Module 1: Why should I learn about sexual violence?
The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office – SVPRO – would like to welcome you to Sexual Violence on Campus: Foundations for Education and Support, a series of self-guided modules designed to educate about sexual violence. These modules provide the basics about sexual violence, including its definition as an umbrella term, as well as consent, consent culture, sexual violence myths, and how to seek support on campus. We recognize these may be uncomfortable topics for you to learn about, but we also know how important these topics are to discuss, as awareness can serve as a stepping-stone to education, support, healing, and prevention.
By the end of these modules, you should be able to:
- Recognize the importance of learning about sexual violence.
- Recognize the prevalence of sexual violence, including campus sexual violence.
- Understand the role of the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) at the University of Waterloo.
- Recognize the systemic and marginalizing impacts of Canada’s colonial history on Indigenous peoples, including past and ongoing inflictions of violence.
- Understand the importance of self-care when learning about sexual violence, how to engage in self-care, and where to seek support on campus.
- Understand the definition of sexual violence as an umbrella term, including types and examples.
- Understand consent, recognize how rape culture normalizes sexual violence, and how to foster a consent culture.
- Understand common myths about sexual violence.
We hope this course can provide a baseline understanding of sexual violence for all University of Waterloo members, and can generate continued interest in community learning, response, and action on campus.
For more information about SVPRO, please visit our website
To contact SVPRO, please email svpro@uwaterloo.ca