Relatable Narratives Are Powerful

5 teens guilty of sharing intimate images in Bridgewater Dropbox case

Five of the six young men accused of sharing intimate images of 20 local high school girls on Nova Scotia's South Shore have pleaded guilty, closing one of Canada's largest prosecutions involving children under a law that came into force two years ago.

When talking to students about serious issues such as sexting, prostitution, or transgender rights, it is important to provide narrative context for their understanding. Simply speaking in generalities about statistics, laws, and regulations removes the students from the (pressing) reality of these issues.

By presenting topical and relatable narratives from their own communities about these issues, in conjunction with an exploration of their legal and statistical significance, teachers can help student understand their impact in the real world around them.

I have included here three news articles from CBC which document local significance of sexting laws, prostitution rings, and transgender rights. These are all issues that students may feel disconnected with, but are happening in their communities -- and they should know about them.

Human trafficking in sex trade thriving in Nova Scotia, Mountie says

Human trafficking of young women, some in their early teens, as sex trade workers is a hidden epidemic in Nova Scotia, an RCMP officer on the front lines said Monday. "People could have a daughter who's been recruited into the human trafficking sex trade and they wouldn't even realize it," said Cpl.

94 people have changed their sex marker on Nova Scotia birth certificates

Since Jessica Dempsey came out as a transgender woman in the fall of 2011, her life has been marked by struggles against discrimination. But things are starting to change, and in a significant way. Dempsey recently picked up her new birth certificate, which indicates her sex marker: female.