As we head into Halloween weekend, one of the highest-risk times of year for sexualized violence, the UVSS Board of Directors calls on our entire student body to commit to active prevention and community care, this weekend and moving forward.
Recent coverage of sexualized violence on university campuses is a stark reminder of how it affects post-secondary communities. As an undergraduate community, we refuse to accept this as the status quo. Prevention starts well before Halloween, through consent culture and education, and continues after by believing and supporting survivors. To start building this culture, here are some things you can do this Halloween:
- Prioritize ongoing consent and care in every social interaction.
- Confront harmful behaviour within your social circles instead of staying silent.
- Use bystander intervention techniques, such as the Four Ds (direct, distract, delegate, delay), outlined in the resources below.
Resources:
- Right To Be, Bystander Intervention Training: https://righttobe.org/guides/bystander-intervention-training/
- Anti-Violence Project Support: https://www.antiviolenceproject.org/support/supporting-a-survivor/
- Please call the Victoria-based Community-Led Crisis Response Team at 250-818-2454, the Vancouver Island Crisis Line at 1-888-494-3888, or 911 if you require immediate support.