Like all initiatives funded by the Vancouver Police Foundation, the ‘You Matter’ program was envisioned and developed by dedicated VPD officers in direct response to an important community need. In this case, officers are sharing their knowledge and skills with youth through structured workshops in an effort to prevent sexual based crimes, and ultimately empower youth to build healthy relationships with their peers. Now in it’s third year, You Matter was created by VPD Detectives Kerry-Anne Horgan and Danielle Escobar as a result of concerning real-life trends in their investigations.
“In 2021, after interviewing a number of young male suspects, it became apparent that they did not have a real understanding of the complexities of consent,” explains Det. Horgan. “This, coupled with a project where young girls were being lured online and then violently sexually assaulted, was the catalyst for myself and Det. Escobar to do more and be proactive. Our Special Investigations Detectives provide a unique lens regarding consent, sexual based crimes and how to stay safe, including online safety.”
The goal of every You Matter workshop is to educate and engage teenagers on sexual based crimes, consent and personal safety, including cyber safety. Teen participants are educated in the concept of ‘communicated consent’ and how this is applied in words, actions and all the nuanced communication that happens within a relationship, whether this relationship is occurring in-person or online. Each workshop is approximately two hours and includes break-out activities so that learning occurs through active problem solving. All workshops also follow a therapeutic recreation modal in a trauma informed environment.
You Matter has been so impactful since launching in 2021 that it has significantly expanded based on the demand and feedback from community partners. To date, You Matter has presented to over 650 youth from 25 various community groups.
“The response from the participants has been rewarding and beyond what we could have imagined,” says Det. Horgan. “Despite talking to strangers about private matters, the teen participants are interested and engaged. In addition to sharing this valuable information, we have also been given the opportunity to speak with marginalized and newcomer groups which has helped to dispel myths or fears they have about asking the police for help.”
“We did not realize how much these young people need this information until the engagement they had with the officers, the questions they posed, and how well they listened and learned from the information. Some of the information was difficult to present to young people, but all the officers were super supportive, caring, positive and kind in their delivery and their answering of the questions. Even the boys were really engaged which was awesome.” – Lori Hemm, VPD Program Coordinator, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigenous Relations Section
With the sport of hockey seeing a rise in sexual assault investigations in all levels in recent years, the minor hockey community in BC has also benefited from You Matter workshops. In December 2022, VPD Special Investigation officers delivered the workshop to 70 athletes from a lower mainland Hockey Club, where their coaches wanted to dispel any myths regarding sexual consent, and promote a healthy, respectful culture.
Based on the success of this particular workshop, Hockey Canada then reached out to the Vancouver Police for the same education and support. As a result, in January 2024, VPD officers delivered the You Matter workshop to approximately 135 young Hockey Canada athletes right here in Vancouver – and the feedback was, again, incredibly positive.
“The momentum and positive feedback has really motivated us to continue to fill this void and expand our program,” adds Det. Horgan.
Looking ahead, there several You Matter workshops currently scheduled for private community groups. Det. Horgan also encourages anyone who is interested in learning more and/or who would like to schedule a workshop for their community group, to reach out directly to You.Matter@vpd.ca
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“I cannot thank your members enough for the informative and age-appropriate content they provided, the fun that they had with the youth in order to lighten the situations at times and overall their knowledge and expertise which was obvious from the beginning.” – Lori Hemm (New Kids workshop, 2021)
The Vancouver Police Foundation supports programs and initiatives that fall under one of four pillars: Youth Programs, Mental Health & Addictions, Community Outreach & Engagement, and Technology & Special Equipment. You can help build a safer Vancouver by donating to the Vancouver Police Foundation.
