For many, fall means back to school time – school has started again for children and youth and it’s back to campus life and classes whether virtual or in person for post-secondary students. Amongst the task of balancing schoolwork, jobs, and a social life, students are often faced with healing from the traumatic impacts of sexual violence.

Recently thousands of Western University students in Ontario attended a walk out in protest of several recent acts of sexual violence students experienced on and off campus during the university’s orientation week.

Four formal reports of assault that took place during the Universities orientation week have been made with police. We acknowledge that students at Western University are stating that the number of harassments and assaults are far higher than the number of formal reports. It is very common for survivors of sexual violence to chose not to make a formal report with police. Western University has indicated that they will increase their safety protocols including hiring safety ambassadors and implementing in-person training and education for students regarding sexual violence.

Unfortunately, the alarming rates of sexual violence including assault are not unique to Western University. Country wide post-secondary students are at a heightened risk of experiencing sexual violence while on campus especially during the back-to-school season of endless orientation events and parties.

Across Canada post-secondary students face an alarming rate of sexual violence each year. A 2019 Statistics Canada study reported that:

• A majority of 71% of students at Canadian postsecondary schools witnessed or experienced Sexual violence in a post-secondary setting in 2019.
• The vast majority of students who experienced violence, also indicated that the perpetrators of the violence were fellow students.
• Survivors of sexual violence were of diverse genders, backgrounds, ability, and sexual orientation. However, women, 2SLBTQQIA+ students, and students living with a disability were more likely to experience sexual violence in a post-secondary setting.
• Reports of sexual violence are at their highest during the first month of school.

In 2017, the Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act was enacted in Manitoba. The legislation requires all post-secondary schools in Manitoba to raise awareness and education regarding sexual violence as well as the implementation of policies and procedures to respond to reports of sexual violence. Similar legislation is in place in other provinces and territories across Canada.

Despite this legislation, more needs to be done to change the culture of sexual violence amongst post-secondary institutions across Canada.

Sexual violence does not have to inevitably be a part of the university and college experience. We must change our attitudes and beliefs regarding consent and center our focus on holding those accountable for their actions and supporting survivors.

Seeking Support 

Support is available for those who have experienced sexual violence including support for those who have experienced sexual violence within a post-secondary setting.

Klinic Sexual Assault Crisis Line (24/7) 1-888-292-7565

Survivor’s Hope Crisis Centre – Is a sexual violence resource centre for those of all genders in the Interlake Eastern Region of Manitoba. We provide immediate 24/7 support to survivors through RCMP and Emergency departments and provide ongoing individual counselling and group support.
Phone: 204-753-5353
Website: survivors-hope.ca/

Brandon Women’s Resource Centre – Provides support and resource for women who have been sexually assaulted through the Sexual Assault Advocate Program. This can include accompaniment to police services, accompaniment to medical appointments, assistance with filing police reports, and referrals to Victim’s Compensation.
Telephone: 204-726-8632
Toll-Free: 1-866-255-4432
Website: thewomenscentrebrandon.com

Klinic Sexual Assault Crisis Program – Provides support and advocacy for survivors of all genders at hospital, police and court settings. Individual counselling is available. Located in Winnipeg, MB.
Phone: 204-784-4059
Website: klinic.mb.ca

Ka Ni Kanichihk – Heart Medicine Lodge – Provides culturally-based support and advocacy services for Indigenous women who have experienced sexual assault and sexual violence. Available to all who identify as women and are over the age of 18. Located in Winnipeg.
Phone: 204-953-5820
Website: kanikanichihk.ca/heart-medicine-lodge/

Support at Post-Secondary Institutions 

REES is an online platform for reporting of sexual violence within post-secondary institutions. The following post-secondary universities in Manitoba have partnered with REES to provide survivors the option of anonymously reporting post-secondary related sexual violence to their campus. REES can also connect survivors with information related to local supports and resources.

Assiniboine Community College
https://assiniboine.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

Booth University College
https://boothuc.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

Brandon University
https://brandonu.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink 
https://www.brandonu.ca/sexualviolence/

Canadian Mennonite University
https://cmu.reescampus.ca/
https://www.cmu.ca/students/studentlife/sexualviolence

Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology
https://mitt.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

Providence University College & Theological Seminary
https://prov.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

Red River College Polytechnic
https://rrc.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink
https://rrcsa.ca/contact/

Steinbach Bible College
https://sbcollege.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

The University of Winnipeg
https://uwinnipeg.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink
https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/respect/sexual-violence/index.html

The University of Manitoba
https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/sexual-violence-support-and-education

Université de Saint-Boniface
https://ustboniface.reescampus.ca/fr/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

University College of the North
https://ucn.reescampus.ca/en/Faq#WhatIsAnonymousReportLink

The way we communicate with our friends and family, coworkers and the rest of the world has drastically changed. We often rely on online spaces including apps, social media, email, and video chat services to connect. These spaces bring great benefits, but they also can provide space for hate, harassment, and abuse.

Recent social media posts have made light of sexual violence and subsequent claimed to have been jokes. Sexual assault is a traumatic and severe emotional and physical violation and jokes of rape, sexual assault or other forms of sexual violence cannot be tolerated whether online, in the workplace or in everyday life. Jokes about sexual violence reinforces and normalizes sexual violence and further perpetrates gender-based inequalities. Jokes about sexual violence can also further traumatize and trigger survivors of violence.

We all have a role to play in creating a safe online world. Leaders of online spaces including dating apps and social media platforms must take steps to ensure that they have effective policies and moderators in place to ensure harassment and abuse are not tolerated, and that perpetrators are held accountable, and their abusive content is removed from their platform. Individuals can become active bystanders and call out harassment and abuse. Individuals can report inappropriate content on the social media platform it appears on. We can also reach out to those that have been a target of online harassment and abuse to let them know we are available to chat, provide support or help them seek resources to support them.

How to report harassment and abuse on social media platforms

Guides are available for information on privacy settings and reporting tools on the following platforms Tiktok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Reddit, and Youtube. (click on the platform to open the guide).

How to report Non-Consensual Distribution of an Intimate Image

In Canada it is illegal for a person to distribute an intimate image of another person without that person’s consent.

Cybertip.ca receives and addresses reports of non-consensual distribution of intimate images of individuals under 18 years of age. To report child sexual abuse content including the sharing of images or video without consent see: cybertip.ca/app/en/report.

For more support for teens see: needhelpnow.ca/app/en/

For information regarding the non-consensual distribution of an intimate images of folks over 18 years of age see: cybertip.ca/pdfs/Ctip_SharingSexualPictures_en.pdf