Link the Training to Your Institution’s Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy

The Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act (2016) requires all B.C. public post-secondary institutions to have a sexual violence and misconduct policy. Institutions are required to review their policies at least every three years and to include consultation with students as part of the review.

As you prepare your training materials, you will want to make sure that you have the most up-to-date version of your institution’s policy. Every institution has different definitions of sexual violence and misconduct and you will want to revise the training materials to reflect this and include links to the policy in all resources.

If your institution does not have a plain language summary of the policy, you may want to collaborate with on-campus organizations to develop one. Within a campus community, English literacy levels will vary enormously. As well, an accessible policy helps to support victims and survivors of sexual violence in having control and autonomy over their options related to making a disclosure, making a report, and accessing supports, accommodations, and other resources.

Link the Training to Your Institution’s Procedures and Protocols

As you prepare your training, you may want to learn more about your institution’s protocols and procedures related to sexual violence. These protocols and procedures will describe the roles and responsibilities of various departments, services, staff and faculty following a disclosure of sexual violence. It can be helpful to include some specific information about what happens following a disclosure in your training and/or to be able to respond to questions that learners might have.

You also may be designing and delivering your training for students, staff, faculty, and administrators who may be involved in responding to disclosures. You may want to ask about what kind of training they are interested in, e.g., online or in-person, length, “Level 1” or “Level 2.” You will also want to ensure that your training reaches individuals from different areas of the campus community.

Link the Training to On-Campus and Community Resources and Supports

Collaborating with groups and organizations on your campus and in the community can increase the accessibility and effectiveness of your training. Collaboration can lead to the development of new resources, opportunities for including the latest research and best practices on sexual violence prevention and response, and opportunities for co-hosting training and involving guest speakers (such as community support workers or Elders) and a greater diversity of facilitators. Some of the groups you might consider include:

• Faculty, staff, and students from all departments and areas of campus
• Campus-based sexual assault support centres
• Community-based sexual assault response programs and anti-violence programs and services
• Campus-based health and counselling services
• Campus security
• Victim services programs and law enforcement
• Hospital- and community-based health services
• Institutional representatives from senior administration
• Indigenous people and communities (see Indigenous Considerations in the next section)
• Community-based organizations such as multicultural organizations that serve diverse populations and provide support related to sexual violence

Building relationships with a variety of student groups can be one of the most important ways of enhancing your training. This can include international students, students with disabilities, LGBTQ2SIA+ students, Indigenous students, graduate students, fraternities and sororities, and students involved in sex work. They will be able to provide perspectives on the issues that are important or relevant to them and provide guidance on issues such as inclusive language, when and where to hold trainings to increase participation, and barriers to accessing supports and services.

You will want to update any existing lists of resources and supports related to sexual violence. It is good practice to include both on-campus and community-based organizations, 24/7 supports as well as supports specific to various communities (e.g., LGBTQ2SIA+ people, multicultural groups). For information about community based anti-violence organizations, VictimLink B.C. (1-800-563-0808) is a good starting place as they will be able to connect you with organizations in your community.

Developing and delivering training on sexual violence can be an opportunity to build upon existing work at your institution toward Indigenization, decolonization, and reconciliation.

Territory Acknowledgement

Acknowledging the traditional lands of the Indigenous people on which you live, work, and study is an important way to begin an event or meeting and can be included as part of classroom activities and taught to students. Meaningful territory acknowledgements allow you to develop a closer and deeper relationship with not only the land but the traditional stewards and peoples whose territory you reside, work, live, and prosper in.

Acknowledging the territory within the context of sexual violence training will open a person’s perspective to traditional ways of knowing and being, stepping out of an organizational structure and allowing you to delve into the person’s own perceptions, needs and abilities.

When we speak about sexual violence, we cannot do so without highlighting the direct connection to tactics used to colonize and assimilate the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America). Sexual violence is intimately intertwined in Indigenous peoples ongoing traumas from colonization; from first contact in North America, to the horrific abuses perpetrated upon children in Residential Schools, the occupation of land and accessing of natural resources without consent, to the forced sterilization of Indigenous women, to the thousands of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people as victims of sexual or physical violence and death as highlighted by the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Commission of Canada.

Territory acknowledgements are designed as the very first step to reconciliation. What we do with the knowledge of whose traditional lands we are on is the next important step.

Some questions to consider as you acknowledge your territory:

• What do we do as good guests here?
•  And what can you do in your personal and professional roles to contribute to reconciliation?
• How do we honour the resistance and resilience of Indigenous peoples in this work?

Should your institution have an approved territory acknowledgement please use that to open the session(s); however, we invite you to consider how to make that institution statement more personal and specific to you, in that moment and in the work you are about to delve into with learners.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action explicitly state that each of us as members of Canadian society have a direct responsibility to contribute to reconciliation; how we discuss colonization in relation to sexual violence is a direct response to that responsibility.

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is an international instrument adopted by the United Nations on September 13, 2007, to enshrine (according to Article 43) the rights that “constitute the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the indigenous peoples of the world.” UNDRIP was adopted into the B.C. provincial legislature on November 26, 2019. Centering the history of colonization as a background and framework to sexual violence and misconduct both from a historical as well as current ongoing struggle is in direct response to our legal and moral obligation as members of Canadian society.

Curriculum Development and Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being

Indigenization is a process of naturalizing and valuing Indigenous knowledge systems (Antoine, et al., 2018; Little Bear, 2009). In the context of post-secondary institutions, this involves bringing Indigenous knowledge and approaches together with Western knowledge systems. This benefits not only Indigenous learners but all students, staff, faculty and campus community members involved or impacted by Indigenization.

As you adapt this training for your particular context, consider how and in what ways you might interweave Indigenous content and approaches. Examples of how you might include an understanding of Indigenous ways of knowing and being:

• Incorporate Indigenous pedagogical approaches such as holistic and relational perspectives, experiential learning, place-based learning, and intergenerational learning
• Involve Indigenous students, faculty and staff with reviewing, adapting, and evaluating resources
• Integrate knowledge from Indigenous communities local to your institution.

As you do this work, as an Indigenous or non-Indigenous person, you will want to continue to draw upon and build on existing relationships with Indigenous people, both within and outside of your institution. As a way of continuing to work in intentional and respectful ways, you may want to reflect on questions such as:

• How does this work benefit Indigenous communities and help them to meet their goals?
•  Will there be benefits for Indigenous students, faculty, and staff?
• Have the community or communities identified their own priorities or goals related to this work?
• How can this work support Indigenous efforts related to healing from past and ongoing colonial and sexual violence?

In 2018, there were nearly 500,000 international students in Canada at all levels of study which was an 17% increase from 2017 (Canadian Bureau for International Education, 2018). B.C. hosts the second largest international student population next to Ontario, followed by Quebec.

International students may be at significant increased risk of being targeted for sexual violence and may face unique barriers to reporting and accessing supports (see Section 2: International Students for more information about barriers). According to the B.C. International Student Survey, international students rely primarily on other international students from their home country and from other countries for their primary sources of support, especially for non-academic issues (Adamosky, 2015). Consequently, international students who are survivors of sexual assault will be more likely to disclose the sexual assault and gain support from other the international students. International students who experience or who are impacted by sexual violence are also significantly less likely to seek help from counselling services due to language barriers and cultural differences (Mori, 2000). To make matters more complex, cultural perspectives of violence and rape myths differ from one culture to another (Bonistall Postel, 2017). Thus, international students might have difficulty identifying sexual violence and responding to disclosures of sexual assault. Therefore, it is important for post-secondary institutions to play a role in equipping international students with basic understanding on how to best respond, support, and advocate for their peers in an appropriate and sensitive matter that does not further traumatize the survivor.

Post-secondary institutions should involve international students in the development and implementation of training on sexual violence. They are the experts and can identify the gaps and needs of their peer groups and as individuals. Facilitators can develop the training agenda based on their needs and be prepared with the relevant safety resources that include community organizations and groups, translated materials and supports.  Post-secondary institutions can build partnerships with organizations that are providing support to international students who can share the collateral they have, e.g., safety booklets, infographics and educational materials (see, for example, the International Student Safety Guide developed by MOSAIC).

The term social location is often used by facilitators working in the anti-violence sector (Baker et al, 2015; Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses, 2018; Simpson, 2009). The concept of social location comes from the field of sociology and describes the groups that people belong to because of their place or position in society. An individual’s social location is defined by a combination of factors such as gender, race, social class, age, ability, religion, sexual orientation, and geographic location. This makes social location unique to each individual – no two individuals will have the exact same social location.

