Researchers secure $2.5 million to advance groundbreaking sexual violence prevention program

Student actors Olivia Sasso and Ewen Van Wagner review with Charlene Senn a script for an educational film on sexual assault resistance.

Two University of Windsor professors will further their innovative work in sexual assault resistance education thanks to a $2.5 million investment from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Charlene Senn, a professor of psychology and women’s and gender studies, and Sara Crann, an adjunct professor of psychology, will use the funding to expand the Girls - Flip the Script with EAAA program, a sexual assault resistance initiative designed for high school-aged girls across Canada. The funding is part of a larger $14.5 million federal initiative to prevent youth dating violence.

The Girls - Flip the Script with EAAA program empowers girls with the knowledge and skills to trust their own judgement and effectively resist acquaintance sexual assault. The program will now be delivered by different types of community-based organizations beginning in Ontario and British Columbia. The initiative will assess how best to deliver the program in community settings and evaluate the program’s effects on 1,000 adolescent girls in those communities.

“We know from our previous research that Flip the Script works. Young women in university who participate in the program are significantly less likely to experience sexual assault,” said Dr. Senn. “This funding allows us to expand the program’s reach to adolescent girls in the community and gives us the opportunity to work with community organizations to ensure the program can be delivered effectively to even more young women across the country in the future.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s investment will fund this project over the next five years, contributing $2,495,736 to support the development of new delivery models and rigorous testing of the program in community settings.

Announced by Ya'ara Saks, federal minister of mental health and addictions, this funding is part of Canada’s ongoing efforts to foster safe environments where young people can develop healthy relationships free from abuse.

Saks emphasized the importance of supporting interventions like Flip the Script in empowering youth and preventing dating violence.

“Young people deserve to grow up in safe, nurturing environments, free from the fear of violence and abuse, especially in their romantic relationships. By supporting these 11 initiatives, we are giving young people across Canada more tools and resources to foster healthy relationships and build a better, safer future for themselves and their communities,” said Saks.

Shanthi Johnson, UWindsor vice-president, research and innovation, said Senn’s research is reshaping how sexual violence prevention is addressed.

“The Flip the Script program has empowered countless girls and women, and with this new phase, it will reach even more young people,” Dr. Johnson said. “This is a powerful example of how research at the University of Windsor is making a tangible difference in communities.”

In addition to receiving this funding, Senn was recently recognized as a Distinguished University Professor at the UWindsor Oct. 17 Convocation ceremony, further highlighting her outstanding contributions to research and education.

For more information about the program and upcoming developments, visit the Sexual Assault Resistance Education Centre website.

Courtesy: https://www.uwindsor.ca/dailynews/2024-10-22/researchers-secure-25-million-advance-groundbreaking-sexual-violence-prevention-program