George Brown College and the Student Association taking efforts to protect staff and students

Community Action Centre (CAC) with their display bedding. Photo: Aloke Anand / The Dialog

“Students who have experienced sexual assault should do what they think is best. Sometimes that means reporting it, sometimes it’s reaching out to community services and sometimes it’s getting peer support,” said Steff Pinch, Community Action Centre (CAC) assistant.

In March, George Brown College (GBC) released their Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence Policy and Protocol. A separate policy was created by the Student Association (SA) in May. Since then, both organizations have been working on prevention efforts to ensure the safety of all staff and students at George Brown.

At this year’s Week of Welcome the CAC did an interactive demonstration for students using a giant bed. Students were able to write what good consent means and looks like to them on pillowcases—a creative way to engage students and to start conversations around consent.

Student Nayiri Zakarian for “No Means No” Campaign. Photo: Aloke Anand / The Dialog

The CAC will be taking part in other campaigns by the Canadian Federation of Students like “No Means No,” and “Consent is Mandatory,” and are currently gearing up for a “Consent is Sexy” week happening later this year.

This fall the SA provided over 100 student staff with sexual assault training done by METRAC (Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women and Children) and the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres.

On the college side, Jennet Cox, human rights adviser at GBC reported that five college staff attended trainings in June and July on how to run bystander intervention trainings that educate students on how to recognize situations that could lead to sexual assault and violence. They are planning to implement a bystander-intervention campaign this fall.

She added that the LCD screens across the three main campuses will also continue to provide information for students on where to access supports at the college as well as continue offering free women’s self-defence classes to students, staff and faculty.

“Wen-Do is an effective class for women and we will offer introductory and intermediate levels,” said Cox.

Students and staff are able to take part in the basic Wen-Do sessions in the fall on Tuesdays from Sep. 22 to Oct. 20. The basic winter session runs Jan. 26 to Feb. 22, 2016 and an intermediate session will be announced during the winter semester.

Cox said George Brown will also be continuing its anti-sexual harassment campaign this fall and continuing to work collaboratively with the SA on awareness campaigns to ensure that students will be provided with the resources and support they need no matter where they are at school.

“Understanding our Sexual Assault and Sexual Violence Protocol and supporting our students who have experienced sexual violence is a college community responsibility,” said Cox. “We will and can work together to ensure those who need our support find it quickly and are supported in a manner that is respectful and responsive to their needs.”

With files from Eden Martin