The Boucan association works in the fields of education and prevention, training for professionals and adults. Another focus is on welcoming and supporting victims. Finally, the association engages in cultural and artistic actions related to these topics to raise public awareness.
Prevention and awareness, especially among the youngest—children and adolescents—seemed crucial to the founders, particularly knowing that 80% of sexual violence occurs before the age of 18. “To eradicate this phenomenon,” explains Lara Peyret, “we must act early by identifying children in difficult situations, providing prevention, allowing them to speak, but most importantly, to be heard and well supported.”
Boucan operates in middle and high schools in a unique way, using cultural and artistic activities. “This means we first watch a film together at the cinema, or offer them a performance at their school, and then we draw connections from the film or performance we viewed together, working in small groups with the children to think critically so they are as well-equipped as possible on the issues of sexist and sexual violence.”
Another audience supported includes women and gender minorities who are victims of violence, with legal assistance available to guide them in implementing protective measures, supporting them in filing complaints, and offering workshops on body and sexual health. There is also a support group for victims of incest and child sexual abuse.
“The training aspect is based on the idea that this work of education, prevention, and awareness needs to be done by as many people as possible,” insists Lara Peyret. “The goal is to train as many professionals as possible so that children are identified earlier, better supported, and better directed. Because the more we engage in early prevention, the more we can reduce the impact of the consequences it will have on a person's life.”
“We hypothesized that by addressing a variety of areas, we would be as comprehensive and widespread as possible given the magnitude of the task. So far, it’s just a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. But even with this, the feedback has been incredibly significant; all the victims who had never spoken before or felt extremely alone and helpless regarding their stories clearly show that the very existence of an association like ours is immensely important in their lives. It’s truly powerful to see how much they want to act for themselves and for others to bring about change.”
