Gendered and Sexual Violence 2020-2021 Annual Report

From:    Manager, Sexual Violence Response, Office of Dispute Resolution and Sexual Violence Support
Date:     May 5, 2021
Re:         Report for the time period of May 1, 2020- April 30, 2021

 

Rationale for Report

 The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) Act requires the sexual violence portfolio to provide its Board of Governors and the MCTU with an annual report on several measures related to the experiences of, and support for, students who have experienced sexual violence.  

 Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) also engages the Gendered and Sexual Violence Task Force (GSVTF), and its working groups, to review and provide feedback before being submitted to the Board of Governors. The GSVTF is the institutionally recognized leadership team for strategic planning and decision making associated with root causes of and sustaining efforts to address gendered and sexual violence.

Legislative Requirements

 The MTCU Act requires the following information:

• The number of times supports, services, and accommodations relating to sexual violence are requested and obtained by students enrolled at the college or university, and information about said supports, services, and accommodations.
• Any initiatives and programs established to promote awareness of the support and services available to students.
• The number of incidents and complaints of sexual violence reported by students, along with information about such incidents and complaints.
• The implementation and effectiveness of the policy.

Supports and Services

 In the 2020 -2021 academic year, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff supported 112 students and received 73 new disclosures from students impacted by gendered and sexual violence.

As a part of the supports and services available for those impacted by gendered and sexual violence:

• 112 students accessed crisis and brief counseling,
• 19 students accessed safety planning support,
• 51 referrals to counseling and medical services were provided,
• 18 instances of financial support were provided,
• 102 academic and campus accommodations were arranged.

The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff also provided trauma-informed care resources, information about the on- and off-campus reporting and complaint options available, systems navigation and resources within the university and the broader community, and advocacy within the university and legal systems.

WLU contracted services and had dedicated counsellors from the respective Sexual Assault Centres (SAC) in both Waterloo and Brantford available on site and virtually this past year. As a result, we have had trauma-informed, expertly trained counselors who have provided counselling and other supports to 110 survivors during the 2020 – 2021 academic year. With the Covid-19 pandemic restricting on-campus activities, all support has been administered online. Due to high demand, there was frequently a wait list for the SAC counselors on and off-campus. Laurier remains committed to addressing the needs of our students in a timely and trauma informed manner.  We will be engaging in a collaborative review with our community partners in the Spring of 2021 to ensure maximum supports and access for students impacted by gendered and sexual violence continue to be responsive and nimble during these unprecedented times. As part of their responsibilities, Laurier’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff meet with impacted students continuously until they are connected to SAC counsellors or other long-term supports. Crisis and risk assessments are carried out on an ongoing basis. For complex cases when specialized therapeutic treatments are needed, the institution works to provide limited-term funding for students to connect with trusted community practitioners.

Through the Campus Safety Grant funds, the Office of Dispute Resolution and Sexual Violence Support (ODRSVS) partnered with the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region to initiate a series of pilot psychoeducational/psychotherapeutic groups for survivors of gendered and sexual violence. These groups included Still I Rise: A Healing Group for Black Woman, Healing from Sexual Violence, Intimacy after Trauma, and Trauma and the Body: Healing from Disordered Eating After Trauma. All of the groups were created in response to needs identified by students accessing supports. The pilot supported 44 survivors and received positive feedback from participants.

Quotes from the Healing Sexual Violence group evaluation forms:

‘I felt safe. I think it specifically helped that it was virtual, because I didn’t have to be seen or heard (except for using the chat) if I didn’t want to.’

‘I learned some great coping strategies and the science behind why my body reacts the way it does.’

‘My feelings are valid.’

‘This is a group that can speak to the masses with the proper tools, courage, and participation.’

‘I think this group is great for any one who is on a healing journey, there is value to be found for all.’

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff saw a decrease in referrals, and therefore a decrease in new disclosures. We recognize that there are multiple reasons for this, including: a likely decrease in drug/alcohol facilitated sexual assaults, fewer students residing on/ near campus, and students living with family members who do not know about their experiences of harm. However, the Sexual Violence Response Staff witnessed an increase in harm against LGBTQ2 community members, and family and intimate partner violence. The ODRSVS responded to these emerging issues in a multitude of ways.

For survivors living in an environment that made it unsafe to participate in one-on-one counselling for fear of being overheard, we created new opportunities for them to access tools. These included the launching of the Connected Healing Series (monthly individual therapeutic skill-building workshops for survivors facilitated by different practitioners), piloting of psychoeducational/ therapeutic groups, and renewed access to online resources focused on self-care and emotional first aid.

For students experiencing family and intimate partner violence, our office increased the visibility of supports available, online self-care and safety planning resources, and online workshops for those impacted. Lastly, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff mailed 54 self-care kits to survivors in discrete packaging, such that they could be received safely regardless of living arrangement.

Complaints

During the 2020-21 academic year, there was one complaint that was resolved informally.

The Restorative Justice Community of Practice (COP), initiated in Winter of 2020, has continued toward its collective goal of embedding restorative principles, transformative justice, and community accountability practices (internally referred to as “non punitive accountability”) in response to experiences of harm across the web of relationships and processes that constitute Wilfrid Laurier University. 12.4 The Prevention of Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures is one area being considered for further non-punitive accountability opportunities. Non Punitive Accountability practices offer a unique, anti oppressive, trauma informed framework that centres the needs of those harmed, holds those who have caused harm accountable, and recognizes the broader community as both impacted by, and critical in responding to, the ripple effect of harm and violence. The vision of the community of practice includes the goals of collaboration, communication and transparency, education and training, information sharing, and a unified philosophical approach to problems in our community. The COP includes the ODRSVS, Residence Life, Student Affairs, Athletics, Centre for Student Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Indigenous Services, AVP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Office, Student Wellness Centre, and Faculty.

