Team Izzat Youth Forum on Child Abuse and Drug Addiction | Youthink
Image credit:  Team Izzat: Two student leaders Ashley Gill (left) and Shawn Ahuja (right) with retired NHL player and keynote speaker Sheldon Kennedy

Team Izzat’s Youth Forum on Child Exploitation & Drugs

by Hafsa Mohamud - Churchill Secondary, Vancouver BC Jan 19, 2011
Youth, parents and community volunteers came out in hundreds to Team Izzat’s Youth Forum on Child Exploitation & Drugs held at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey, BC on January 15th. The forum was spearheaded and presented by Team Izzat, the non-profit organization formed by Sgt. Jet Sunner and other members of the Lower Mainland RCMP to combat the negative stigma attached to South Asian youth. Hosted by City TV Breakfast Television’s co-host Riaz Meghji, the event was filled with great information, drug presentations from student leaders and a moving presentation by keynote speaker and ex-NHL player, Sheldon Kennedy.

Sheldon Kennedy’s Story
During his speech, Kennedy recounted the traumatic five years of being exploited and abused by his Jr. Hockey coach Graham James, as well as his battle with addiction. Being the poster boy for child exploitation in the sports world, Sheldon was very altruistic stating, “I don’t do this for a living but it’s just important.” From the moment he came on stage, he captivated the audience as he delved into great, albeit sometimes graphic detail of his abuse and abuser. When talking about the emotional drain these issues have on youth he commented, “It makes them question everything.” Furthermore, these situations of youth being abused have many severe consequences.

The Negative Effects
The information presented during the forum showed that children who have been abused have a much higher inclination to experiment with alcohol and drugs. As a result, the goal of the forum was to increase the amount of awareness on child exploitation and drug usage. Unfortunately, these issues have been largely ignored by the popular media since the 90s, with many choosing to turn a blind eye. “When my story broke, nobody wanted to get involved,” said Kennedy. He further explained that his exploitation was “[in] a different place, a different time, with the same outcome.” Hopefully, with how quickly information travels in cyberspace and media starting to pay more attention to these issues, the awareness about child exploitation and drugs will grow and encourage youth who are suffering from or dealing with these problems to seek help.
 
Next Steps
In addition to building awareness, Kennedy encourages parents to know all the people who are in their child’s life, because you can never be too careful. However, despite all the challenges he has faced Kennedy believes the future looks bright for victims of abuse; and that they can eventually “get [their] power back, and move on with life,” which he was able to do. To help youth who are dealing with expoitation and drug abuse more presentations in schools need to happen, early intervention is key and more must be done to raise awareness. With all the good that came out of Saturday's event in Surrey, it's safe to say that Team Izzat’s youth forum was another step in the right direction.
 
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