#MeToo making a difference in public awareness of abuse
The #Metoo campaign, which has led women to share stories of sexual harassment and abuse, is making a difference, says the University of Victoria’s Leah Shumka.
“It is an important activist movement,” said Shumka, co-ordinator of UVic’s newly created Sexualized Violence Resource Office. “It is bringing this issue to the forefront.”
She said her office was opened as part of the university’s sexualized-violence prevention and response policy, established this past May.
“We do prevention and education — aimed at students, staff and faculty — but we also are a resource office, so we provide folks who have been impacted by sexualized violence with information and advice around the policy and what potential options and supports are available to them,” Shumka said.
“Our work is very much focused on the campus community, but definitely links in and complements a lot of the approaches that are happening in the community, around taking survivor-centred and trauma-informed approaches to this issue.”
The university also has a long-serving Anti-Violence Project run by the UVic Students’ Society.
From a police perspective, people with concerns should feel free to talk to officers, said Victoria Police Department acting spokesman Bowen Osoko.
That can include reacting to a workplace incident involving someone you know or one involving a stranger on the street, Osoko said.
“The first thing for people to know is that no matter what happens, no matter what choices they make, the approach that the police department will have is we’ll believe them when they report to us and we’ll connect them to resources.”
Anyone faced with a dangerous circumstance should do whatever it takes to get to safety, and then seek help, Osoko said.
“If that means going to a home or a business, do it,” he said. “And when it doubt, call 911.”
He pointed to the scenario of a woman in a bar feeling uncomfortable on a date.
“If they don’t feel right, talk to the server, talk to the bartender.”
Other options for dealing with a situation are calling a non-emergency police line or a local agency, Osoko said.
He said Victoria has many agencies that can help in an assault situation.
Some people find that self-defence courses are a good option for making them feel safer, Osoko said.
“Anything that helps someone feel confident and safe and calm, especially in a crisis, is going to be helpful.”
In 2016, Saanich police dealt with a string of sexual assaults and indecent acts around Gordon Head, including an incident on Church Avenue that led to advisories at the University of Victoria.
Saanich police Acting Sgt. Jereme Leslie said at the time that the women affected by the indecency and groping showed courage in coming forward to tell their stories.
Generally speaking, said Victoria police Det. Sgt. Kristi Ross, the responding officer will be the one to take the report from an assault victim.
“We always immediately try and get the survivor hooked up with the victim-services agency,” such as the Men’s Trauma Centre or the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, Ross said.
Often, a survivor will contact a victim services agency first, she said, and get help in making a report to police.
“It allows the survivor to get that initial support.”
The University of Victoria deals with issues that arise on campus through the Sexualized Violence Resource Office, Shumka said.
Here are some agencies that can be contacted: • Victoria Sexual Assault Centre — 250-383-5545/Crisis Line 250-383-3232 • Men’s Trauma Centre — 250-381-6367 • Victoria Women’s Transition House — 250-592-2927; 24-hour crisis and information line — 250-385-6611 • Salt Spring Island Transition House — 250-537-0735 • Sandy Merriman House Emergency Shelter for Women — 250-480-1408 • Peers Victoria Resources Society — 250-388-5325