Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford partners with website to report sexual violence

Columbia Bible College (CBC) in Abbotsford has partnered with a Manitoba-based online platform to make reporting of sexual violence available to their campus community.

REES (Respect, Educate Empower Survivors) is a 24/7 online reporting and information platform that provides increased options for students, staff and faculty to report sexual violence on campus.

CBC president Bryan Born said the project is part of the college’s overall vision for a “safe campus where all students are able to thrive.”

“REES provides a victim-centered, trauma-informed platform that empowers victims of sexual violence with numerous options for reporting and support,” he said.

Sexualized violence is a range of behaviours that includes misconduct, harassment and assault and can occur both in person and online.

According to the Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population 2019 from Statistics Canada, a majority (71 per cent) of post-secondary students witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in the past year and one in 10 (11 per cent) women students experienced a sexual assault in a post-secondary setting during the previous year.

“REES empowers survivors by providing a safe, secure space to record incidents of sexual violence on their campus, while gathering critical data to inform development of policy, supports and resources,” said REES founder Mary Lobson.