Working Towards a World Without Violence
Sexualized violence can only be prevented when the whole community commits to creating a culture of respect where everyone has the right to sexuality without violence.
Project Respect
Project Respect is the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre’s multiple award-winning gender-based violence prevention program. Founded in 1999, Project Respect supports youth to develop knowledge and skills to practice respectful relationships and enthusiastic consent (only yes means yes) and to engage in social action to end sexualized violence and create inclusive communities.
Our Approach
Critical Thinking and Root Causes. Project Respect engages youth to break the silence around sexualized violence by critically exploring its root causes, such as power and gender expectations, and drawing connections among the multiple forms this violence takes.
Youth-driven. The young people that are part of Project Respect play an important role in driving all of our work – from visioning to project delivery and evaluation.
Intergenerational. At Project Respect, we are focused on inter-generational community engagement as the key to shifting away from a culture of violence and toward a culture of consent and respect. In our youth-led social action initiatives, we work from a youth-adult partnership model through which adult staff and community mentors work in solidarity with youth leaders to understand and respond to violence through innovative projects that engage communities.
Social Action. Our innovative strategies for mobilizing youth anti-violence activism and creating social change toward safer more inclusive communities have been recognized locally, provincially and nationally. Examples of our youth-led activities include: Zine, Infographics, Table Talk, Training Manual, blogging, street art, media production, community dialogues, guerilla theatre, social action camps, peer workshops, and youth-facilitated trainings for teachers.
Our Current Projects
Our prevention education in schools has expanded to include youth-led social action and have a broader reach in our community!
Community-based Prevention Projects
Youth Leadership Team: – Collaboration between Black Youth Empowerment and Surrounded by Cedar for 2024 – 2029
Black Youth Empowerment (BYE): BYE has completed a three year collaboration with Project Respect under VSAC, and have created a program training manual as the final project that is available electronically. Hardcopies will be available at the VSAC office for pick-up (email us at to secure a copy). We thank the BYE youth group for their devotion and commitment; our partners Dr. Lisa Gunderson, and Nichola Watson for spear-heading the project; the Project Respect team for coordinating the project; as well as many folk in the community who collaborated and gave their time and support to making the program a success.
School-based Education Programs
School-based Workshops – Project Respect offers a workshop that engages youth in exploring the root causes of gender-based violence and thinking critically about messages they receive from the media and their peers about sexuality, violence, boundaries, and consent. Read more…
Safer Spaces Training: Pro-D for Teachers and Youth Service Providers – Project Respect’s youth-adult team developed and facilitates workshops for educators, school administration and youth service providers! These workshops offer space for adults who work with youth to develop the knowledge and language to be active bystanders and create safer, gender-inclusive environments. Read more…
Youth Council – Youth Council empowers youth by supporting their personal and collective visions for a future without sexualized violence, while also promoting youth-centered and consent-based practices
