Dr. Charlene Senn reviews the script with student actors Olivia Sasso and Ewen Van Wagner as they collaborate on a short film that will serve as an educational tool for the Girls Resist program, a key part of Senn's work in sexual assault resistance education.
WINDSOR, Ont. — 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 in 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 (14 and older) across Canada. This funding is part of a larger $14.5 million federal initiative to prevent youth dating violence.
The Girls - Flip the Script with EAAATM 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 to best 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 (2024-2029), contributing $2,495,736 to support the development of new delivery models and rigorous testing of the program in community settings.
Announced by the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, this funding is part of Canada’s ongoing efforts to foster safe environments where young people can develop healthy relationships free from abuse. Minister 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, Vice-President, Research and Innovation at the University of Windsor, said Senn’s research is reshaping how we address sexual violence prevention.
“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 significant funding, Senn was recently recognized as a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Windsor’s Fall Convocation on Oct. 17, 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.