In the ever-changing landscape of online dangers, a partnership program between Surrey Schools and Surrey RCMP is equipping students with information on best practices when it comes to online and in-person relationships.
Founded in 2019, Project Lavender, was initially developed as an in-school presentation by the Surrey RCMP to connect with female students about understanding texting, sexting, sexual exploitation, drug/alcohol awareness and healthy relationships. Having expanded its target audience to the wider student population, the presentation is now given to roughly 150 Surrey and White Rock classes each year.
"We typically visit older elementary and younger secondary students, with Grade 6 and 7 being our most-talked to age group," said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Shawn Blakeway.
Blakeway said as students begin to integrate technology into their daily lives, it becomes increasingly important to reach out to them early on to discuss safe practices.
"COVID really pushed a lot of people into making technology a large part of their lives and that's something we've seen carried forward since," he explained.
"We use this as a launch point to talk about safe use of social platforms, how simple requests can lead to things like sexual exploitation and extortion, and what the repercussions can be if you get caught up in that sort of activity."
A key issue students are sometimes surprised to learn about, said Blakeway, is that sharing images, even amongst a group of peers, can lead to a criminal charge.
"They don't realize that they are sharing what may be considered child pornography under the Criminal Code of Canada," he said.
On the other side of the issue, students are also made aware of resources they can turn to if they ever find themselves on the receiving end of such actions.
"We let them know how they reach out, what the different helplines are, and who they can talk to you talk to," said Blakeway. "Oftentimes it can be a teacher or a counselor or a parent, but there are also other resources like PSST (Protecting Surrey Schools Together)."
Topics covered in Project Lavender discussions can also vary depending on the age of the class, as well as which school is being visited.
"Students at school in North Surrey might be dealing with different issues than those at a school in Cloverdale and so we also have a portion of our presentation dedicated to talking directly with students and answering their questions," he said.
Blakeway said Project Lavender will continue to tour the district and refine resources as online trends evolve.
"We love chatting with the kids and making those inroads," he said. "Whatever we can to do to help them be more mindful about their interactions online and in-person, that's the goal."
To learn more about Project Lavender and the Surrey RCMP, click here.
For more student safety resources, as well as anonymous tip lines, head to Protecting Surrey Schools Together (PSST).
