PEP Talk: Intermediate / Program Themes and Activities
Legal Rights & Responsibilities
- What is meant by legal rights and responsibilities?
➢ Legal rights means that one has rights sanctioned and regulated by federal and/or provincial law. That is, we are legally entitled to certain privileges/advantages
➢ Legal responsibilities means that one has the duty to uphold federal and provincial laws that govern our actions. That is, we are legally required to abide by different laws and regulations
➢ There are consequences when we do not fulfill our legal responsibilities or when we violate them. Alternatively, there are consequences for others when they violate our legal rights - Why is it important to be aware of one’s legal rights and responsibilities?
➢ It helps provide a framework for our words and actions, especially in relation to others
➢ Example: What is legally considered sexual consent and at what age? What qualifies as harassment or assault?
➢ Creates a framework for what is considered healthy behaviour in both the offline and online worlds
➢ By having an understanding of our legal rights and responsibilities, we can better navigate the support we need around these - How would you define harassment?
➢ Any type of behaviour (verbal, physical) that is intended to bother, insult, humiliate, and/or threaten another individual, usually over a period of time
➢ Harassment is on a continuum; that is, behaviour that you may find acceptable can still be considered to be harassment by another individual
➢ It is important to respect the subjective experience of different individuals and respect their boundaries
➢ Any type of harassment that causes one mental, emotional, and/or physical harm is unacceptable, regardless of its legality - How would you define assault?
➢ Assault can be defined as an attempt or threat to inflict bodily harm or the action of actually causing physical harm
➢ In general, it is considered a crime under the Criminal Code of Canada
➢ There are different types of assault: physical, sexual, verbal, etc.
➢ No type of assault is acceptable - What is the age at which a youth can be charged with a criminal offence?
➢ According to the Criminal Code, youth age 12 or over are liable for criminal offences
➢ Assault and harassment fall on a continuum; there is no clear-cut division between what is harassment or assault and what is not - one is responsible for one’s actions towards another - What is the legal definition of consent? What kinds of conditions does the law consider ‘coercion’?
➢ The law stipulates that consent must be voluntary and continuous
➢ Coercive behaviour, as defined by the law, include: where the individual did not give consent in the first place; where the agreement to have sex does not come from the consenting individual themselves; where one uses their position of power or authority to pressure one into sex; where the individual does not have the capacity to give consent (e.g., under the influence of alcohol or substances); where the individual no longer consents to continuing the behaviour*
*take the time to go through each of these conditions slowly and allow youth to ask questions and/or provide scenarios for what they think would fall into each of these descriptions
*if you would like to have a discussion about the legal age of consent, please review over the ‘Age of Consent Info Sheet’ found here (hyperlink PDF) - How can the law protect children and youth?
➢ In all provinces and territories, there are laws that protect children and youth; these are usually written in a formal document around children and family law (e.g., in Ontario, it is called the ‘Child and Family Services Act’)
➢ All territories and provinces have set up child protection agencies* and their purpose is to make sure children and youth are protected and safe from harm
*child protection agencies are also known as child welfare or children’s aid depending on the territory/province - How can one access support to learn more about one’s legal rights and responsibilities?
➢ Justice for Children and Youth
➢ Office of the Children’s Lawyer