 Education and Awareness

The Sexual Violence Education Action Group (SVEAG) heavily adapted the education and programming plan considering the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Coordinated by the ODRSVS, the group consists of Wellness Educators, Sexual Assault Centre partners, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, the Student Wellness Centre, and Advocates for a Student Culture of Consent.

This year’s collaborative programming was 6 weeks in length and included: We Believe Survivors Week, 16 days of Activism to End Gendered Based Violence, Consent on Campus Week, and a Masculinity and Mental Health Week in both fall and winter terms.

The Covid-19 pandemic created barriers for students’ attendance as well as opportunities for success in the execution of innovative programming. For example, a massive decrease in Orientation Week attendance created a significant decline in the number of first year students accessing SVEAG related programming at the beginning of the year. But due to the unique nature of this year, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response staff were also able to partner with multiple other universities (Ryerson University, Carleton University, University of Guelph, University of Waterloo, and Trent University) to expand the type of programming offered. Notably among this programming was: Chanel Miller, survivor and writer of the memoir Know My Name, Consent is Not Cancelled: Six Essential Discussions for the Movement to Address and Prevent Sexual Violence, the How I Dress Is Never a Yes: Online Survivor Gallery, and the Curiosity Lab: An Interactive and Collaborative Learning Series.

A critical addition to the programming created by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response staff was the Sexual Violence Response Certificate (SVRC). This certificate, formed in partnership with the Diversity Certificate (DC) out of the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, created an opportunity for students to attend any of the seven workshops provided. By attending a minimum four workshops of the seven, students received a certificate on their Student Experiential Record. The project included workshops such as Making Sense of Trauma and Its Impacts, Unpacking Sexual Violence Through an Anti-Racist Framework, Building Collective Care in Response to Secondary Trauma, and Fatphobia and Sexual Violence.  The project had a total of approximately 275 students and staff registered.

In 2020-2021, approximately 73 workshops, class talks, trainings and events were hosted at WLU. Some of these initiatives included:

• Curiosity Labs: Apologies
• Dating During Covid Workshop
• Non Toxic Masculinity Presentation
• Trauma Informed Yoga Workshop
• Consent is Not Cancelled - Sexting and Secrets Workshop
• De-carcerating Our Responses to Gender Based Violence Panel
• Responding to Stalking and Online Harassment Training
• Is It Too Late For All That Lovey-Dovey Shit? Creating Real Life Spaces For Black Men To Love with Richie Reseda Workshop
• Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence
• Take Heart: Intimacy After Trauma Workshop
• Made at Laurier Bystander Training
• Inspiring the Next Generation: African Women in Academia Panel
• When Your Friend Has Caused Harm Workshop

The SVEAG, and/or its individual members, provided sexual violence education opportunities to over 4,750 students, staff and faculty.

In  2020-2021 the Sexual Violence Response staff continued to grow its communication and online strategy including further updates on the Gendered and Sexual Violence website, maintaining and growing a bi-weekly self-care newsletter for survivors and their allies, ensuring a daily presence on all social media sites, running Instagram Live learning sessions, producing the Masculinity and Mental Health Voices from the Laurier Community video, and creating new resources such as the Radical Self Love Calendar and the All Bodies are Good Bodies Colouring Book For Trans and Non-Binary Folks.

Gendered and Sexual Violence Policy

In the 2020/2021 year, The Gendered and Sexual Violence Taskforce (GSVTF) has supported the creation of the Sexual Violence Policy Community Consultation Process that will be implemented in future policy reviews.  This plan aims to ensure sufficient opportunities for those impacted by gender-based violence, and their supports, to provide feedback to the policy.  The community consultation process utilizes a multi-dimensional approach to strive for accessibility and to hear from marginalized voices in the Laurier community.  Additionally, the ODRSVS has overseen the creation of a WLU Gendered and Sexual Violence Policy Survivor Guide. This document works to provide a transparent, accessible, and trauma-informed context and language to work alongside the GSV Policy. This document, along with information provided by the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Staff, will give survivors further material for informed decision-making when it comes to engaging processes within the procedure. 

Part of the GSVTF’s responsibility is to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the Sexual Violence Policy. As such, two committees were (re)established to help further this goal.

This year, the Sexual Violence Response Working Group (formerly the Sexual Violence Supports and Services Committee) was re-established and began meeting monthly. The mission of the Gendered and Sexual Violence Response Working Group is to support Laurier's efforts to address and eliminate gendered and sexual based violence on campus and beyond by ensuring that Laurier's internal supports and services are responsive, timely, survivor focused, evaluated, and relevant to our dynamic and ever-changing environment.

The Student Advisory Committee (SAC) was formed in the Fall term of 2020 and meets biweekly. Two- three representatives of SAC sit at the Task Force. The Student Advisory Committee is a passionate body of student leaders dedicated to combatting gendered and sexual violence in the Laurier campus community. They provide recommendations and feedback to the GSVTF to ensure a student perspective in institutional decision-making. As well, SAC oversees the Building a Consent Culture Student Fund. They recognize the intersectional nature of gendered and sexual violence and are committed to creating safer and more accountable spaces for all students on campus.

Conclusion

The 2020-2021 academic year presented some great opportunities and challenges. We were able to quickly adjust to the urgent needs of our community by increasing our education and awareness efforts while addressing the strain placed on our community partners in the provision of on-line counselling services. We leveraged our partnerships with other academic institutions to create well attended and well received workshops and events. These collaborations resulted in accessing participants from across the province and the country. We sent care packages through mail and increased our social media presence as a critical communication tool. We hold tremendous appreciation for the collaborations and partnerships that were heavily relied upon to navigate our challenges this year.