Social location is important because it strongly influences our identity, or our sense of self, and how we see the world. When it comes to the topic of sexual violence, we all have different experiences, values, beliefs, attitudes, strengths, and vulnerabilities. It can be helpful to try to understand your social location in order to be able to facilitate across all these differences. Here are some questions to help with that process:

• What is your social location relative to your audience?
• Based on your social location, in what ways are you able to and unable to relate to the experiences in your audience?
•  In what ways, or through what aspects of your social location, do you experience privilege? (You can think of privilege as an advantage that you have because you belong to a certain group, e.g., being male or middle-class). In what ways could this impact your role as a facilitator?
•  In what ways, or through what aspects of your social location, do you experience oppression? (A simple way of understanding oppression is to see it as a lack of privilege or disadvantages from belonging to a certain group. Keep in mind that multiple factors affect our social location so we can experience both privilege and oppression simultaneously). In what ways could this impact your role as a facilitator?
• How do you think your social location affects your approach to education and the way your work with people?
• How do you think your social location affects your approach to the topic of sexual violence?

To facilitate across difference means to be grounded in an awareness of your own social location. As a facilitator, you will want to recognize the diversity of social locations of your audience and to value the knowledge and experience learners bring with them. At a practical level, this understanding can help you raise issues related to sexual violence in a way that will create a safer space for all learners. An awareness of your own social location allows you to engage in conversations about how social location influences experiences of sexual violence and provides a foundation for unpacking assumptions, championing new ideas, and promoting values central to creating safer campuses.

Individuals with a background in anti-violence work, human service work (i.e., social work, child and youth care), health services (i.e., nursing), or those that have experience and knowledge in issues related to social justice, criminology, and mental health are well suited to facilitating training on sexual violence. If resources are available, you will ideally want to have facilitators from a range of social locations deliver training related to sexual violence prevention and response. Having facilitators of diverse backgrounds is important in creating safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning environments for diverse learners.

For example, when delivering to student groups, a peer-to-peer facilitation model can help to increase credibility of the training as well as have other benefits such as empowerment of facilitators (Hines & Palm Reed, 2015; McMahon et al., 2013; McMahon et al., 2014; Turner & Shepard, 1999). Transgender, non-binary, Two-Spirit and other queer people benefit from learning about sex and sexual violence from facilitators who share their personal lived experiences and have developed an analysis of the negative impacts of systemic queerphobia on LGBTQ2SIA+ people.

With mixed audiences, whenever possible, co-facilitation teams should include people of differing social locations and experiences. For example, a transgender or non-binary facilitator could be paired with a cisgender/heterosexual facilitator. This is beneficial for two reasons: transgender, queer, and non-binary audiences may connect more and feel safer with a facilitator of similar lived experience and the other facilitator can carry the burden of diffusing problematic situations that may arise from (sometimes well-intentioned) queerphobic comments. In short, a pairing of non-queer and queer facilitators may create safe spaces for queer learners and facilitators (Rensburg & Smith, 2020). In general, a diversity of facilitators demonstrates that sexual violence is an issue relevant to people of all genders and social locations (Moynihan et al., 2012; Roy et al., 2013).

Accessibility

Accessibility typically refers to all the ways in which the training environment, delivery and participation options, and materials are designed to allow for people from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and learning preferences to participate fully. Your institution will likely have policies, resources and supports related to accessibility that you can build on as you prepare to deliver training on sexual violence. Below is a list of strategies you may want to consider in order to make your training more accessible and inclusive.

Environment

• Are teaching and learning spaces physically accessible by those who use a wheelchair or other mobility aids? Are there chairs available that accommodate various body sizes?
• Are washrooms both physically accessible and designated as gender-neutral?
• If facilitating online, is the learning platform accessible to people using assistive technologies and a variety of devices?

Delivery and participation options

• During registration or sign-up, have you communicated what accessibility supports are available and asked whether learners have any accessibility requirements, e.g., “Is there something we can do to support your access and participation in this training?”
• Are a variety of learning methods being used? E.g., in an online workshop, methods such as asking questions, using breakout rooms, using the chatbox, reflective activities, polling or whiteboard features.
• If facilitating online, is captioning provided? Many web conferencing platforms have automatic captioning that can be turned on.
• When possible, is there support for child care or honoraria?

Materials

• If available, are learning materials provided in multiple formats and languages?
• Are you using plain language in your learning materials and delivery? (E.g., using a familiar term over the latest technological term, using several clear words or a familiar word instead of one complicated term such as “communication” instead of “discourse”)
• Do learning materials (e.g., images, statistics) include representation from learners of all backgrounds?
• Are learning materials available in digital formats that are accessible to people using assistive technologies? Do images have text descriptions? Often, these materials can be run through an accessibility checker (many word processing programs have these built in).

Creating Space

For sexual violence training to be successful, learners need to feel comfortable, safe, and respected. As you prepare to facilitate, you will want to consider factors such as when and where to hold the training, key messages on promotional materials, the use of group guidelines, ensuring diverse representation, using icebreakers, whether activities require self-disclosure, and ways of working with co-facilitators or guests. In this section, we discuss several strategies for helping to create a positive learning space.

Opening with intention

Facilitators have an enormous role to play in setting the “tone” for a session. As people enter the space (online or in-person), you can welcome them and help them get oriented. You can let them know if you’ve started or whether you’re waiting for a few more people and share “housekeeping information” such as where the bathrooms are, where they can put their things, or how to use online interactive features. If the training will include interactive or discussion-based activities, you may want to consider using an icebreaker activity to help people get to know each other ahead of time. As you begin your session, you can use opening questions that help create inclusivity such as correct pronouns, check-in questions, or information about accessibility needs and requests.

Community or group guidelines

Community or group guidelines are an activity that brings groups together to decide how they will interact and support each other. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to 30 minutes. If you are facilitating a short training (e.g., a one-hour lunch time session) or a training in which learners may not be interacting extensively with each other, creating community guidelines may not make sense. Instead, you might ask learners to agree to a list of guidelines or a code of conduct when they register or sign-up for the training. Or, you might share a list of guidelines at the beginning of the training and ask learners if they feel comfortable with them and/or if they have something they would like to add or change.

For longer sessions (e.g., a three-hour workshop) or for training that involves multiple sessions over a period of time, community guidelines can be an important tool for supporting safer discussion about difficult topics. You can remind learners of the guidelines if the discussion is getting difficult or at the beginning of each session. Important group agreements relate to listening to and showing respect for others (e.g., not talking when others are speaking, not making rude comments, or not talking on the phone), confidentiality, and participation.

Content warnings

Content warnings (also called trigger warnings) are a statement made prior to sharing potentially difficult or challenging material. The intent of content warnings is to provide learners with the opportunity to prepare themselves emotionally for engaging with the topic or to make a choice to not participate.

Different departments and institutions will have different approaches to content warnings and this may guide your decision about including content warnings on registration or sign-up forms, in learning materials, and in the learning environment. Below is an example of a content warning:

“We will be discussing topics related to sexual violence in this training. During the training, you can choose not to participate in certain activities or discussion and can leave the room at any time. If you feel upset or overwhelmed, please know that there are resources to support you.”

There are a number of other facilitation strategies you may want to consider in addition to or instead of a content warning:

• When discussing difficult content, check in with learners from time to time. Ask them how they are doing, whether they need a break, etc. Let them know that you are aware that the content is difficult.
• Ask people to be mindful of their fellow learners during the discussion and remind them that survivors of sexual violence are present in the room (regardless of whether this information has been shared with others).
• If you are meeting regularly with a group of learners over time, you can give them advance notice (e.g., two weeks) about potentially difficult content.
• You can “scaffold” your learning process/materials so that you do not start with the most difficult content at the beginning of your training or you can make connections to other resources and training on sexual violence. In some learning contexts, you may be able to let students move through content at their own pace.
• Consider how graphic or “strong” your language is. Sometimes, we may use strong language to make a point or emphasize the seriousness of an issue. Ask yourself whether this is necessary and what alternatives might be equally effective at communicating your message while reducing the probability of activating someone’s trauma.

Gender & LGBTQ2SIA+ Inclusive Language

Inclusive language is important and helps avoid making assumptions about others. As a facilitator, you will want to use language that is inclusive of all people regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, sex assigned at birth, and marital or romantic status.

Because your audience is likely to be diverse, it’s important to be respectful of the many ways they experience gender, attraction, and relationships. Choose examples, scenarios, statistics, and images that are non-gendered or inclusive of LGBTQ2SIA+ people and relationships. Sexual violence is not exclusive; it can happen to and be perpetuated by people of diverse genders, sexes, and attractions.

