Grant: Project Grant

Victims of sexual violence suffer immediate and long-term health consequences. Inadequate institutional responses compound destructive health consequences for victims. The focus of this study is to improve universities' prevention of sexual violence and their response to victims who require their help. In Canada, universities' response to sexual violence on campuses has recently received considerable media coverage and university sexual violence polices, procedures and practices are currently in the development stage. Now is an ideal time to ensure these institutional responses compassionately attend to victims and deliver the much-needed prevention education and training by involving students in the development and refinement of sexual violence polices, procedures and practices. This 4-year study will conduct and evaluate participatory theatre workshops and forums with groups of undergraduate and graduate students at 3 Canadian universities: U of S, Brock, and Waterloo Universities. Following the workshop and forums, focus groups will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the workshops and forums to foster students' capacity to collectively contribute to their universities' response to sexual violence by participating in the development and refinement of policies, procedures and practices that govern the prevention of sexual violence and handling of disclosures. The student groups collaborating on the study will be actively involved in the design and distribution of focused, relevant outputs, including proposals for improved institutional response, a website, and academic conferences and papers, and an educational video. Anticipated audiences for the video include campus groups and students at orientation events and sexual violence awareness weeks that are commonly provided by the collaborators.