The Sexual Violence Helpline, a resource available 24/7 for anyone affected by sexual violence in Quebec, managed by the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (MSAC), is now accessible via an online chat feature on our website at sexualviolencehelpline.ca!

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"We have adapted our telephone intervention methods to the new digital platform, while maintaining the principle of focusing on needs in the “here and now” and helping people make informed decisions without imposing a specific direction. Our specially trained counsellors who work with victims of sexual violence continue to use protocols adapted to different situations and a systematically updated directory of inclusive provincial resources".

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A brief history:

 

• 2010: First call to our Provincial Helpline for Victims of Sexual Assault, a pilot project. The team of counsellors and coordinators expands in the following years in order to respond to different types of requests.

• 2016: The Quebec government grants a permanent mandate to our helpline and promotes it as part of its strategy to prevent and counter sexual violence.

• 2020: The Select Committee on the Sexual Exploitation of Minors recommends the implementation of an interactive platform to support victims and their loved ones.

• 2021: Our helpline changes its name to Info-aide violence sexuelle (Sexual Violence Helpline in English) to reflect the fact that the services offered encompass all forms of sexual violence, including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual harassment and cyberviolence.

• 2022: The Minister of Justice grants funding to the Montreal Sexual Assault Centre to implement an online chat tool accessible to victims of all forms of sexual violence and their loved ones.

• 2023: The Sexual Violence Helpline launches its first digital interventions.

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Using concrete examples, this campaign speaks directly to young people, who are often the most vulnerable to sexual violence and sometimes find it difficult to put their experiences into words. Without minimizing the seriousness of these acts, this new chat option opens up a path to the liberating power of words and offers a glimmer of hope.

 

 

It’s a step toward healing, an invitation to break the silence!

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Stay tuned to the @infoaideviolencesexuelle Facebook and Instagram accounts for the latest posts accompanying a series of digital ads and videos by Quebec influencers. Posters in French (see below) and bookmarks in French and English (with the same messages as on the posters) are also available for distribution in your organization.

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Ask and you shall receive! Simply send a message to Félixe Valois, who is the assistant coordinator of the Sexual Violence Helpline at MSAC, at f.valois@cvasm.ca.

In addition to awareness-raising material, you can also order our generic bookmarks, which can be useful when welcoming a victim revealing abuse.