If you are speaking in general terms, take care to choose terms like “intimate partner or partners” instead of “husband,” “wife,” “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.” If you are referring to a specific person’s intimate partner, use the same language they use. If a person refers to their intimate partner as their “spouse” or “wife,” you should use the word they do instead of referring to their “partner.”

Likewise, addressing learners using inclusive language will ensure a sense of safety for learners. For example, “Good afternoon, everyone,” “Hello, folks,” and “Have a good break, human beings” are inclusive of transgender, non-binary, Two Spirit, and gender diverse people while “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen” is exclusive.  Similarly, avoid everyday gendered language (e.g. man hours, spokesman, and waitress should be replaced with work hours, spokesperson/speaker, and server) or historically oppressive turns of phrases such as “rule of thumb.” Try using language such as “someone of another gender” and “people of all genders” rather than “the opposite sex” or “both genders.”

Be careful to address or refer to people with similar titles in similar ways, regardless of their gender identity. If you refer to a cisgender male professor as “Dr. Last Name,” as a default, refer to all professors as “Dr. Last Name.”

Don’t assume pronouns, sexual orientation (attraction) or gender identity based on someone’s name or appearance. Invite all learners, guests, and co-facilitators to indicate their pronouns and their preferred name on their nametag or in their online display names, if they feel safe doing so. Explain that sharing our pronouns is a way to act in solidarity with some people who are gender diverse, transgender, non-binary, and Two Spirit people, but that, ultimately, it is a way to be inclusive of all people.

Examples of gender inclusive language:

Trauma Awareness

Experiences of trauma and violence are common in our society. Many people participating in sexual violence training will have experiences of past or current trauma and many facilitators will have experiences of trauma themselves. There are a number of strategies you can use to help create a “trauma aware” learning space.

• At the beginning of the training, acknowledge that the topics you will be discussing are difficult and let learners know that they have the right and freedom to take care of themselves in a way that works for them. In particular, let learners know that they can leave the room or choose not to participate in an activity. You could say something like “If at any time you feel you need to leave, that’s fine with me. You are empowered to take care of yourself.” You can also let learners know that reactions to difficult material can sometimes be delayed and that they may wish to connect with you a few days after the training or to access support from family, friends, or other people in their lives.
•  If you do notice that someone has left the group and you suspect that they were reminded of previous trauma by the session, follow-up with them one-one-one after the session to check-in and offer them any resources that you think might be helpful to them.
•  During the training, if the conversation becomes “intense” or you believe that a number of learners have become overwhelmed or affected by the discussion, it can be helpful to take a break or use an activity that involves the body or movement to help people re-connect to the present moment.
• Sometimes, during training on sexual violence, learners may realize that they have experienced things that are defined as violence. BEFORE you start facilitating in this area, you will want to ensure that you are knowledgeable about receiving disclosures and how to support trauma survivors as well as available supports and resources on campus and in the community. Some institutions have developed practices such as expedited counselling for learners who might need support after a training session or making intensive crisis supports available for a short-time after a training or particular initiative.
• Similarly, some learners may realize that they have done things to others that would be identified as violent. You may need to provide them with some initial support before referring them to available resources and services.
• Let learners know that you will be available after the training if they would like to debrief or share their responses to the session or how they are feeling. If possible, schedule at least 30 minutes after a session so that you can be available to your learners. If you are delivering training in an online context, you can let learners know that they can private message/email you.
• If you feel comfortable, you can share information about grounding activities or a link to a resource. Grounding activities are simple activities that can help people to relax, stay present, and re-connect to the “here and now” following a trauma response. Examples include pressing or “rooting” your feet into the ground, breathing slowly in and out for a count of 2, repeating a statement such as “I am safe now. I can relax,” or using your five senses to describe the environment in detail.
• If you are concerned about a learner, ask them if they would find it helpful for you to “check in” with them later in the day or the following day. You could also ask them if they have a friend or family member that they might find it helpful for them to speak with following the training. If so, help them make a plan to connect with them, e.g., via phone or text or in-person or at a certain time.

A note on language

People who have experienced trauma may describe themselves as a “victim” or “survivor” or “victim/survivor” of trauma. These words have their own history and meanings. Language is imperfect and constantly evolving and there is no one best or “correct” word. Do your best to use the term that people prefer whether that be “victim” or “survivor” or something else entirely and don’t be afraid to respectfully ask if you are unsure.

International Students

As a facilitator, you will want to ensure that you are knowledgeable and prepared to address the distinct and specific needs of multicultural and diverse communities. International students are one group that you may want to consider. They may be at significant increased risk of being targeted for sexual violence, due to multiple barriers they face including lower levels of English language fluency, a lack of understanding of criminal law in Canada, cultural views of sexual violence, discrimination, racism, a need to adjust to local culture and limited local support systems (Forbes-Mewett and McCulloch, 2016). Furthermore, they may not understand the legal definitions of sexual violence and what consent means, and where to find help.

It is important to highlight that international students are not weak or vulnerable; rather they are quite resilient and determined to thrive and make Canada their home. It takes positive determination to leave the safety of family, financial stability and social network. However, once here, they may face the additional challenges from within their own ethno-specific community while also experiencing homesickness, loneliness and helplessness as part of their acculturation into Canadian society.

As a facilitator, there are a number of strategies you can take to ensure the inclusion and participation of international students:

• Consider language barriers. Using plain language or translated materials and slow down the pace as you go through complex material.
• Learn about translated sexual violence resources and community supports that include services in diverse languages.
• Provide opportunities for participation while also considering safety. Be aware that some female international students may not be comfortable speaking about topics related to sexual violence if other male students are present.
• Be aware of community resources and supports available to international students so that you can share them with learners either verbally or in written form (or both).
• Consider collaborating with community organizations such as MOSAIC so that a support worker can be available to international students, if needed.

Image descriptions

“Challenges Faced by International Students” image description

An infographic with the following text:

International students have to navigate a new country on their own and face unique barriers and complexities compared to domestic students, especially when it comes to sexual violence.

• General lack of knowledge of Canadian laws & rights.
  • Unaware of laws around sexual assault/harassment/consent
  • Work exploitation by employer
  • Exploitation by landlords
• Misperception of consent & sexual assault & barriers to reporting.
  • Lack of knowledge of reporting options
  • Cultural/language barriers make it difficult to identify sexual assault
  • Lack of knowledge of available medical services/community resources
• Fear of deportation and the police.
  • Leads to lack of reporting
  • More likely to be threatened with deportation by employers/landlords
• Process of acculturation/language/cultural barriers.
  • Language barriers create obstacles in seeking support
  • Cultural differences create difficulties in receiving appropriate support
  • Pressure to assimilate to Canadian culture
• Racism, homophobia, transphobia, and racial profiling.
  • Lack of trust with law/police
  • Victims of hate crimes
• Lack of friends or a support network. Isolation and homesickness/struggling with independency.
  • Social exclusion from mainstream Canadian society
  • Isolated from campus community
  • Stress/loneliness of moving to another country
  • Don’t know where to go for support

End of image description. [Return to place in text]

Intersectionality

Intersectionality is a concept that promotes an understanding of people as shaped by the interactions of different social locations or categories ― for example, race, ethnicity, Indigeneity, gender, class, sexuality, geography, age, ability, migration status, and religion.

In the context of sexual violence, intersectionality can help increase understanding of how certain populations face increased risks of perpetrating sexual violence and others face increased risks of being targeted by sexual violence. It also highlights how different groups of people experience systemic barriers to disclosing and accessing support services. It can also help ensure that responses to sexual violence are attentive to and reflective of the diversity of campus communities.

