Sexualized Violence Policy

Consent means an active, direct, voluntary, un-coerced, ongoing, unimpaired and conscious choice and agreement between individuals to engage in sexual activity. Consent can be withdrawn at any point.

Sexual Assault means any form of sexual contact without consent from all parties, and can include:

• Acquaintance sexual assault: sexual contact that is forced, manipulated, or coerced by a partner, friend or acquaintance;
• Drug-facilitated sexual assault: the use of alcohol and/or drugs by a person to control, overpower or subdue a person for sexual purposes.

Sexual Harassment means a course of unwanted remarks, behaviours, or communications of a sexual nature and/or a course of unwanted remarks, behaviours or communications based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression where the person responsible for the remarks, behaviours, or communications knows or ought reasonably to know that these are unwanted. It includes, but is not limited to:

• Sexual solicitations, advance, remarks, suggestive comments and gestures (including songs and chants);
• The inappropriate display of sexually suggestive images or objects;
• Non-consensual posting and/or distribution of sexually explicit pictures, video, aggressive comments, or slurs on any form of social media;
• Unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature; and
• Sexual conduct that interferes with an individual’s dignity or privacy.

Sexualized violence refers to any sexual act or act targeting a person’s sexuality, whether the act is physical, verbal, or psychological in nature, which is committed, threatened or attempted against a person without the person’s consent. Sexualized violence includes, but is not limited to:

• Sexual assault
• Sexual harassment 
• Stalking
• Indecent exposure 
• Voyeurism 
• Distribution of a sexually explicit photograph or recording