Centering Youth Voices: Youth-Led Prevention and Addressing Harm with Shael Norris

What does it actually look like to put young people at the center of preventing sexual violence? In this episode, Jacqueline sits down with Shael Norris, Founding Executive Director of SafeBAE, and a former staff member of V-Day, to talk about her path from "accidental activism" to building one of the only youth- and survivor-led prevention organizations in the United States. Shael shares why SafeBAE does things differently. From paying the young survivors they work with, why youth sit on the organizations board of directors (not a separate youth advisory board), and what she's learned about the delicate line between healing and activism. The conversation moves into SafeBAE's school-based prevention models and certified peer educator training, the research showing why one-off assemblies don't work. The conversation moves to discussing VibeCheck — a first-of-its-kind accountability tool designed to reach people who have caused or fear they've caused harm, before they spiral further. Shael closes with her single most important piece of advice for parents. This episode is a candid, hopeful conversation about meeting young people where they are, passing the torch, and refusing to look away from the hardest parts of this work. 00:00 – Welcome 00:26 – "Accidental activism": Eve Ensler, V-Day, and finding the work 04:46 – A dress code, Title IX, and the gaps no one was filling 07:51 – Founding SafeBAE and partnering with the youth from Audrie & Daisy 14:06 – From Sundance to 33 schools in the first year 18:51 – Why young people have value, and why you should be paying them 22:53 – Youth in the trenches: putting young people on the board 28:45 – Healing vs. activism, and not making trauma your identity 38:39 – Passing the torch and leaving ego at the door 43:45 – "Know Before You Nude" and being surprised by the adults 50:38 – SafeBAE's prevention "buffet" and certified peer educator training 56:08 – What the research says: why one-off programs fail 1:00:08 – Accountability tools, restorative justice, and culture change 1:04:15 – The origin of VibeCheck: interrupting harmful pathways online 1:12:17 – Don't create their "villain origin story" 1:21:29 – One call to action for parents: be the person they can call 1:25:33 – Where to find SafeBAE and VibeCheck Resources & Links: SafeBAE - safebae.org VibeCheck by SafeBAE - checkyourvibe.org REES Community (anonymous reporting platform) - reescommunity.com Audrie & Daisy - 2016 documentary, found on Netflix V-Day - vday.org Connect with She Matters: www.shematters.ca or email: hello@shematters.ca If this episode resonated with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone in your community.