Examples of facilitation strategies related to the concept of intersectionality

1. As you facilitate discussion, you can highlight key ideas related to sexual violence and intersectionality. For example, you could say:
   • “Violence does not happen in a vacuum and it isn’t merely a result of individual circumstances or bad luck.”
   • “People’s circumstances, such as their income, housing situation, and access to health care, can affect their ability to access resources to heal from their experiences.”
   • “When we take a look at ‘big picture’ issues like discrimination, economic conditions, and social policies, we can better understand why certain individuals might be reluctant to report that they have been assaulted.”
   • “Even though LGBTQ2SIA+ people experience high rates of violence, when compared to the general population, they are often fearful of accessing the justice system due to a history of negative interactions with police and daily experiences of discrimination and harassment.”
   • “Many international students are resilient and determined to thrive and make Canada their home. However, they might face unique barriers when it comes to sexual violence such as language barriers, lack of knowledge about services and supports, or work exploitation.”
2. In your training, include statistics, images, and other resources that reflect the perspectives, needs, experiences, and interests of diverse groups. For example, images of a mixed race queer couple with a visible disability gives recognition that race, sexual orientation, and ability can be places of diversity within one relationship. Or, include statistics on sexual violence and resilience within queer and polyamorous couples as well as straight, monogamous couples.
3. If you are using statistics about a particular group of people, use precise language to avoid confusion. For example, “Men are likely to be the perpetrators of sexual violence against women” is less accurate than “Cisgender men are likely to be the perpetrators of sexual violence against all other genders, especially against cisgender women.” Your use of precise language will vary based on the information you will be sharing,
4. Depending on your audience, you can include a resource or section about intersectionality in your training. This could be a more academic resource such as an interview with legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw (while many people have used intersectional perspectives in their work, her use of the term in 1989 has greatly influenced current understandings) or an experiential resource such as an interview or spoken word video by a survivor of sexual violence that highlights multiple social locations.
5. If you have more time, you can include a reflective activity such as the Power Flower (below).

Sex, Gender, and Gender Identity

Because of the power inherent in sex and gender dynamics and the role they play in our lives, addressing sex, gender, and gender identity in discussions about sexual violence is essential. Gender can be a complex topic to discuss as there are many elements to consider such as identity, expression, orientation, and sex. Western understandings of sex, gender and gender identity have evolved from a binary view (two options: male and female) to a spectrum which suggests there are multiple sexes (male, female, intersex), many gender identities, and a wide range of gender expressions that may or may not conform to societal expectations. Many cultures have respect and recognition for more than two sexes, genders or gender identities. This is true not only abroad, but among many nations Indigenous to Turtle Island (North America).

As a facilitator, you will want to be familiar with key terms used to discuss gender. These terms are continuing to evolve and it is important to refer to people using their own terms.

Examples of facilitation strategies related to the concepts of sex, gender, and gender identity

1. When talking about diverse experiences of sexual violence, take care to be both inclusive of LGBTQ2SIA+ people while being precise when talking specifically about sexual violence committed by cisgender men against cisgender women.
   Key discussion points can include:
   • The overwhelming majority of acts of sexual violence are committed by cisgender men against cisgender women and girls and people of other genders. Transgender, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people as well as lesbian, gay, and other queer people are disproportionately targeted by perpetrators of sexual violence.
   • It’s important to remember that straight, cisgender men and boys can also be targeted and that people of all genders and sexual orientations may be perpetrators of sexual violence.
   • We need to be mindful of the experiences of all victims of sexual violence while not minimizing the deep-rooted experiences of violence that cisgender women, girls, and gender diverse people are subjected to by cisgender men.
   • Gendered sexual violence exists and thrives in the context of colonialism which privileges straight, white, able-bodied men while unjustly mistreating LGBTQ2SIA+, BIPOC, and disabled people. Because of these intersecting oppressions, people of colour, women, children, and queer people are especially at risk of being targeted by sexual violence.
2. Help people learn more about gender by including an activity in your training that explores concepts such as gender identity, attraction (sexual orientation), and gender expression (presentation).

   Activity: Gender Unicorn

   The Gender Unicorn is a visual activity by Trans Student Educational Resources that allows learners to map out of their own experiences of sex and gender. It is available in an interactive form, as a colouring book, and in different languages. (It uses a Creative Commons license and can be shared as long as credit is given.)

   

3. When facilitating, pay attention to the pronouns that you use as they are an important part of language related to gender. In addition to the binary English terms “she/her/her” and “he/his/him,” some people use gender-neutral pronouns such as “they/them” (in singular form). Use the pronouns that correspond to a person’s gender identity. As it is not possible to assume pronouns based on appearances, it is a good practice to ask for a person’s pronouns. For some people, being referred to intentionally and repeatedly with inappropriate or incorrect pronouns (or being “misgendered”) can be hurtful, offensive, and violent.

Roots of Violence

There are many different theories and perspectives about what the causes of sexual violence in our society are. Discussions about ideas such as social constructions of gender roles, colonialism, enslavement, and patriarchy can help us to explore and understand the root causes of sexual violence and to collectively find answers and solutions.

The term “rape culture” was first coined in the 1970s in the United States by second-wave feminists and the concept is often used in sexual violence prevention training in post-secondary institutions. Rape culture describes how sexual violence is common in our society and how it is normalized, condoned, excused, or encouraged. Examples of rape culture include the public tolerance of sexual harassment, the prevalence of sexual violence in media, the socialization of boys that promotes masculine identities based on notions of power and control, persistent discrimination against women and other equity-seeking communities, and the scrutiny given to the sexual histories of victims of sexual violence (Baker, 2014; EVA-BC, 2016).

Many aspects of rape culture are often conceptualized as a continuum or pyramid or can be connected to other forms of violence in society.

Examples of facilitation strategies related to the concept of roots of violence

1. Ask learners about their perceptions of campus safety: Do they feel safe all the time? Some of the time? What affects their sense of safety? What kind of role do we as campus community members have in preventing sexual violence and/or helping to promote norms of respect, safety, equity, and helping others? (As safety can be a deeply personal subject, you may want to facilitate this discussion in a structured way such as using specific examples or asking questions that require limited self-disclosure).
2. You can connect your training to current events and media coverage, e.g., a news story about a high-profile sexual assault case that is in court, the latest opinions about the activities of a famous or infamous celebrity. To what extent are individuals held responsible for their actions and to what extent is society?
3. You can include a section in your training on critical media analysis, e.g., reviewing advertisements and exploring what messages they communicate about dating, relationships, and sex. Do these advertisements reflect or challenge current attitudes and stereotypes about sexual violence?

Colonial Violence

Colonialism occurs when a group of people take control of other lands, regions, or territories outside of their own by turning those other lands, regions, or territories into a colony.

Colonialism remains embedded in the legal, political and economic context of Canada today.

Sexual violence and colonialism are interconnected through concepts such as self-determination, autonomy and consent. As well, many social norms in Canada are founded on colonial beliefs which are rooted in white patriarchal supremacy and which have created systems that support individuals, predominantly white men, to positions of power. These norms provide an illusion that people are entitled to what others have, including lands, cultures, and people’s bodies and that force is an acceptable way to claim these things, regardless of the harm to others (National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, 2019; Turpel-Lafond, 2020; Women’s Earth Alliance and Native Youth Sexual Health Network, 2016). An understanding of past and ongoing colonial violence can help provide context to issues such as why many Indigenous people and communities experience high rates of sexual violence today and the potential systemic or historical barriers to Indigenous People reporting sexual violence when it occurs.

Examples of facilitation strategies related to the concept of colonial violence

1. During your training, you can discuss how your institution and/or campus unit/department is demonstrating accountability to Indigenous communities and peoples whose land you are on. It is especially important to highlight that reconciliation is a journey and not a destination. This helps to be able to speak frankly about the limitations or meaningfulness of specific initiatives and policies at your institution and to respectfully acknowledge the difficulty in repairing hundreds of years of harm.
2. During discussions, you can make connections between colonization (non-consensual theft of land and violence/devaluing of Indigenous People, women, Two-Spirited people and members of the LGBTQ2SIA+ community) and sexual violence (non-consensual sexual touch and/or behavior, devaluing of people’s autonomy). In particular, you can make a connection between land and consent – Canada as a nation is built upon a fundamental lack of consent of Indigenous peoples
3. Many people from diverse parts of the world have their own experiences of colonial violence and oppression. It can be helpful to acknowledge this as it helps people to build connections between their own experiences and those of Indigenous People. You will also want to keep in mind that individuals from these groups may be reminded of their own experiences when hearing about the injustices faced by Indigenous People and may benefit from learning about additional resources and supports.
4. When discussing the impact of sexual violence as a tool of colonization and genocide against Indigenous communities, you can also highlight the resiliency and capacity of Indigenous peoples and communities to resist and overcome violence.

Activity: Colonial Violence Wheel

This Colonial Violence Wheel is a visual tool that can be used to help further discussion on the connections between colonial violence and sexual violence. Each section of the wheel provides examples of strategies, policies, and laws that have been enacted by the Canadian government to colonize and assimilate Indigenous people. Discussion questions can include:

1. What do you already know about colonialism in Canada? What aspects of these strategies, policies and laws do you see in your life?
2. How do the strategies, policies, and laws described in the Wheel connect to sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination?
3. How does colonial violence connect to sexual violence? For example, what is the connection between self-determination at an individual level (control of one’s own body) and at a community level (First Nations self-governance)?

