REPERE COURSE –
Improving Experiences
Through Effective Child Participation
Online training on how to provide better support to child victims and witnesses of crime in Quebec
For over 25 years, the International Bureau for Children’s Rights (hereafter IBCR or the Bureau) has been working to improve the experiences of children in contact with the justice system as victims, witnesses or alleged offenders. The IBCR’s Guidelines on Justice Matters involving Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime were adopted by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2005. The guidelines led to the creation of various plain-language documents, a report on the Guidelines on Justice for Child Victims and Witnesses of Crime in Quebec (2011) and Canada (2013), and a study on the experiences of children in contact with the Quebec justice system (2017)*.
Continuing on this path, the Bureau has initiated the creation of the REPERE online course. REPERE is the French acronym for Improving Experiences Through Effective Child Participation. This initiative was made possible with financial support from Quebec’s Ministry of Justice, through the Victims of Crime Fund (FAVAC), the Department of Justice Canada and the Chamandy Foundation. The course is intended for all professionals who accompany children through the judicial process, including individuals working in law enforcement, the legal system, social workers, and the public, private and non-profit sectors.
// Developed in collaboration with children and professionals involved in legal proceedings //
The training was designed to address the gaps identified by children who have been in contact with the Quebec justice system as witnesses or victims of crime. Children and the various professionals involved in
legal proceedings were consulted in order to determine which aspects of interactions with children require improvement. The course content is based on the findings of these consultations.
THE REPERE COURSE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN A 3-STEP PROCESS
Analysis of the judicial trajectory of child victims and witnesses of crime in Quebec
In 2017, the IBCR set out to give child victims and witnesses of crime the opportunity to share their thoughts about their experiences with Quebec’s justice system. A study was conducted to learn about their experiences and opinions, both positive and negative, and the various factors that either helped or hindered their participation. The study identified several factors that impede positive and rights-friendly experiences for children in contact with justice system. These include:
• Feeling neglected and that their experiences were trivialised
• Feeling that the justice system isn’t geared to children and children’s rights
• Feeling that they weren’t adequately informed about procedures, their options and outcomes of their case, which often caused stress and anxiety for the children involved, and not being offered support to reduce the trauma associated with the trial
• Feeling unprepared for the various stages of the process, including testifying in court, and being unfamiliar with certain dynamics, such as cross-examination, which sometimes made children feel persecuted or abandoned
*The reports and study are available at www.ibcr.org/publications.
• A lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of key persons tasked with providing children with information, preparing them for next steps and following up on their cases
• Inequality in the services available/offered to children due to their personal circumstances or geographic location within Quebec
Development of the course framework
In 2020, the IBCR revisited the findings of the 2017 report. During this pivotal stage of the project, the course framework was developed in collaboration with members of PlaidoyerVictime, the Marie-Vincent Foundation, the Outaouais Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC), Centre-du-Québec and Laval regions, the CIUSSS du Centre-sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and the Directeur des poursuites criminelles et pénales du Québec (DPCP). This collaborative effort enabled the researchers to determine where further capacity-building was needed in the areas of children’s rights and participation. Their findings were cross-referenced these with those from the 2017 study.
Production of the course content
The course content was developed to address the gaps identified in the first two project phases, in collaboration with workers and decision-makers from the various professions involved. Children were asked to provide feedback on the content and related audiovisual tools while the course was still being developed. In addition, a pilot training session was held with a group of 50 workers from the targeted professions.
// The importance of child participation //
Child participation was a key concern during the development of the REPERE course. The comments and opinions of child witnesses and victims of crime were collected to help identify barriers to participation within the justice system.
Throughout the project, it was a priority to promote children’s autonomy so that they could participate more meaningfully in decisions that concerned them. Consequently, children were involved in key stages of the project (including the 2017 Voices of Youth study, the development of the course content, the report on lessons learned, etc.) in an effort to strengthen their roles as leaders, while supporting the initiative’s implementation and contributing to its governance. Encouraging children to participate actively enabled the IBCR to develop tools that reflect children’s realities and perspectives, and to make a concrete difference in improving their experiences.
CHILD PARTICIPATION
ACCORDING TO THE IBCR
The IBCR values children’s right to freely express their opinions and to be actors in their own development, while taking into account their developmental stages, well-being and best interests. Children should be empowered in defending their protection and rights, and not simply be spectators to these processes. Youth are able to understand and form opinions on decisions affecting them, and therefore can and must meaningfully participate in initiatives and decisions aimed at promoting their rights and needs.
