For the second year in a row, TrackTik is supporting the Montreal-based charity, The Marie Vincent Foundation. We pledged to raise money for them and to help spread the word about their cause. The Marie Vincent is a wonderful organization leading the charge in ridding the world of sexual violence directed at innocent children and teenagers.
Adolescence is a fleeting and cherished time for most; children are free to explore and experience the world without social biases and inhibitions. Exposing them to ugliness such as sexual violence and assault robs them of this innocence and leaves painful scars for the rest of their lives.
Sexual abuse had always brought chills to me and I was very aware of the harrowing experience that it can be. Having a close member of my family live through it for many years, I was all too aware of the detrimental psychological effects that it causes.
When I got the chance to fight this heinous act, the perpetrators of this horrendous crime as well as to protect the innocent victims, I, along with TrackTik leaped at the chance. Over the course of our association with this organization, I was made painfully aware of some glaring stats. Today, I’d like to continue to educate all those interested about preventing sexual abuse and creating a safer world for all.
More than 50% of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18
Being a mother of two, I have always been and continue to be very cautious of the world and the threat landscape around my children. The exasperating thing about certain threats is that they can occur in an intimate setting, and in most cases children of very young age are targeted.
Marie Vincent has gathered a list of statistics about sexual abuse and suffice to say it’s frightening for every parent to read about:
- 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys reported sexually abuse before the age of 18
- 1 in 5 teenage girls and 1 in 10 teenage boys reported one instance of sexual violence in the past year
- In nearly 97% of sexual assault cases reported to youth protection services, the victim knew the abuser
These figures truly sadden me because it’s astonishing to learn that parents or other family members could inflict harm on children and adolescents in their families. What angers me more is that there are many ‘people who hear about such stories but refuse to believe them.’
It’s my earnest pledge to everyone out there that if you see a crime unfold or if you suspect something, then please come forward and report it to the necessary authorities. Read more about how to report it to the DYP in your region here.
No child should have to live with the consequences of sexual violence
In instances where a child, adolescent or adult is seeking to heal after being subject to an act of sexual abuse, then Marie Vincent provides services for them as well.
Like I mentioned earlier, I am painfully aware of the psychological effects that sexual harassment can leave you with, which is why it angers me that Marie Vincent, struggling with funds, has to pick and choose who they can offer their healing services to.
Services such as police support, medical, psycho-social and socio-legal are sparsely distributed and many abuse survivors have to continue to live with their nightmares. These problems could potentially become life-threatening as survivors of abuse are prone to suicidal thoughts, self-inflicted harm, bouts of depression, substance abuse, sexual promiscuity, anxiety, dip in academic performance, dissociation and post-traumatic stress disorder.
To give equal access to services for all, I would urge you to make a donation to The Marie Vincent Foundation. Any amount will be appreciated and you can trust that it will bring some semblance of light into the darkness harbored by the victims of abuse.