Bayard Jeunesse publishes three booklets to tell young people about it

How to find the words to talk about sexual violence to a child or adolescent? In an attempt to achieve this, the publisher Bayard Jeunesse publishes three information booklets adapted to each age, which can be downloaded free of charge and distributed with its magazines, such as Small apple for the little ones. “Even if the subject of sexual violence seems difficult to broach with a child, it is necessary to do so to give him the means to protect himself, to react and to speak to you in complete confidence”explains the publisher on its website, while, according to the Ciivise, 160,000 children are victims of incest or sexual violence each year in France.

Produced with doctors and psychologists, the booklets with texts and drawings are aimed respectively at 3-7 year olds, 7-13 year olds and 14-18 year olds and can be downloaded free of charge. Those for 3-7 year olds and 14-18 year olds are also attached to the March issues of the magazines Pomme d’Api, The Beautiful Stories And Yippee Doc for the first, and Phosphorus for the second.

Small comics to guide the young reader

The booklet for 3-7 year olds is called My body is a treasure. Made to be read with an adult, it focuses on the relationship to the body, with simple concepts. “If someone doesn’t respect my treasure and tells me it’s a secret, I have the right to disobey and say so!” is it advised. Above, a drawing shows a teenager saying to a child: “I come to help you wash, but you don’t tell anyone, huh? It’s our secret…”

The booklet for 7-13 year olds addresses the issue more directly and is called Stop child sexual abuse. Small comics show a child trapped by a child criminal on social networks, or situations of abuse by a loved one (coach, uncle, etc.). They are accompanied by advice to guide the young reader if he finds himself in this situation. Finally, the booklet for 14-18 year olds addresses concepts such as consent, alert against “sexual cyberviolence” and specifies the steps to file a complaint.