Humber’s Committee on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence wants to make more people aware of their team and services.
It’s important to make the resources and services for sexual violence (SV) survivors accessible on and off campus, said Sara Varvaris, who along with Bianca Scotland are co-chairs of the Sexual Violence Student Supports Working Group (SVSSWG) and care coordinators.
“Our goal is to identify, develop, and foster survivor-centred and trauma-informed practices, programs, and initiatives in collaboration with various departments across the college to support SV survivors,” Varvaris said. “We approach our work from an intersectional, feminist, and anti-oppressive framework, and implement student feedback in the work we do."
They acknowledge and appreciate the variety of perspectives and personal experiences within Humber's student community, and are dedicated to supporting survivors of SV to create a safer space at Humber/UGH, Varvaris said.
SVSSWG had a collaboration with Humber’s Community Outreach Workforce and Development (COWD) department.
“COWD’s Community Partnership team partnered with the Ontario Government to run a tuition-free Plumber Pre-Apprenticeship program for low-income women,” Scotland said. “Humber received funding for running the program to provide education about SV and domestic violence (DV) to participants, to address gender-based violence in a preventative and responsive manner.”
In a Survey of Safety in Public and Private Spaces in 2018, one in three women and one in eight men experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in public. The survey reported one in five victims of sexual assault, both women and men, felt blamed for their victimization. In most situations, the feeling comes from the perpetrator or the victim's friends or family.
As care coordinators, SV and DV can impact one’s mental and physical health, finances, housing situation, family dynamics and academics, Varvaris said.
“Care Coordinators provide survivor-centric, trauma-informed support for students who have been impacted by sexual violence and assist in accessing academic considerations, reporting options, health services, safety planning, and additional resources at the college and in the community,” she said.
Students dealing with harassment or other issues affecting their well-being and academic experience can stay in touch with a Care Coordinator to ensure they receive the support they need and are linked to relevant resources both on campus and in the community, Varvaris said.
However, many Humber students are not aware of the resources and services that focus on violence and harassment.
Ishani Subedi, a second-year student in the Early Childhood Education program, said she never knew about the committee and she feels motivated to educate herself on it.
“I’m gonna learn about it and explore what it is,” she said. “If there’s ever a chance where I need it, it’ll be helpful to me and I can even share it with my friends.”
Students who experience or know someone who has been harassed can connect with a care coordinator to discuss reporting options and support available by visiting the Office of Student Community Standards, Scotland said.
“We recognize it takes a tremendous amount of courage to come forward and seek support, and we want students to know that they are not alone,” she said. “We are always looking for feedback from students to inform the services, initiatives, and programming that Humber offers to support survivors of SV and DV.”
If students are interested in seeking care coordinator services, visit https://humber.ca/care/ or email care@humber.ca To learn more about the SVSSWG and how to get involved, please email Bianca.Scotland@humber.ca and Sara.Varvaris@humber.ca.
