Sexual violence is not tolerated at Western. If you see something, do something.
These are the messages behind a new website and video launched this week at Western meant to highlight actions taken within the campus community, not only to prevent sexual violence, but also to support victims and survivors of sexual violence.
All members of the Western family – students, faculty and staff, male and female alike – are being targeted with these messages, said Angie Mandich, Western’s acting associate vice-provost (student experience).
“We really want to bring awareness, and all of campus has to be involved in this preventative approach,” she continued.
The new website provides resources to help members of the Western community recognize and report incidents of sexual violence. Tabs listing resources and ways to seek help for oneself and others are at the top of the site. The incident doesn’t have to take place on campus, Mandich said, and those who report don’t have to be victims.
We are all in this together, she added.
A video stressing this message, inspired by the White House’s ‘1 is 2 Many’ campaign, is also featured on the website. Produced by Western’s Division of Housing & Ancillary Services, the video features male leaders from across campus speaking out against sexual violence.
According to Statistics Canada, women are nearly five times more likely than men to experience sexual violence, and 97 per cent of those accused in reports of sexual violence are men. What’s more, 93 per cent of reported sexual assault adult victims are female.
Along with the new website, a policy on sexual violence on campus has been established to identify ways to recognize, prevent and respond to an incident by way of providing resources, education and community support. And here, Western is a leader, Mandich said.
In the wake of a series of high-profile cases, which have dominated headlines on both sides of the border, the public’s attention has been focused on sexual violence in recent months. For postsecondary institutions, a Toronto Star investigation last fall into sexual assault policies on Canadian campuses drew particular attention to the ways universities are confronting the issue and assisting victims.
At Western, the subject of sexual assault has received intense attention for the last year. In September, Western adopted its first standalone Policy on Sexual Violence. Prior to that, sexual violence was – and still is to some extent – addressed by both the Code of Student Conduct and Non-Discrimination/Harassment Policy.
“We’ve had a very proactive approach for a long time and ours is one of few sexual violence policies in the country,” she noted. “We want to show Western is a safe campus, a safe environment for students to come, learn and grow.”
The new policy clearly defines sexual violence as “any violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality. This includes sexual abuse, sexual assault or rape.” Encompassed within this definition are sexual harassment, stalking, indecent or sexualized exposure, degrading sexual imagery, voyeurism, cyber harassment, trafficking and sexual exploitation.
“Sexual violence is really a key issue occurring on campuses across the country, and we want to give it that priority,” Mandich said of the decision to isolate the policy, instead of housing it within a broader one on conduct. A standalone policy and website stresses how seriously Western is taking this issue.
“We want to ensure our students and community are safe. It comes at the forefront, and we are very committed to this across all of campus,” she explained.
Any and all acts of sexual violence will not be tolerated on Western’s campus and individuals who have committed an act of sexual violence will be held accountable, the policy states. It does not matter where the incident has occurred; victims and survivors of sexual violence on campus have support available within the campus community.
Western is committed to ongoing education and awareness initiatives about sexual violence, Mandich added, including issues of consent, drug and alcohol use, sexual and cyber-harassment, among others. The university will support these initiatives through a dedicated Education and Awareness web page and existing committees such as the Safe Campus Advisory Partners and the Women’s Safety Committee.
“Sexual violence won’t be tolerated. Period. We have lots of foundational policies, procedures and education and will be training faculty, staff and students on initiatives. We’re a campus community and we are in this together.”