Research in Brief
Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Address and Prevent Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada

This brief is based on the report entitled: Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Address and Prevent Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada written by Farrah Khan, CJ Rowe, and Robyn Bidgood ^{Footnote 1}, prepared for Women and Gender Equality Canada

Background

There has been an unprecedented conversation about gender-based violence (GBV) at post-secondary institutions (PSIs) over the past few years. Survivors, administrators, student advocates, parents, faculty, and GBV organizations are pushing for transformative change. While largely underreported, GBV is prevalent at PSIs across Canada:

• 11% of women students were sexually assaulted in a post-secondary setting in 2019, compared with 4% of men students^{Footnote 2} .
• 71% of students at Canadian post-secondary schools witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a post-secondary setting, in 2019^{Footnote 3}.
• Eighteen percent of bisexual women experienced sexual assault and unwanted sexualized behaviours and 53% of women students living with a disability experienced unwanted sexualized behaviour in a post-secondary context in 2019^{Footnote 4}.
• Sexual assault incidences are higher among young women aged 15 to 24 (103 per 1,000) than any other age group ^{Footnote 5}.
• In Budget 2018, the Government of Canada committed $5.5 million over 5 years, starting in 2018-2019, for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) to develop a Framework to prevent and address GBV at PSIs, while recognizing provincial and territorial jurisdiction over education.

In 2019, WAGE provided Possibility Seeds funding to engage key stakeholders and develop recommendations, which led to the report entitled: Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Address and Prevent Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions in Canada, released in August 2019.

Courage to Act brought together faculty, staff, administrators, students, frontline workers, union leaders and other members of the post-secondary community from across Canada to identify promising practices, key policy areas, and prevention plans, strategies, and tools that can be implemented to address, prevent and respond to GBV at PSIs.

Method

The Courage to Act report was informed by advice from the Advisory Committee on the Framework to Prevent and Address GBV at PSIs and over 300 diverse stakeholders from 33 Listening and Learning engagement sessions – held by Possibility Seeds – with key campus and community stakeholders from across the country. This included people affected by GBV, complainants in PSI GBV cases, government officials, respondents in PSI cases, students, PSI unions, administration, faculty, staff, and GBV community organizations. Engagement included northern, rural, and remote campuses; racialized students; men and boys; communities and people living with disabilities. Information was gathered through individual and group conversations and through an online submission form that solicited additional input from stakeholders to inform the report.

Key Findings

The report is comprised of three chapters that present key concepts, challenges, and promising practices that PSIs, provinces and territories can explore in developing policies, protocols, and practices to address and prevent GBV.

Chapter 1: Responding to disclosures of GBV and support for people affected by GBV

The first chapter highlights the responses to disclosures of GBV and the supports for people affected by GBV must be grounded in a trauma-informed, intersectional, and equity-based approach. Key themes explored in the chapter are:

• developing capacity in PSIs to become trauma-responsive campuses
• developing clear and well-supported access to workplace accommodations and academic considerations for those affected by GBV
• collaborating with internal and external partners to ensure holistic approaches to supporting those affected by GBV are employed

Some of the recommendations include:

• implementing existing Indigenous-led solutions aimed to end GBV against Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people
• supporting the leadership of student survivors, researchers and activists
• working with broader movements to end GBV

Chapter 2: GBV prevention education

The second chapter speaks about violence prevention education and emphasizes that:

• programs, tools, pedagogical approaches and techniques need to be adaptable to address the ever-evolving landscapes of PSIs, and their development should consider the lived experiences of campus community members
• prevention education should be ongoing
• students, faculty, and staff should be exposed to consistent prevention messages and education at multiple points in time over their tenure at PSIs

Some of the recommendations include:

• GBV experts should be hired to lead prevention and response efforts on campus and be frequently included in high-level conversations or decisions which directly impact their work
• support for respondents (students or employees) should be integrated within GBV policies
• all members of the PSI community should have access to supports and services when they are impacted by GBV
• utilize a trauma-informed approach to support services, education, and reporting

Chapter 3: Reporting, investigations and adjudication

The third chapter explores the areas of reporting, investigations, and adjudication (RIA) for cases involving GBV at PSIs. This chapter attempts to address the issues surrounding the increasingly complex topics of student conduct and labour relations, while acknowledging that there are intersecting legal frameworks which must be considered at the provincial, territorial, and federal levels.

There are many nuanced and contradictory ideas on how RIA processes should unfold for students, faculty and staff affected by GBV. More research is needed to fully grasp the scope of complexities inherent in RIA processes within the unique provincial, territorial, and national landscapes.

• Some of the recommendations include the lack of confidence in the system based on previous negative experiences and “institutional betrayal” as a barrier to accessing reporting options
• time limits on reporting an incident of GBV is a common area of concern for survivors: on average, 40% of people affected by GBV at PSIs delay reporting, with an average delay of 11 months ^{Footnote 6}. Whatever the reason, it’s important to acknowledge that when a survivor chooses to report, timelines should not serve as a barrier, preventing access to RIA processes
• it should be made clear in GBV policies that interim measures are not a sanction due to a determination of guilt
• Clear and accessible RIA policies and procedures based on a trauma-informed approach and respect for procedural fairness is integral for PSIs to ensure a safe learning environment free from GBV
• assessment and evaluation do not currently appear to be an integrated component in policy or in the protocols supporting policy, and GBV intervention and prevention programming must be ongoing and adaptable to address the ever-evolving landscapes of life at PSIs
• establish centralized data collection, reporting, and public disclosure of statistics
• create a policy development and review process

Policy and Program Implications

The Courage to Act report is an opportunity to increase awareness about GBV at PSIs and to create or enhance protocols, procedures, and policies for PSIs across Canada.

Acting on GBV at PSIs cannot be done in isolation as GBV does not start nor stop on campuses. It occurs throughout the country, and efforts must be ongoing. Additionally, many students enter the PSIs with experience(s) of GBV, including sexual violence. The quantitative data underscore the need for conversations about sexual violence, relationships, boundaries, and consent, even before students arrive on campus.

Collaboration with community partners, governments, and grassroots movements is key to have a safe environment for all free of GBV.

For Additional Information

Courage to Act website offers a range of strategies and tools to help raise awareness, such as:

• Communities of Practice: Opportunities to share skills and build knowledge across Canada with GBV experts and advocates at PSIs
• National Skillshare Series: Virtual workshops and webinars led by subject matter experts, open to individuals and institutions to address and prevent GBV at PSIs
• Tools and Toolkits: Free, practical toolkits and resources to support GBV intervention and prevention efforts at PSIs

Innovation Hub: Cutting-edge articles and thought pieces from Courage to Act’s national network of experts and advocates working to address cam