52 Sexual Violence and Safety

Although Cambrian’s staff and faculty will continuously strive to make your campus a safe, comfortable, and secure space, instances of gender-based violence and other unwanted sexual experiences are, unfortunately, realities for some students. It’s also important to keep in mind that instances of sexual violence are usually perpetrated by somebody close to us, which may come across as surprising! A great first step to avoiding these harmful situations is understanding how to keep yourself and your peers as safe and protected as possible.

Information and details about Cambrian’s commitments to survivors of sexual assault and resources can be found here.

Ontario’s definition of sexual violence is “any sexual act or act targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity or gender expression, whether the act is physical or psychological in nature, that is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s Consent, and includes things such as: Sexual Violence; Sexual Harassment; stalking; indecent exposure; voyeurism; and, sexual exploitation.”

 

Sexual violence can take on many forms:

Staying Safe

• Be aware of your surroundings. When you’re navigating campus or its surrounding areas, stay alert of who and/or what is around you. If you’re walking alone, only use headphones in one ear and don’t be glued to your phone.
• Be wary about posting your location. Many social media apps such as Snapchat and FaceBook automatically update and publicly share your location with your friends. Disabling this feature is always a safer option.

Social Settings

• Only go to parties with people that you know and trust. Make a plan to stick together and leave together. If these plans change, communicate with your whole group to ensure that you all know where each person is.
• If you have a drink, don’t leave it unattended. It’s best to decline drinks offered to you by strangers unless you watched them being made or poured.
• You’re allowed to lie. If you and/or a friend are in an uncomfortable or potentially frightening/dangerous situation, it’s okay to make up an excuse to leave that environment as quickly as possible. Here are some example excuses you can use to avoid an unwanted situation or interaction:
  • You/your friend don’t feel well
  • You’re late for something and need to hurry
  • You need to take/make an important phone call

• In these situations, being a positive bystander is also essential.

This can look like:

• • Breaking up situations in which one or more people appear uncomfortable
  • Checking in with a victim of sexual violence and offering your support
  • If it’s safe, calmly calling out unwanted behaviour

After a Sexually Violent Encounter

• In the immediate aftermath of an unwanted sexual encounter, it’s important to relocate to a safe and secure place that will ideally bring a sense of normalcy and stability.
  • If you are on or off-campus, call or go to a trusted individual or friend; or
  • If you are on the Barrydowne campus, you can call Campus Security Services at 705-566-8101, ext. 7911 – they are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; or
  • If you are elsewhere, you can call Emergency Services at 911
• Get medical attention as soon as possible.
  • Go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department.
    • For the Sudbury area, go to Health Sciences North Emergency Department triage (41 Ramsey Lake Rd), and ask to have the Violence Intervention and Protection Program (VIPP) Nurse on-call paged. The VIPP nurse will respond within 30-45 minutes to meet with you to discuss your treatment and support. The hospital is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Assessment is confidential.
    • In Espanola, go to the Emergency Department of the Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre located at 825 McKinnon Dr. The hospital is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    • In Little Current, go to the Emergency Department of the Manitoulin Health Centre located at 11 Meredith Street. The Centre is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • You can also call the VIPP unit directly at 705-675-4743, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or contact them at the following email address: dvsatprogram@hsnsudbury.ca
• Gather as much information about the occurrence as possible. If possible or applicable, it’s always helpful to compile evidence of communication, details about the perpetrator’s identity and appearance, and any other relevant pieces of information about the situation.
• Consider Reporting
  • If you want to report, you have several options that you can proceed with as soon as you are ready. The following areas can help you file reports:
    • Manager, Equity, Human Rights and Accessibility at 705-566-8101, ext. 7235, Mondays to Fridays from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, or
    • Campus Security Services 705-566-8101, ext. 7298 after 4:30 p.m. on weekdays or anytime on weekends, or
    • Residence Service Desk and ask for the on-call Manager at 705-566-8101, ext. 7583, or
    • Students’ Administrative Council (SAC) at 705-566-8101, 7729, or
  • Local Police Services:
    • In Sudbury, call 705-675-9171
    • In Espanola, call 705-869-3251
    • In Little Current, call 1-888-310-1122
  • We strongly encourage you to disclose and report incidents of sexual violence; however, it is entirely up to you if you choose to do so. We recognize that this may be emotionally difficult and you may want to reach out to the resources available to you. We also encourage you to seek out support, including College and Community Services.
• Keep in mind that what happened, whether it was to you or someone you know, was not your fault.