PROVINCE-WIDE INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS CAMPUS SEXUAL VIOLENCE
Manitoba is the first province in Canada to offer centralized online reporting of sexualized violence at post-secondary institutions.
REES is a 24/7, centralized reporting and information platform that provides increased options for students, staff and faculty to report sexual violence to their campus or to the police. It also includes critical information about resources and supports on campus and in community. REES is customized to each institution and they all facilitate 3 reporting options that include Anonymous Report, Connect to My Campus and Report to Police.
According to the recently released Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population 2019 from Statistics Canada, a majority (71%) of postsecondary students witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in the past year and one in ten (11%) women students experienced a sexual assault in a postsecondary setting during the previous year.
Sexualized violence is a range of behaviours that includes misconduct, harassment and assault and can occur both in-person and in online spaces. REES is a safe, secure online platform for survivors to document their incident and empowers them with choice to have their voice heard in whatever way they choose.
REES has partnered with Winnipeg Police Service, Brandon Police Service and RCMP for the Report to Police feature. Manitoba is the first province to make available reporting of sexual assault directly to law enforcement by survivors in the campus community.
“REES provides an opportunity for members of the campus community to tell their institution about times when they have been unsafe and for institutions to have increased data about sexual violence on campus. This province-wide data can inform policy development, guide legislation, and identify gaps in supports and resources. Working together, we can create a coordinated response that supports survivors as post-secondary institutions work to address and prevent campus sexual violence.” – Mary Lobson, Founder of REES
Online reporting is currently available through REES at the following 10 institutions at
Assiniboine Community College, Brandon University, Booth University College, Canadian Mennonite University, Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, Providence University College and Theological Seminary, Red River College, Steinbach Bible College, The University of Winnipeg, University College of the North
The French translation is currently underway and will launch at Universite de Saint-Boniface in the coming months. The University of Manitoba has signed on provisionally and there is no date scheduled for launch.
Funding for the Manitoba initiative is provided by the federal Department of Women and Gender Equality (WAGE).
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For more information:
Mary Lobson
mary@reescommunity.com
204-223-5436
REES Website: https://reescommunity.com
Survey on Individual Safety in the Postsecondary Student Population 2019