Download the Colonial Violence Wheel Activity here: Colonial Violence Wheel Activity [Word file].

Healthy and Toxic Masculinity

“Healthy masculinity” and “toxic masculinity” are popular terms often used to explore beliefs, values, and stereotypes related to male identity and masculine norms in society. Masculine identity and norms are strongly linked with violence, with men and boys disproportionately likely both to perpetrate violent crimes and to die by homicide and suicide (Heilman and Barker, 2018).

Training on sexual violence on campuses will often explore ideas related to masculinity as a way of helping to shifting societal ideas about masculinity and to centre new values related to inclusivity and diversity. These conversations can help highlight how sexual violence harms people of all genders, including boys, men, and masculine people. It also can be an entry point for cisgender men to take a role in addressing sexual violence in their community.

Examples of facilitation strategies related to healthy and toxic masculinity

1. When discussing toxic masculinity is important to be clear that this term does not mean that men are bad or evil. It does not mean that men are naturally violent or that only men are violent.
2. The topic of healthy and toxic masculinity can often fit well in discussions of why sexual violence happens in society. Questions to explore can include:
   1. What ideas do we as a society have about what it means to “be a man”?
   2. Who or what defines masculinity in our society?
   3. How does this affect boys, men, and masculine people?
   4. How might these ideas be related to sexual violence against all genders in our society?
   5. Can you be masculine without being aggressive or violent?
   6. How might the experience of masculinity differ for a non-binary person, a trans-masculine person or a masculine woman versus a man who was assigned male at birth?
3. Support boys, men, and masculine people in re-defining what healthy masculinity looks like for them. Suggest that there is more than one way to be a man (or any other gender identity). Connect healthy masculinity to topics such as asking consent, respecting boundaries, and being accountable.

Image descriptions

Gender Unicorn image description.

A purple cartoon unicorn stands beside different ways to describe gender, sex, and attraction. They are as follows:

• Gender identity (a spectrum):
  • Female/woman/girl
  • Male/man/boy
  • Other gender(s)
• Gender expression (a spectrum)
  • Feminine
  • Masculine
  • Other
• Sex assigned at birth
  • Female
  • Male
  • Intersex
• Physically attracted to (a spectrum)
  • Women
  • Men
  • Other gender(s)
• Emotionally attracted to (a spectrum)
  • Women
  • Men
  • Other gender(s)

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Anti-Violence Continuum/Pyramid image description.

A pyramid representing different aspects of rape culture. As you go to higher levels of the pyramid, the degree of discrimination increases. These are the levels of the pyramid from low to high:

• Attitudes and beliefs, including ableism, racism, sexism, homophabia, transphobia, and ageism.
• Cultural microaggressions, which can be subtle, intentional, or unintentional. These can include social exclusion, misrepresentation, and cultural invisibility.
• Verbal expression, which can include sexual harassment and making sexual jokes.
• Physical expression, which can include physical and/or sexual assault.
• Homicide and or suicide.

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Colonial Violence Wheel image description.

A wheel with the words “colonial violence” in the centre. Within each spoke of the wheel are examples of colonial violence. Surrounding the outer edge of the wheel are the words, “resilience,” “resistance,” and “self-determination.” Here are the examples of colonial violence:

• Segregation policies. Examples: Indigenous people not legally defined as a “person” until 1951, restriction of movement, separate schools and health care.
• Land theft. Examples: Land taken without consent, removed from land and forced onto reserves, local and international treaties (UNDRIP) ignored or broken.
• Medical experimentation. Examples: Indigenous women sterilized without consent, introduction of smallpox on blankets, experimentation on Indigenous children for food/starvation research.
• Cultural genocide. Examples: The Potlatch Ban, ban of all ceremonial gatherings and practices, loss of language and traditional teachings, sexist policies (Bill C-31).
• Assimilation policies. Examples: Residential schools, the 60’s Scoop, rape of Indigenous women and children in residential schools and other institutions.
• Forced economic dependence. Examples: restricted access to hunting grounds, loss of habitat for food sources, inability to negotiate “Nation-to-Nation” as legally “wards of the state,” treaty rights not honoured.

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Asking Questions to Promote Critical Thinking

Using questions is a simple way to deepen discussion and to promote critical thinking. We all make assumptions in order to arrive at opinions of how things are, what is important, and how things “should be.” Drawing out learner’s thoughts through the use of critical questions can help you to understand how to connect key concepts to learners’ personal experiences.

Key questions to encourage critical thinking could include:

• “Could you say a little more about that?”
• “Can you take us through your thinking on that?”
• “Where did you learn that?”
• “When did you first think that?”
• “When did you start thinking about that differently? What happened to change your mind?”

You also can ask questions to help reframe an issue. For example:

• Why do we teach people how to avoid sexual assault rather than teach people how not to sexually assault others?
• Why do you think that sexual violence is usually seen as a women’s issue? What responsibility do you think men might have in stopping sexual violence? How are people of all genders impacted?

Responding to Common Myths about Sexual Violence

There are many stereotypes, myths, and beliefs about sexual violence that do not reflect what research evidence tells us about sexual violence. There are many different approaches to responding to common myths during a discussion, including sharing statistics or research, asking a reflective question, clarifying definitions and concepts, or sharing an anecdote or experiential perspective. Below are some suggestions on how to respond to common myths about sexual violence (Sexual Violence and Prevention Response Office, 2020).

Adapted from: Sexual Violence and Prevention Response Office. (2020). Bystander Intervention (Facilitation notes). Thompson River University. Used with permission.

Transitions and Difficult Conversations

While facilitating, you are likely to encounter challenging moments when you might not be sure how to respond, when you strongly disagree with the perspective of the learner, or when the conversation has shifted in a direction that makes you concerned for the comfort and safety of other learners.

Below are some potential responses for handling difficult moments (Sexual Violence and Prevention Response Office, 2020):

• “Interesting. I’m not sure how to respond to that. Let me think on that for a minute and I’ll bring us back to that”
• “I’m not comfortable with where this conversation is going. I’d like to bring us back to some of the activities/questions we had planned.”
• “I’m just getting conscious of time here. Let’s move on for now.”
• “How do you think that comment might land for a survivor? I’m reminded of the commitments we all made when we came to the workshop…”
• “Tell me more about that.”
• “Where did you learn that/where does that thinking come from? Does anyone benefit from that?”
• “It’s okay for us to agree to disagree. Let’s move on for now.”

Self-care and community care are about looking after yourself and those around you. Facilitating learning about sexual violence can range from satisfying and rewarding to challenging and overwhelming. It is important to make sure that you are able to take the time to take care of yourself and that you are willing to reach out to co-workers, friends and family, or professional supports, if needed.

Ideally, you will be in a situation where you are delivering training with a co-facilitator. Not only is this helpful if a learner needs support during a session, it also helps to have someone with whom to share the joys and challenges of facilitation. After a session, plan for time afterwards to check in with each other about your experiences and any successes or challenges in facilitating. This allows for time to reflect on issues related to participation, inclusion, and safety; to consider any feedback that you received from learners; and, to discuss any facilitation successes and challenges. If you are facilitating alone, you might use the time after a session to reflect or use a journal to make notes as a way of processing the experience.

The authors of the Courage to Act report, a federally funded project exploring the current climate of sexual violence education and prevention work at post-secondary institutions (PSIs) note: “There is limited research on best practices and services for people who have caused harm at PSIs—specifically in the case of GBV [gender-based violence] or sexual violence” (2019, p. 78). While there are a number of promising and innovative programs that have been developed and delivered by grassroots and community organizations, overall, this is an area that would benefit from further research, capacity and resources.

The development of this resource was inspired by the experiences of anti-violence workers working in post-secondary institutions in BC who have worked alongside victims and survivors of sexual violence, people who have caused harm, and community members with a shared recognition of the need for more support in the area of accountability and justice.

This resource was developed for educational purposes, not as a punitive measure. It was created in response to hearing victims/survivors say that they wanted the person who harmed them to have an opportunity to learn more about what they had done and why it was harmful. As such, this resource may be used as an element of sanction after an institutional investigation has determined the sexual violence policy was broken. To date, there is a gap in educational options for people who are found to have violated an institutional sexual violence policy. Additionally, there are a growing number of folks who are realizing they have caused harm and are interested in learning more about what they can do to work toward repair of that harm. This resource is intended to be a starting point for filling that gap.

