Services delivered: prevention/intervention programming for gender-based violence-related offences

Component: Prevention

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA), 2017 Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA)

Transfer Payment Recipients will follow the Youth Justice Services Manual (YJSM) that was first issued April 1, 2006, and all subsequent revisions. “Contents Applicable to All” and the “Transfer Payment Community Based Programs and Services” sections outline minimum requirements for the Transfer Payment Recipients.

Service description

• Delivery of community-based prevention and intervention programming that addresses, reduces, and mitigates risk factors that contribute to male youth committing gender-based violence (GBV)-related offences and identify and support at-risk male youth to reduce or prevent offending behaviours
• Provision of timely, targeted, culturally responsive, and community-based services that respond to the diversity of youth and reduce or prevent their involvement in Ontario’s justice system
• Support for youth to strengthen pro-social skills, provide linkages to community services/supports and an opportunity to take accountability for their behaviour

People served

• Male youth aged 12-17 who have committed or are alleged to have committed GBV-related offences or are identified as at-risk of committing GBV (GBV-related offences may include, but are not limited to, sexual assault, sexual abuse, assault, and other forms of domestic or intimate partner violence, coercion, and human- trafficking)
  • Option to include male youth aged 18-20, as appropriate
• Targeted programming also available to self-identified Black youth in Neighborhood Improvement Areas (NIAs) of Northwest Toronto and self-identified Indigenous youth in communities within Nishnawbe-Aski Nation

Program/service features

• Participation in the program to be determined by tools/assessments that identify the youth as being:
  • at varying levels of risk for perpetrating GBV and
  • at a reasonable level of readiness to be engaged to receive community supports and interventions to address their offending and risky behaviours
• Identification of the needs and risks of youth in the program and response with appropriate prevention and intervention supports, including referral to other community services and supports to address issues that are underlying risk factors linked to the probability of reoffending
• Programming may be delivered in-person, virtually or through a blended model coordinated services to provide a facilitated / in-person session of the program to youth, when requested and considered safe for participants and facilitators
• Curriculum and supporting materials (paper-based and e-learning formats) will be developed and shared with youth justice partners and the ministry to support male youth who are at risk or have committed or are alleged to have committed GBV offences
  • Programming will be available in paper-based and e-learning formats, with supporting facilitator manuals
• Program Delivery will be supported through a Community of Practice (CoP) to:
  • Develop and share common tools, frameworks, and processes to support program development, implementation and evaluation and sustainability and
  • Share and disseminate information, resources and lessons learned for planning and delivering GBV prevention programming between organizations and across the youth justice sector

Specific service provided

Program goals

• Introduce concepts to provide greater understanding of the underlying factors of GBV, such as gender inequality, sexism, toxic masculinity, as well as the impacts of intergenerational trauma and violence, colonialism, and racism
• Help youth to recognize the impact of harmful behaviours associated with GBV and transform assumptions and attitudes towards healthier and positive identities, and interpersonal relationships
• Provide tools and thinking strategies to strengthen youth abilities for self-evaluation and maintaining good sexual health and for building the skills and adaptive pro-social behaviours to develop consensual, mutually rewarding, and intimate relationships
• Reduce risk factors that contribute to male youth perpetrating GBV and identify and support at-risk male youth to reduce or prevent offending behaviours
• Provide (where appropriate) targeted and culturally responsive services to youth, based principles such as Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Oppression and Anti-Colonization
• Increase protective factors that build strengths and skills among male youth and help them make positive choices and build stronger and healthier relationships
• Revitalize youth sense of purpose, self-esteem, and self-value to help youth reclaim and take pride in their identity and strengthen their connection to their family, community, and culture and
• Disseminate new, evidence-informed research and best practices in providing targeted, culturally relevant services that can be shared to increase the capacity and responsiveness of Ontario’s youth justice services system over the long-term

Ministry expectations

Services will be

• Part of a youth centered delivery system that provides rehabilitative and reintegration programs and services to youth in conflict with the law
• Reflective and responsive to the youth, family and community strengths and needs
• Accountable to the youth, family, and community
• Sensitive to the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of families and communities
• Staffed by individuals with the appropriate range of skills, abilities, and cultural competency necessary to respond effectively to the needs of youth and families
• Aligned where appropriate to support the achievement of the Youth Justice Division’s four outcomes for youth
  • Improved functioning and positive social behaviour
  • Increased skills and abilities
  • Increased youth engagement with supports and
  • Decreased re-offending
• The program/support is based on the youth’s needs, preferences and available individual, agency, community, and contracted Ministry resources and
• Aligned with Anti-Racism and human rights principles to challenge racism and oppression in all its forms
• Responsible for completing reporting requirements demonstrating program metrics such as resources, evaluation, outcome achievement and other reports in accordance with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) Youth Justice Outcomes Framework, consistent with timelines and processes

Reporting requirements

The following service data will be reported on at an Interim and Final stage. Please refer to your final agreement for report back due dates and targets.