GBV community risk assessmeNt project

Possibility Seeds’ Courage to Act project led the first national research-to-action project on gender-based violence (GBV) and sexualized violence (SV) community risk assessments for post-secondary settings.

Existing risk assessment tools have limited applicability to post-secondary institutions as they do not address the nuanced experiences of racialized, gender diverse, and/or disabled students and staff on campus; are often optimized to assess risk of specific populations; or are intended to be used by law enforcement. We needed a tool that, while structured and empirically supported, did not rely on criminality, especially as many survivors of violence within PSIs know their assailants.

Possibility Seeds developed the first non-forensic risk tool that considers the unique context of a post-secondary institution. It assesses community risk in a survivor-centered and trauma- and violence-informed way, and provides a strong starting point for assessing risks for GBV and SV at the individual and institutional levels.

Project RESOURCES

The Research Team

Jesmen Mendoza, PhD (he/him)
Project Co-Lead

Psychologist, Toronto Metropolitan University

Sandy Jung, PhD (she/her)
Project Co-Lead

Professor and Associate Dean, Research, MacEwan University

Ruchika Gothoskar, MA (she/her)
Research Assistant


  • Alyssa Victorino (she/they), BA Psychology Student (Minor in Sociology, Certificate in Social Justice), Simon Fraser University

    Amal Elmi (she/her), Senior Equity Advisor, Gender and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, Carleton University

    Carla Bertsch (she/her) Coordinator, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Support and Support Office, University of Calgary

    Chris Hackett (he/him), Acting Director, Student Conduct and Accountability, University of Alberta

    Imre Juurlink (she/her), Manager of the Student Conduct and Care Office, Vancouver Island University

    Julie Blais (she/her), Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, cross-appointed with Law, Justice, and Society, Dalhousie University

    Krystal Lowe (she/her), Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative Coordinator & MSc Student, Forensic Psychology, Saint Mary's University

    Marcia Boniferro (she/her), Manager, Office of Student Care, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Mary Ann Campbell, PhD (she/her), Full Professor in Department of Psychology and Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies, University of New Brunswick (Saint John Campus)

    Nimrit Basra (she/they), Undergraduate Student, Simon Fraser University

    Paula Lam (she/her), Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Coordinator, University of Toronto

    Sarah Wolgemuth (she/her), MEd, Assistant Dean, Student Life, Office of the Dean of Students, University of Alberta.

    Vanita Clare (she/her), PhD Student, Political Science, University of Toronto

About Us

Possibility Seeds’ Courage to Act is a multi-year national project to address and prevent gender-based violence on post-secondary campuses in Canada. The project builds on Possibility Seeds’ landmark report, “Courage to Act: Developing a National Framework to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence at Post-Secondary Institutions.” The Courage to Act project is made possible through funding from Women and Gender Equality Canada.