assault have a varied face," explainsDr. Dominique Trottier, a psychologist and professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, who specializes in sexual violence.
What we see in the trends is that the movement has made it possible to move further towards formal denunciation. And that it forced the police to reframe the reception given to this type of denunciations.
Dr. Dominique Trottier, Université du Québec en Outaouais
One hypothesis, according toDr. Trottier, is not only that young people are reporting more,
but also that more complaints are now considered well-founded by police forces.
Time will allow these statistics to be better contextualized, saysDr. Delphine Collin-Vézina,
director of the Canadian Consortium on Trauma in Children and Youth.
"It is in the coming years that we will see what is the share of victimization [of young people], and what is the part of better disclosure of these files that remained taboo and hidden for a long time."
three different primary playgrounds. And that's never been publicized.
Mélanie Lemay, founder of Québec contre les violences sexuelles
In Fady Dagher's opinion, the phenomenon must be taken seriously. "We have possible solutions, but we are more reactive than proactive."
A side effect of the #metoo movement?However, several researchers specializing in sexual violence consulted by La Presse were cautious in analyzing the data.
Indeed, sexual assaults have always been under-reported to law enforcement, they point out.
An increase in whistleblowing does not necessarily mean an increase in crime.
"The #metoo movement has had a great deal of responsibility to raise awareness of the fact that acts of sexual assault have a varied face," explainsDr. Dominique Trottier, a psychologist and professor at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, who specializes in sexual violence.
What we see in the trends is that the movement has made it possible to move further towards formal denunciation. And that it forced the police to reframe the reception given to this type of denunciations.
Dr. Dominique Trottier, Université du Québec en Outaouais
One hypothesis, according toDr. Trottier, is not only that young people are reporting more,
but also that more complaints are now considered well-founded by police forces.
Time will allow these statistics to be better contextualized, saysDr. Delphine Collin-Vézina,
director of the Canadian Consortium on Trauma in Children and Youth.
"It is in the coming years that we will see what is the share of victimization [of young people], and what is the part of better disclosure of these files that remained taboo and hidden for a long time."
Young people, more at riskA large study conducted in Quebec and published in 2009 showed that 22% of women and 10% of men had been victims of childhood sexual abuse in the province, reports Ms. Collin-Vézina.
Minors represent 55% of victims of sexual assault in Canada, says Mélanie Lemay,
even though they make up only 20% of the country's population.
A 2009 study revealed that 22% of women and 10% of men had been victims of sexual assault during their childhood in Quebec.
And if the image of adult people tracking children is tenacious, many assaults take place between teenagers, recallsMs. Lemay. "Between 50% and 80% of adult sexual abusers admit to having committed their first assaults as minors," she explains.
"It's very worrying to know that at the moment, there is no service offered to abusers," said Alexandra Dupuy, co-coordinator of the collective La voix des jeunes compte, which fights against sexual violence in primary and secondary schools.
"If these people are not accompanied, will they reoffend?"
Dr. Isabelle Daigneault, psychologist and director of the Laboratory for Research on the Health
and Resilience Trajectories of Sexually Abused Youth
For Dr. Isabelle Daigneault, a psychologist who directs the Laboratory for Research on the Health and Resilience Trajectories of Sexually Assaulted Youth, prevention and support services for adolescent victims and abusers in Quebec are insufficient.
"We only know a proportion of young people who experience sexual violence in Quebec, and they do not necessarily receive adequate services," she says. And neither do the young aggressors. »
Minors represent 55% of victims of sexual assault in Canada, says Mélanie Lemay,
even though they make up only 20% of the country's population.
A 2009 study revealed that 22% of women and 10% of men had been victims of sexual assault during their childhood in Quebec.
And if the image of adult people tracking children is tenacious, many assaults take place between teenagers, recallsMs. Lemay. "Between 50% and 80% of adult sexual abusers admit to having committed their first assaults as minors," she explains.
"It's very worrying to know that at the moment, there is no service offered to abusers," said Alexandra Dupuy, co-coordinator of the collective La voix des jeunes compte, which fights against sexual violence in primary and secondary schools.
"If these people are not accompanied, will they reoffend?"
Dr. Isabelle Daigneault, psychologist and director of the Laboratory for Research on the Health
and Resilience Trajectories of Sexually Abused Youth
For Dr. Isabelle Daigneault, a psychologist who directs the Laboratory for Research on the Health and Resilience Trajectories of Sexually Assaulted Youth, prevention and support services for adolescent victims and abusers in Quebec are insufficient.
"We only know a proportion of young people who experience sexual violence in Quebec, and they do not necessarily receive adequate services," she says. And neither do the young aggressors. »
LILA DUSSAULT
PRESS
Sexual violence | Denunciations are soaring among young people | The Press (lapresse.ca)
PRESS
Sexual violence | Denunciations are soaring among young people | The Press (lapresse.ca)