“No Wrong Door”: new policy on reporting sexual violence now open to Red River College students
By Elisabeth Harms
The provincial government passed the Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act this fall, which aims to prevent sexual violence on post-secondary campuses. Red River College has been working on a policy specific to College students called “No Wrong Door”.
Put in place to help sexual assault victims, No Wrong Door emphasizes that there is never a wrong place to go to report sexual violence. It encourages victims to tell someone they trust, whether it is a fellow student, a teacher or someone in the support services office.
The Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Working Group at the Notre Dame Campus put the policy together. Many college groups are involved in creating the new policy, including Safety and Health Services, the Red River College Students’ Association and Human Resources.
Janet Miller, manager of Human Resource Services, said they have been working on No Wrong Door for over a year.
“We believe the No Wrong Door resources and education campaign will help individuals access the supports that they need,” she said.
The college has been promoting this policy as something new on campus. However, some students are not aware of anything new. Abigail Wilson, an electrical engineering technology student, said the most she knows about it is from a poster that has the name of the policy written on it.
Christopher Long, a business student at RRC, thinks the email sent from Paul Vogt in the fall about No Wrong Door was lost in the shuffle.
“I haven’t checked my email in weeks,” he said.
Wilson agreed that the email was not the best way to communicate something — she stopped checking her email midway through the semester.
Neither Long nor Wilson think there is a disadvantage to be at the Roblin Campus, given that organization and writing for the policy has been taking place at the Notre Dame Campus.
“I have met a lot of great teachers and I feel like if something did happen, I would have no problem asking one of them for help,” Long said.
The Security Services and Student Support Services Offices (P210) will offer support to any student who feels they need it. If anyone needs to use these services, the No Wrong Door policy urges them to speak with anyone on campus they trust.
