Improving sexual assault prevention, intervention by conducting risk assessments: Editorial

With the academic year well underway, Sandy Jung (MacEwan University) and Jesmen Mendoza (Toronto Metropolitan University) highlight the need for improved sexual assault prevention and intervention, especially at the start of the school year. Jung and Mendoza write that approximately 50% of sexual assaults on campus occur at the beginning of the academic year. The authors discuss the development of a recently-released tool”the Gender-based and Sexualized Violence Community Risk Assessment Tool”that colleges and universities can use to conduct risk assessments on campus. By conducting a risk assessment early, Jung and Mendoza explain that institutions will be better equipped to make decisions about their learning environment, policies and procedures, and student supports to the benefit of the entire campus community.