This resource is informed by concepts, theories and practices grounded in Response-Based Practice and Transformative Justice. Some of the resources that it draws from include:

• Creative Interventions Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Stop Interpersonal Violence (Creative Interventions, 2012)
• Transformative Justice (Mia Mingus, 2015)
• Accountability Process Curriculum (Support New York, 2015)
• Manifest Change Facilitator Manual: Engaging Men and Boys in the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence (Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, 2018)

The overall approach for this training is summarized in the Guiding Principles below.

Guiding Principles

Violence does not happen in a vacuum. We are surrounded by messages, images, norms and social structures that minimize, excuse, promote and normalize violence while blaming survivors (Coates & Wade, 2007; Mingus, n.d.; Stewart, Todd, & Kopeck, 2009; Todd & Wade, 2007).

Violence does not happen accidentally. It is a result of individual choices people make. This is also true for repairing harm. Everyone is capable of learning and choosing different ways of thinking and operating in the world to create safety. Repair takes deliberate work, time and support (Coates & Wade, 2007; Stewart, Todd, & Kopeck, 2009; Todd & Wade, 2007).

We are responsible for our actions. With rare exceptions, responsibility for violence is not shared. Too often language is used to imply that it is mutual (i.e., ‘we fought’). This principle means that each person is responsible for the harm they cause (i.e., choosing to use violence), and violence is not the “fault” of the victim(s) (Coates & Wade, 2007; Stewart, Todd, & Kopeck, 2009; Todd & Wade, 2007).

People who have caused harm deserve to be treated with dignity. Feeling seen and heard supports people to be accountable for choices they make. Everyone is more than the worst thing they have ever done and more than the worst thing that has ever happened to them. They also are responsible for their actions and the impacts of those actions (Stewart, Todd & Kopeck, 2009).

Repairing harm is the focus, not intentions. Intentions provide context for why something happened, but regardless of the intentions, the people who have been harmed and the impacts they experience need to be consistently held at the center (Mingus, 2015).

People who have caused harm can also be victim/survivors. Each individual’s life experience is complex and multifaceted. This may further complicate your process as you move through the material. Please connect with campus or community support in this area as you need.

This training is intended to be delivered either one-on-one or in small groups. Ideally, this training will be delivered in-person as this allows for greater opportunity for connection and relationship building between facilitators and learners, greater engagement between learners, and more opportunities for facilitators to check for comprehension.

This training has been designed for synchronous delivery; however, it could be adapted by individual institutions to deliver asynchronously.

This training requires a minimum of four 60-90 minute sessions. It can also be delivered in longer sessions (e.g., two hour sessions) or over a longer period of time (e.g., six sessions instead of four). Additional time would allow for deeper discussion, reflection, and skill practice. There are a number of additional or optional activities that can be included or adapted for the audience. As well, this training can be combined with other training on sexual violence prevention such as bystander intervention.

It is strongly recommended that facilitators go through material in the order that it is presented here and that they plan to spend at least 90 minutes in each module. It is recommended that there are at least a few days between sessions for learners to  process the materials. This training requires a good working relationship between the facilitator(s) and learner(s) and a respectful and safe learning environment. It is ideal to have the same facilitator(s) for all the modules.

Learners participating in this training will likely be from a broad range of backgrounds and will have their own experiences, strengths, vulnerabilities, and skills. With that in mind, you are encouraged to spend time tailoring these training materials to the person or few people you are working with and to take a “meeting people where they are at” approach to facilitating this training. You may find some things “fit” and other things may feel “sticky” or “confusing” for some learners. You may have to spend more time than anticipated on certain activities or try out a new way of communicating the information “in the moment.” It is likely that each time you deliver this training that it will “feel” different and that you will have many new ideas about how to deliver it next time.

The area of accountability and repairing relationships is a new venture for many PSI’s, especially in the context of sexual violence. Involving many voices and perspectives is necessary to advance the work in a way that responds to the unique needs of learners, victim/survivors, and communities. This training can help your institution implement policies and procedures in a more supportive way for victim/survivors and those who cause harm. It can contribute to overall action on preventing and responding to sexual violence and a climate of community accountability on sexual violence.

This is not easy work. We recognize that everyone will come to this work with their own history and experiences. We encourage you to identify and tend to your own needs for further training, support, reflection and processing throughout the process.

Below are some considerations for specific groups of learners.

Indigenous Considerations

Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (now known as North America) have long standing struggles for equity in the areas of reconciliation, justice and restorative justice. The long standing unjust and dehumanizing experiences Indigenous Peoples have in all areas of society make it so much more important to be mindful of their response, and ability, or lack thereof, to advocate for what they need in a respectful and clear way. This training begins with a short video called “Maya’xala and Namwayut” in which Jewell Gillies, Musgamgw Dzawada’enux, describes a Kwakwakawakw approach to repairing harm. This video can be helpful for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous learners in thinking about accountability and justice in a different way from the punitive perspectives we are typically exposed to in the media and in our communities. You will need to consider your audience when determining how to “set the context” for this video as learners will have a wide range of pre-existing knowledge and experiences about topics such as reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and Indigenous ways of knowing and being in the world.

International Students

International students bring with them their diverse cultures which encompass tradition, norms, values and beliefs which may be different from Westernized culture and its social norms and expectations. It is important to be accountable for our own conscious and unconscious biases, and take time to reflect on what this means to support culturally diverse individuals. You can implement the practice of cultural humility, a process of learning, which includes self-reflection, and being aware of one’s own biases, values and beliefs and the historic realities of violence and oppression against marginalized and vulnerable populations. This will help you to refrain from cultural curiosity and direct your focus on creating a respectful, non-judgmental and comfortable environment that includes prioritizing the immediate needs of learners instead of focusing on or requesting clarification about their culture. This is an intersectional approach to ensure inclusivity and to identify the oppressive systems, i.e., culture, race, gender, sexuality, class, caste, social location that intersect and form their unique social identities. Acknowledge the difference that sets them apart from the domestic students at the institution, which also impacts their feelings of isolation, exclusion and lack of belonging. Provide trauma-informed, culturally grounded and client-centered support.

People who are LGBTQ2IA+

People in the LGBTQ2IA+ community disproportionately experience higher rates of sexual violence due to homophobia, transphobia, and queerphobia. Furthermore, because of the lasting societal prevalence of homophobia, transphobia and queerphobia, they may be isolated from supportive networks including families and friends. Experiences with medical professionals and the criminal justice system may not offer culturally competent support or a sense of safety for queer victims and survivors of sexualized violence. Likewise, victims of queer sexual violence may be reluctant to seek support or report the harm done to them (e.g., a straight, cisgender man may feel shame about being harmed by another man and choose not to seek support).

While there is a growing awareness of the needs and challenges faced by our LGBTQ2IA+ community members, much still needs to be done to create truly inclusive and safe spaces for all people. Facilitation of these sessions in a mindful and inclusive way will help all learners feel valued, included, and supported.

Ensure the language that you use when talking about sexual violence represents the diversity of sexes, relationships, and gender identities that exist. Avoid using language or examples that suggest that a binary male/female dynamic is inherent in all instances of sexual violence. See Section 2: Gender and LGBTQ2IA+ Inclusive Language.

Care must be taken to understand and acknowledge the intersecting oppressions faced by LGBTQ2IA+ folks of colour, Indigenous folks and those who are disabled. If at all possible, during this training, when sharing information about community and campus resources, include resources for queer victims of sexual violence that are culturally relevant (i.e., resources for Two Spirit people, queers of colour, disabled queers, religious queers, etc.). Speaking with your Indigenous Support Services, your student union associations and the counselling department will be great places to locate any such supports within your institution as well as within your broader community.

Here are the Handouts and Activities you will need to prepare for each session:

This section includes additional information about facilitating the activities included in the Accountability & Repairing Relationships Training Slide Deck. The goal is to meet the needs and learning styles of whomever you are working, and so facilitators are encouraged to include additional reading and reflection pieces as they see fit. There are also more ideas about creative facilitation strategies in Section 2: Accessibility, Inclusion, and Safety.

Session 1 – Foundational Knowledge

Activity: Grounding in what we know

Learning Outcome(s) Addressed: Develop skills to build better relationships

Intent: To ground learner(s) in the things they already know about maintaining respectful relationships; to help ground learner(s) in the overarching goal of creating and maintaining meaningful relationships and communities; to help learners see that they make choices about their behaviour in relationships.

