The Public Health Agency of Canada is throwing its support and money behind a University of Windsor project aimed at ending dating violence.
Minister for the Status of Women, Maryam Monsef announced $991,017 for "Girl, you got this!", a program focused on helping girls aged 14 to 17 resist sexual coercion and assault.
Another project called, "Flip the Script" educates university-aged women in small group settings over several sessions. The University of Windsor said the program, also known as "Enhanced Access, Acknowledge, Act", has been found to reduce the incidence of sexual assault significantly.
Postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Sara Crann plans to adapt that program for a younger audience and deliver it through organizations in the community that serve girls and women and school boards across the province.
"High school is a critical period for sexual violence prevention because rates of coercion and assault are particularly high during adolescence," said Dr. Crann.
The funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada will fund research to adapt, test, and evaluate the new program.
