U of L, college adopt anonymous reporting tool for sexual and gender based violence

By Theodora MacLeod - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on September 7, 2023.

Herald photo by Theodora MacLeod Wellness services manager Carmen Guenther has been part of the initiative to incorporate the REES online reporting tool at Lethbridge College.

In response to a report released by the provincial government on sexual and gender-based violence on post-secondary campuses, The University of Lethbridge and Lethbridge College have implemented a new reporting platform.

REES (Respect, Education, and Empower Survivors) Campus allows survivors to anonymously document their experiences and access supportive resources.

The provincial report, which was released in early August, found that 50 per cent of students have reported experiencing sexual or gender-based violence since attending post-secondary, a statistic that is higher than the 43 per cent average of Albertans. Women, girls, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities are more likely to face sexual and gender-based violence both in general and in post-secondary institutions.

At the college, manager of wellness services,Carmen Guenther says, “our top priority is making sure students know they have choice and options, and that all of our supports are survivor centred.” She adds that the REES online service is also available to college staff.

Across the coulee, the U of Le’s executive director of student services Mark Slomp says the numbers from the provincial report weren’t at all surprising. “This is a societal issue and concern that we as an institution really want to make sure we are addressing in a really robust way.”

One of the approaches the university has taken is mandating sexual violence training amongst students. “Every student this year has taken the training. That’s a really important step. We do ongoing policy reviews as well; we are always looking for ways to improve our services and supports,” explains Slomp. “As part of that review we brought on REES.”

Though REES provides survivors the option to send their report to both their institution and local police, the service is anonymous, and users are not required to provide a narrative report to utilize the supports offered. Opting to connect their report to their campus, however, may lead to the perpetrator’s identity being flagged in the event there have been repeat offenses.

While the U of L has long offered supports for students facing the impact of sexual and gender-based violence, Slomp feels REES may improve access for students.

“It provides a central repository of resources and supports and reporting options. It gives students the choice as to whether or not they want to make a complaint or file a report. It gives them the agency to decide the information that they want to share with others.”

The addition of REES to wellness services offered to students at the university does not, however replace important roles such as the sexual and gender-based violence prevention coordinator, Courtney Smith’s. Smith explains that she connects students with psychologists and social workers and acts as a liaison between professors and the survivor, ensuring they are supported academically as they navigate their healing.

Currently five of Alberta’s 26 post-secondary institutions have implemented REES as part of their student wellness initiatives.