Instructions:

• Part 1: Have learners reflect on the checklist provided in the worksheet. Remind them that these can be relevant to all kinds of different relationships (romantic, friendly, collegial, family, etc.). You can ask if they have any questions or reflections about it, but ultimately it is a personal reflective piece for themselves.
• Describe the Pyramid of Safety and how each of these levels is necessary to create healthy relationships in our lives (slide 7).
• Part 2: Allow time for learner(s) to reflect on these questions that explore different levels of the pyramid. Invite them to let you know if they are unsure about the meaning or purpose of a question.
• Once they are done, debrief with them noting that:
  • They’ve just outlined they’re already working to show people they’re safe, trustworthy, honest and that they desire closeness/connection. This demonstrates they value being part of healthy relationships and communities.
  • It’s important to notice how much time, thought and energy goes into creating healthy relationships.
  • Our behaviour is guided by deliberate choices we make, based on what we notice about other people and the way that they respond to us.
  • Safety, honesty, trust and closeness are created with deliberate thought and action and violence happens the same way. When we take a close look at specific instances, we start to notice all the small steps taken to get there.

Notes and considerations

• Because this is the first activity, learner(s) may not feel comfortable discussing much yet. This is okay as the reflective component of the activity is useful on its own.
• This activity was adapted from a Calgary Women’s Shelter resource specifically designed for men causing harm to women and children. Facilitators can find it here for additional information and learning as needed: Choosing 2 Change: a handbook for men who are concerned about their abusive behavior towards their loved ones.

Activity: Defining sexual violence

Learning Outcome(s) Addressed: Identify the spectrum of sexual behaviours that can be harmful

Intent: To ensure learners understand these terms in the same way as facilitators and the institutions they attend/work at.

Instructions

Explain the importance of knowing what these terms mean, especially as language is ever changing and the meanings can vary depending on things like culture or setting (i.e., slightly different between different universities or from province to province). Because of the fluidity of language, it is important to define terms people say they understand and ones they are unsure about. You are encouraged to make this an interactive activity. Depending on time, you could choose one of the following options for a few terms, then distribute a full definitions page and let learners know it is their responsibility to be aware of what the terms mean at your institution.

• Option 1: Put your institutional definitions into an interactive, free, online game, like Kahoot!
  • Open quiz for use: Sexual Violence Definitions Quiz.
• Option 2: Create a matching worksheet or game.
• Option 3: Choose a term and have learners brainstorm what they think it means. Compare to your institution’s definition(s).

Notes and Considerations

• Sometimes this section can make people realize they have experienced things that are now being defined as violence. Facilitators should know how to receive disclosures and have working knowledge of supports for victim/survivors. See Supporting Survivors Training and Facilitator Guide: Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence in B.C. Post-Secondary Institutions.
• Similarly, learners may realize from this section that they have done things to or with others that would be identified as violent. It may be helpful to refer back to the section on managing responses and the “feeling a feeling” spiral as well as supports available (slides 9-13).
• At the very least, ensure all learners have a copy of the definitions page for their reference. It can be easy to get lost in the words facilitators are comfortable using so this is an important resource for learners.
• If you find other effective, interactive strategies for definitions, share them with the rest of the community!

Session 2 – Understanding Harm: Impacts and Responses

Activity: Experiences and impacts

Learning Outcome(s) Addressed: Identify the spectrum of behaviours that can be harmful; Reflect on how and why violence happens

Intent: To demonstrate common forms of sexual violence and how many factors come together to allow them to thrive; to encourage learners to take the perspective of others in the situations; to highlight the ways victim/survivors respond to violence and the choice of person who caused harms to act in violent ways; intent vs. impact.

Instructions

Before beginning this activity, be aware that the scenarios outline various kinds of harm, and while discomfort is common and necessary here, there is a chance they may elicit trauma responses if people have previous experiences of violence. Details are included to notice where and how victim/survivors resist violence and to notice where decisions were made to ignore (or respect) personal boundaries, body language and any other efforts to resist violence or otherwise indicate a “no.” Please use your best professional judgement to keep the balance in tolerable discomfort. Adjust the level of detail as you feel necessary, remind learners they can opt out, move on to the next scenario or take breaks, and ensure the learner(s) know where campus or community support are. You can also refer to Section 2: Trauma Awareness for additional suggestions on creating safety.

Choose or have learners choose a scenario to work through. Ask them to read the scenario and think through each of the questions. There are preliminary answers listed in case learner(s) are having a hard time getting started, but it is important that the learner(s) voice their own thoughts first. It is likely that things we have not listed will come up and those are equally important to capture. Work through as many as you have time for. If possible, invite learner(s) to reflect on others in their own time and debrief in another session (or provide the “answer” key).

If you happen to be working with a small group, you could split them into teams and have each work on a different scenario.

Notes and considerations

• You may want to refer to Section 2: Asking Questions to Prompt Critical Thinking for ideas on how to facilitate discussion about the scenarios.
• Expect resistance and justification in this section. Remind learners that discomfort is normal, these are common things that happen, and it is likely that people experience these things multiple times in a given day/week/month/year. Their impact can be cumulative even if it seems like the one “isolated” incident isn’t that impactful.
  • See Section 2: Responding to Common Myths about Sexual Violence for suggestions on how to facilitate discussion with respect to these types of responses and justifications.
• Feel free to edit or create scenarios so they suit your context or audience better.
• While all of the potential impacts on the person who caused harm are legitimate, it may be important to remember that they are not always held accountable for their actions in these ways. Asking the learner(s) why they think this is could also lead to fruitful conversations.
• When debriefing the “Potential impact on the victim/survivor” section, it is common for feelings to be identified, and it is important to know about and point toward short and long term trauma impacts, as are outlined on slide 37. (Facilitators may find more information about impacts from Immediate and Delayed Reactions to Trauma or Understanding the Impact of Trauma).
• These conversations can be draining on the facilitator as well. Revisit your own support and self-care plan or people as needed.

Activity: Barriers to disclosures

Learning Outcome(s) Addressed: Reflect on how and why violence happens; Plan to build healthier relationships and communities

Intent: Understanding barriers to reporting/disclosing is critical to providing a positive response to disclosures and provides insight as to why violence continues to go unaddressed.

Instructions

Choose any of the options below. Each one can be done individually, in small groups or as a “homework” task and brought back to debrief at another time. Through your discussion, connect the reasons learner(s) come up with back to the intent of the activity, highlighting that not speaking up does not mean violence or harm hasn’t occurred.

• Option 1: Using the scenario(s) that you worked through in the Experiences and Impacts Activity, ask the learner(s) to think about why the victim/survivor would not have spoken up. Once they have thought about those, prompt for other reasons in other situations.
• Option 2: Use the “Why I Didn’t Report It” image and ask questions like: What is this image about? What stands out for you? Who’s making those statements? Is there anything surprising that you hadn’t considered before? What would it take to overcome these barriers?
• Option 3: Ask learners to explore the #whyididntreport campaign on Twitter for more insights into barriers to speaking out. Ask them to choose one tweet that stood out to them as powerful or surprising and have a discussion about it.

Draw on some of these examples from EVA BC (2016) if the learner(s) are having trouble getting started:

• Shame, particularly if the assault was perpetrated by someone they trusted or if there were drugs or alcohol involved.
• Fear that they will not be believed or will be blamed, especially if this has been their experience in the past or they have seen this kind of thing in popular culture (e.g., television, movies).
• Confusion about whether or not it was sexual assault (especially if the survivor is young and/or unaware of the law).
• Fear for their safety, or the safety of their friends and family, especially if threats were involved.
• Conflicted feelings about the person who caused harm getting into trouble, especially if they were assaulted by someone they know (e.g., intimate/dating partner, spouse, friend, family member) or if the person who caused harm is part of the same close community
• Fear the response of the police and the justice system or fear nothing will come of reporting.

We’ve also noted the following barriers based on our experiences as facilitators:

• Concern about how a tight knit community could be negatively impacted, either relationally or in terms of public perception
• Concern about being isolated within or from a community that provides them with significant connection and support
• Concern about being retaliated against (in a social way) by peers, not just the person who caused harm
• Concern about how their professional lives could be impacted by speaking out, currently or in the future
• Distrust in the formal resolution options available to them
• Lack of support to engage in formal resolution options: can’t afford time off work to attend appointments, don’t have the social support necessary to withstand the emotional burden over what is often a long, drawn out process. There are often long waitlists for professional support services, and they may not be offered in accessible ways (e.g., language, transportation required, only during work hours, or only for certain demographics of people).
• Competing priorities: academic needs, professional expectations, familial or caregiving needs may take precedence to speaking out.

Prompting questions

• How do you think the barriers would be different or similar for:
  • A different kind of violence such as racism? Physical violence?
  • A victim/survivor with different intersecting identities (e.g., gender, race, Indigeneity, sexual orientation, etc)?
  • A person who caused harm with different identities
  • A different relationship between a person who caused harm(s) and victim/survivor(s) (e.g., friend, family member, co-worker, partner, teammate)
• Why do we default to thinking a victim/survivor is lying or exaggerating rather than thinking about these barriers when we hear that harm has happened?

