Sexual Assault Resistance Education
Posted on: Jun 2, 2016
As many as one in three women and one in six men will experience sexual violence before graduating from university. Concordia recognizes that gender equality and a culture of consent are the best tools for eliminating sexual violence. In November 2015, the Board approved Concordia's Sexual Violence Policy and Procedures. Concordia is taking direct action to reduce sexual violence by implementing the Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) Sexual Assault Resistance Education Program. The EAAA education program is an empircally based intervention designed specifically for first-year university women. The EAAA program is based on theory, research evidence, and best practices for helping women resist acquaintance sexual assault. The EAAA program is the only program available evaluated in a clinical trial and shown to significantly reduce the incidence of rape and other forms of sexual assault for at least one year. Concordia's Dean of Students, Barb van Ingen, is attending 7 days of train-the-trainer instruction at the University of Windsor, and upon her return will implement the EAAA program at Concordia. It is a critical piece of Concordia's comprehensive strategy to address sexual violence.