If you are already familiar with the Violence Free project, you may have downloaded the intervention and awareness-raising tools specially created by the YWCA Montreal to help prevent sexual violence within post-secondary settings. These tools are now found on a new online platform that offers many more resources relevant to your mandate of fighting and preventing sexual violence.
You enjoyed the layout of the content on the original webpage, giving you access to clearly categorized resources? This article gathers all the tools that were offered through the first phase of the project to help facilitate a seamless transition to the new platform.
Prevention, intervention, and awareness-raising tools
The new Violence Free platform is a repertoire of resources created and selected by the YWCA Montreal to help optimize your sexual violence prevention and intervention efforts.
If you are not yet familiar with the project, here you will discover ample content addressing issues related to sexual violence, either offered by other organizations or developed by the YWCA Montreal.
Tools created by the YWCA Montreal
Through the first phase of the Violence Free project, we designed practical tools for intervention workers in their sexual violence prevention efforts. These resources offer ready-made workshop activities, printable informative documents, as well as hands-on strategies for making complex concepts more accessible for various audiences. The first phase of the project was made possible thanks to funding from the Secrétariat à la condition féminine du Québec.
On the original webpage, we organized the tools into three main categories. First, the resources explored the fundamental concepts related to sexual violence. Then, the tools dove deeper into complexities surrounding the issue. The final section highlighted intervention approaches for supporting people who have experienced sexual violence.
The fundamentals
- An instructional document offering multiple definitions, accompanied by a quiz activity to help complete concretize your overall understanding of sexual violence.
- An informative poster, along with a repertoire of written and video testimonials, illustrating the potential impacts of sexual violence.
The complexities
- An activity on the abuses of power, designed to help you better identify unhealthy relationship patterns.
- An informative document on intersectionality and systemic oppressions, designed to broaden the scope of your awareness-raising activities to those most affected by sexual violence.
Intervention approaches
- An activity about reactions to disclosures, giving examples of what to say, or not say, when someone confides in us that they have been sexually assaulted.
- An activity on bystander intervention, offering scenarios and strategies for how to intervene when witnessing inappropriate behavior.
A new way to navigate resources
On this new platform, you will find all the tools created by the Violence Free project by browsing the resource directory. For quick access during your next visits, use the menu to filter the results and click on the box “Resources created by the YWCA Montreal”. All our resources are identified by a blue bookmark.
In addition to our in-house tools, we have consolidated resources from a variety of organizations to ensure a wide diversity of content, all while considering the topics that are most pertinent for your sexual violence intervention work. You can browse the many resources by using search filters and targeting specific themes. The articles also offer a wealth of knowledge and highlight organizations offering specialized services and/or immediate support for survivors.
The organizations that were listed at the bottom of the previous Violence Free webpage are now found in the “support” tab. Resources that apply to all of Canada have also been added.
There you go! All you have left to do is explore the platform to better equip yourself in your sexual violence prevention and intervention work. Send us comments, suggestions for additional resources, and stay tuned for new content!
This project was possible thanks to Women and Gender Equality Canada.
