Sexual violence reporting app for campuses set to be rolled out in BC

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A sexual violence reporting app could soon be available at post-secondary campuses in British Columbia.

The SafeSpace app offers three options: to record sexual assault, report it electronically to authorities, or to only report it if the perpetrator is identified by another user.

It’s already being used at some post-secondary institutions in the United States, including Stanford University.

Steve Hardy is with RallyEngine, the group partnering with not-for-profit Callisto to start rolling out the technology at Canadian campuses this summer.

“The purpose of it is really to provide survivors of sexual assault with a safe space for them to gradually fill out details about the incident and to build a draft,” Hardy says.

“They may choose to never report. They may choose to delete it. They may choose to submit it to a reporting authority or they may opt to wait for others. Then our system would be able to identify any commonalities as far as an alleged perpetrators, so that survivor isn’t alone in coming forward to the reporting authority with their report.”

He says the app doesn’t replace existing reporting methods.

“It’s really a personal preference thing. So it doesn’t remove any other options.”

“This adds another option for (survivors) to be able report, to do it at their own pace, and in a very secure setting where they own the data while it’s in that draft form.”

The partnership and roll-out was announced in Ottawa on June 12.

Hardy says so far, the most interest has come from institutions in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.

“The provinces that have legislation that requires sexual violence policies at post-secondary institutions. The interest is strongest in those provinces.”

Hardy says while there have been positive talks with institutions in BC, nothing has been officially signed yet in the province.

“Our longer term vision would be that this extends behind campuses and is available more widely and to other types of organisations as well as to other reporting authorities.”

App doesn’t look at bigger picture: rape crisis centre

Sambriddhi Nepal with WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre has some questions about the app.

“Ending sexualised violence isn’t the point of this app, but I think it’s important to think about where this fits in the larger structure of our society. And if we’re wanting to change society, this isn’t going to be a way to do it.”

She’s concerned the technology isn’t looking at the bigger picture.

“On the surface, the promise of confidentiality and supposedly a trauma-informed platform, it looks good. But it’s not getting to the heart of the problem when you’re talking about sexual assault.”

Nepal says SafeSpace is another tool that allows women to report violence, but there’s no indication of what happens after they do.

“Platforms aren’t trauma-informed, people are. And women deserve to have access to compassionate, professional care by people following a sexual assault, not just from an app that tells them it believes them or something.”

WAVAW has a two-year waiting list for its counselling services.

“It’s not enough to tell (women) that reporting to an app will make them feel better because what will actually make them feel better is coming to see a counsellor and having wrap-around emotional care after an experience of trauma.”

Report to police: RCMP

The Vancouver Police Department isn’t familiar with the SafeSpace app, but a spokesman encourages anyone who feels they have been a victim of a crime to report the information to their local police.

In a statement, an RCMP spokesman says given significant security, privacy and investigational integrity concerns, the RCMP does not have an online system of reporting serious crime, and that victim support and advocacy groups can provide assistance should someone not feel comfortable coming forward to police on their own.

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