Notes and considerations

• These activities can be done one-on-one, in pairs, small groups or a larger group. Answers should be recorded so that they can be shared with the entire group and inform future sessions.
• Since it is likely not possible to get through all of the barriers, it may be helpful to provide learners with the full list of possibilities for reflection on their own time.
• These conversations can be draining on the facilitator as well. Revisit your own support and care plan or people as needed.

Session 3 – Building Better Relationships

Activity: Power and privilege

Learning Outcome(s) Addressed: Reflect on how and why violence happens; develop skills to build better relationships.

Intention: to have learners recognize that there are different, equally valid ways of experiencing the world; to have learners reflect on their own identities and realize areas where they may not have realized they hold privilege.

Instructions

There are three options for this activity.

• Option 1: Power Flower
  • Ensure each learner has a copy of the flower, option to print out a large version of it if facilitation in small group; if done synchronously online, use blank slide to type in discussion notes.
• Option 2: Power and Privilege Wheel
  • Explain that this wheel is a visual representation of the way power is assigned to people’s identities.
  • Invite learners to take some time and make a mark where they would fall in each slice of the wheel.
  • If delivering synchronously online via Zoom, you can prompt learners to use an annotate function to put an anonymous mark on where they would land.
• Option 3: Buzzfeed Quiz
  • Have learner(s) go through the Buzzfeed list: How Privileged Are You?

Points to consider in debriefing either of the options:

• A “general Canadian” society is shaped by Eurocentric, colonial and patriarchal values and norms which privilege Whiteness, wealth, masculinity, able-bodied, cis-gendered and heterosexual folks.
• Power depends on context (time, place, culture), and it is best understood as a relational spectrum rather than a “have” or “do not have” dichotomy (Cho et al., 2013; Havinsky, 2014).
• Many aspects of people’s identities can and do change over time. For example, while something like perceived race likely won’t change, gender identity, education or socioeconomic status can shift and change.
• The point of the activity is not to create a hierarchy of suffering or marginalization. If this becomes a sticking point, it may be helpful to encourage learners to think about it as a matrix. This promotes thinking about multiple identities and power dynamics as interlocking, mutually influential, and simultaneously important (Abrams et al., 2020; Bowleg, 2008; Havinsky, 2014; Havinsky & Cormier, 2019). The focus is on how multiple social power structures shape people’s experiences, not on quantifying how much they do.

Prompting questions

• Which ones stood out to you most?
• Did any give you a feeling of discomfort or disagreement?
• Were there privileges you didn’t realize you had? Were you surprised by anything?

Notes and considerations

• This activity can be time consuming (30-60 minutes) depending on how deep into conversation you’d like to or are able to go.
• Learners will have a range of experience and knowledge with these ideas. Because time will likely be tight, it can be helpful to have some additional learning opportunities you can refer them to:
  • What is Privilege
  • “Checking your privilege”
• People who experience multiple forms of oppression are well aware of the day to day realities of it. This is a good place to remind people of support options available to them on campus and in the community.
• These conversations can be draining and difficult on the facilitator as well. Revisit your own support and care plan or people as needed.

When delivering training on sexual violence, you will want to consider different mechanisms for evaluating both short- and long-term outcomes. We encourage you to collaborate with community frontline workers and organizations and researchers within your institution to develop a comprehensive evaluation strategy to determine the overall effectiveness of various forms of training on preventing and responding to sexual violence at your institution as well as other indicators such as awareness of your institution’s sexual violence and misconduct policy, changes in attitudes and values related to sexual violence, and the effectiveness of institutional response to sexual violence (including investigations, accommodations, and collaboration with different stakeholders and on- and off-campus organizations).

A consistent approach to measuring similar workshops will allow you to compare them over time and show improvement or the need for adapting the workshop to be more successful for the intended audience. The pre/post test is a common form of evaluating training programs. Identical tests are used at the beginning and end of the training and the results are compared to examine changes in knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Pre-tests can be given at the time of registration for a workshop or at the beginning of a session. Post-test can be given at the end of the session or shortly after the date of the last session. Additional tests can be given at set time after the workshop to assess long-term impact, e.g., 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. Post-tests can also be used throughout longer trainings, e.g., at the end of a morning session and again at the end of an afternoon session.

Frequently, pre/post-test questions will be a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions. Quantitative questions are usually answered by many respondents and have definitive answers. They often use Likert scales, where respondents indicate how much they agree or disagree with a statement by choosing from a set of fixed choices on a linear scale (e.g., strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree). Qualitative questions can be used to understand these statements and to gather information not captured by the quantitative questions. All the questions should link to the learning objectives and outcomes for the training.

Below are examples of pre/post-test questions that can be used as part of your evaluation for this training.

Pre-Test (Best done a few days before first session)

1. How well do you understand the term “Sexualized Violence” and behaviours that fall under it?
   

   1 No understanding

   2

   3 Somewhat understand

   4

   5 Clearly understand

2. How well do you understand the factors that contribute to SV happening?
   

   1 No understanding

   2

   3 Somewhat understand

   4

   5 Clearly understand

3. Do you think you have skills to use in healthy and respectful relationships?
   

   1 Very few skills

   2

   3 Some skills

   4

   5 Many skills

4. How comfortable do you feel being accountable or saying sorry when you have hurt someone, whether you meant to or not? (This can be in a non-SV context too)
   

   1 Not comfortable at all

   2

   3 Somewhat comfortable

   4

   5 Extremely comfortable

5. Is it important to work toward stronger relationships and communities?
   

   1 Not important at all

   2

   3 Somewhat important

   4

   5 Extremely important

6. Can you think of ways that you could strengthen your relationships and communities?
   

   1 Cannot think of any

   2

   3 Can think of a few

   4

   5 Can think of many

7. Is there anything you are worried about in this training?
8. Is there anything you need to support your learning and processing? E.g. assistive technology; translation support; an Elder present; a journal

Module 1 learning evaluation

1. List 1-2 skills that can help you in your relationships
2. Identify what you learned about different forms of violence
3. Identify 1-2 things you learned about how and why violence happens
4. Were there any other main takeaways you had?
5. Is there anything you are confused or wondering more about?

Module 2 learning evaluation

1. List 1-2 skills or learnings that can help you in your relationships
2. Identify what you learned about different forms of violence and their impacts
3. Identify 1-2 things you learned about how and why violence happens
4. Were there any other main takeaways you had?
5. Is there anything you are confused or wondering more about?

Module 3 learning evaluation

1. List 1-2 skills or learnings that can help you in your relationships
2. What role does power dynamics play in planning for healthy relationships and communities?
3. How do consent and boundaries impact building stronger relationships and communities?
4. Were there any other main takeaways you had?
5. Is there anything you are confused or wondering more about?

Module 4 learning evaluation

1. List 1-2 skills or learnings that can help you in your relationships
2. List 1-2 learnings or skills that are most helpful for you to be accountable
3. What steps do you feel you can take toward healthier relationships and communities?
4. Were there any other main takeaways you had?
5. Is there anything you are confused or wondering more about?

Post-Test (Best done a week or so after the last session)

1. How well do you understand the term “sexual violence” and behaviours that fall under it?
   

   1 No understanding

   2

   3 Somewhat understand

   4

   5 Clearly understand

2. Has your understanding of the term “sexual violence” changed? YES or NO
   1. If YES, how?
3. How well do you understand the factors that contribute to SV happening?
   

   1 No understanding

   2

   3 Somewhat understand

   4

   5 Clearly understand

4. Has your understanding of the factors that contribute to SV changed? YES or NO
   1. If YES, how?
5.  Do you think you have skills to use in healthy and respectful relationships?
   

   1 Very few skills

   2

   3 Some skills

   4

   5 Many skills

   1. If you learned something new about this, what was it?
6. How comfortable do you feel being accountable or saying sorry when you have hurt someone, whether you meant to or not? (This can be in a non-SV context too)
   

   1 Not comfortable at all

   2

   3 Somewhat comfortable

   4

   5 Extremely comfortable

7.  Is it important to work toward stronger relationships and communities?
   

   1 Not important at all

   2

   3 Somewhat comfortable

   4

   5 Extremely important

8. Can you think of ways that you could strengthen your relationships and communities?
   

   1 Cannot think of any

   2

   3 Can think of a few

   4

   5 Can think of many

9. Please feel free to leave any final thoughts, comments or suggestions about this training.