New Safety Measures for Large Events-Project SoundCheck

Summer is here, and Project SoundCheck™ is full in swing in its third season working with local events! Working with the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women and the Sexual Assault Network, Project SoundCheck™ continues to provide the local festival and fair community with the training, tools and skills to identify and intervene in cases of sexual violence that occur at large events. This work could not be possible without the support of Crime Prevention Ottawa. In 2014 local Ottawa research was released by Dr. Kari Sampsel, which pointed to high rates of sexual assaults at large events like festivals. Specifically the research found that 25% of those who were treated for sexual assault said that it happened at a large event. To add to this, over 60% suspected they had been drugged, and only 1/3 of those harmed knew the person who perpetrated the sexual assault. More recently, a survey done by the Montreal Women’s Council found that over 50% of women have experienced sexual harassment at outdoor festivals. Bystander intervention practices at music festivals are spreading across Canada – from all-female safety teams at Osheaga, to public awareness at Sled Island, it has become a key part in safety planning for large events. Over the years, Project SoundCheck™ has made some wonderful partnerships with events all around Ottawa. Festivals like RBC Bluesfest, Cityfolk, Escapade, Hope Volleyball Summerfest and Ottawa Explosion are just a few of the many festivals that we've already trained in the 2017 season. As a result, Ottawa has become a leading city in an international discussion about reducing sexual violence that occurs around music festivals. This year, Ottawa is still expecting thousands of tourists to enjoy the summer weather at our many festivals and fairs. And we’re excited to announce that we are growing and we want to reach out to even more large events to help make the summer safe and fun for all. Are you an organizer for a large event, music festival or summer fair? Are you wondering how you can make your event even safer? Project SoundCheck™ can help your event prevent sexual violence through 30 minute bystander intervention trainings for your staff and volunteers, can help with your social media messaging and provide you with resources such as tip cards on how to prevent sexual harassment and violence at your event. Catch us at projectsoundcheckottawa@gmail.com – let’s partner up and prevent violence together! http://www.projectsoundcheck.ca/