Violence Prevention

Introduction

The University of Regina is committed to providing a safe and healthy living, learning and working environment which includes minimizing the risk of violence to members of the University community. The University recognizes the destructive nature of violence in our society, and its responsibility to educate and inform the University community on violence and violence prevention.

This policy applies to any person under the University’s direction or who has a relationship with the University and who subjects a student, employee or any other member of the University community to violence in the context of a University matter, whether the violence is alleged to have occurred on or off University property. This includes: (i) students; (ii) employees (faculty, staff, and student employees); (iii) persons who teach and conduct research at the University; (iv) members of the Senate, Board of Governors or other committees of the University; (v) visitors, guests, coaches, clients, customers, suppliers, and volunteers; and (vi) contractors, subcontractors and/or their employees and any persons under contract to the University.

Harassment and discrimination complaints are dealt with under the Respectful University policy. Incidents or threats involving sexual violence are dealt with under the Sexual Violence/Misconduct policy.

Definitions

• Early Intervention Team - the Early Intervention Team (EIT) is a campus-wide group of designated employees trained to identify, evaluate, and address worrisome or high-risk behaviour exhibited by students, faculty, staff, and community members. The EIT works to respond to concerns promptly and deliberately to minimize the risk of violence to University community members.
• SSA - Site Security Assessment - this refers to the process through which the work site is assessed to identify existing or potential hazards and/or threats to safety. This assessment can include reviewing security policies, interviewing personnel, and examining past incidents to gain insights into the site's security with the aim to pinpoint risks and vulnerabilities so that appropriate security measures can be implemented or improved to safeguard the site and its occupants effectively.
• Third Parties - visitors, guests, clients, customers, suppliers, patients, volunteers, contractors, subcontractors and/or their employees and others who are on University property.
• Threats of Violence - any communication or action of intent to injure that gives an employee or student reasonable cause to believe there is a risk of injury. Examples of threats include:
  - direct or indirect threats to inflict pain, injury, damage or other hostile actions on someone, which are delivered in person or through letters, email, phone calls, social media, etc
  - intimidating or frightening gestures such as shaking fists at another person, pounding a desk or counter, punching a wall, angrily jumping up and down, or screaming
  -throwing or striking objects
  -stalking
  -wielding a weapon, or carrying a concealed weapon for the purpose of threatening or injuring a person
• Violence - the attempted, threatened or actual conduct of a person which causes or is likely to cause injury, and includes any threatening statement or behaviour that gives any person reasonable cause to believe that they are at risk of injury (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Section 37).
• VTRA - Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) protocol is a multi-disciplinary model, developed by J. Kevin Cameron and implemented across North America, intended to help communities identify and respond to threats of violence. Several external community partners such as the Regina Police Service, Saskatchewan Health Authority, Regina Public Schools and Regina Catholic Schools use this model as well as other post-secondary institutions including University of Saskatchewan, University of Calgary, York University, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.

Policy

The University will not tolerate or condone any form of violence, and will make every reasonable practicable effort to ensure that no member of the University community is subjected to violence in the University environment.  The University will act quickly to investigate or have Law Enforcement Officers investigate any reports of violence, and will take appropriate corrective action where violence is substantiated.

The University will also act to minimize the psychological and physical harm done to members of the University community if violence does occur.

The University is a large and open community where individuals interact with many other people, increasing the potential for violence. The risk of violence may be increased for University community members who:

• make or transmit decisions about the financial obligations, disciplinary matters, or the academic standing of others
• work directly with money or other valuables
• work or study alone or under other circumstances where they are relatively isolated from the assistance of others
• deal with the public (reception)
• provide security services or crisis counseling and intervention services

The University has a duty to inform employees and students who are identified as being “at risk” to violence. This includes providing information related to the risk of violence posed by persons who have a history of violent behavior and who are likely to be encountered in the course of their work or learning activities. In order to identify the sites or employee and student positions where violence has occurred or may be reasonably expected to occur, a Site Security Assessment (SSA) must be conducted by Protective Services.

(For help in completing the SSA and creating a safety plan, please contact the Director, Protective Services.)

Roles and Responsibilities

University President

• has the power to exclude, as appropriate, any individual presenting a risk of violence from the University

Human Resources

• administer and implement the Violence Prevention Policy for employees
• in collaboration with Protective Services and Health and Safety, provide a leadership role in threat assessment involving employees
• provide advisory services to faculties and departments regarding the development of violence prevention plans including providing employees access to suitable training programs so they can:
  • Understand the provisions and procedures outlined in this policy
  • Identify and de-escalate potentially violent situations.
  • Decrease the likelihood or severity of violence.
  • Report incidents of violence or potential violence.
  • Improve their personal safety measures.

Student Affairs

• administer and implement the Violence Prevention Policy for students
• in collaboration with Protective Services, provide a leadership role in threat assessment involving students
• promote awareness of the Violence Prevention policy to students including providing access to suitable training programs so they can:
  • Understand the provisions and procedures outlined in this policy
  • Identify and de-escalate potentially violent situations.
  • Decrease the likelihood or severity of violence.
  • Report incidents of violence or potential violence.
  • Improve their personal safety measures.

Deans and Directors

• In collaboration with Human Resources, Health and Safety, and Protective Services, ensure orientation and training of employees and students regarding safety and workplace violence prevention.
• ensure that a SSA is conducted by Protective Services where violence has occurred or may be reasonably expected to occur within their areas of jurisdiction
• ensure that violence prevention measures are implemented
• coordinate an update to the SSA and prevention measures when there is a change in circumstances that may affect the health and safety of any member of the University community

Supervisors/Managers

• ensure employees and students in their area or department participate in the SSA and that prevention measures are implemented
• promptly report any instances of violence or potential threats of violence
• recommend to employees and students who are subjected to acts of violence that they seek medical attention or psychological support. The supervisor/manager will document that the employee or student has been advised to seek appropriate support
• inform employees and students about the nature and risk of violence at their place of employment or study
• offer support and training to individuals whose actions may not align with safety protocols, aiming to improve adherence to practices that prioritize safety and security
• ensure employees attend workplace violence prevention training

Employees and Students

• will not engage in verbal threats or physical actions that create hazards for others in the workplace or learning environment
• Must comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 (employees), and comply with the Regulations Governing Discipline for Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct (Students), and follow all University policies and procedures.
• promptly report all violent or potentially violent incidents in accordance with the procedures of this policy, whether or not physical injury occurs

Protective Services

• provide 24-hour service and response to reports of violence or potential acts of violence on campus, including conducting investigations when incidents of violence occur
• collaborating with HR, Student Affairs, Faculties, Departments and Administrative Units and other campus stakeholders, will work to prevent, assess, respond to and help manage any real or potential incidents of violence.
• work with local, provincial and federal authorities in managing violent incidents
• provide expertise in assisting academic and administrative departments in completing a SSA
• participate as a member of EIT
• analyze and report data related to incidences of violence, in cooperation with Health and Safety
• regularly review and monitor the effectiveness of this policy

Health and Safety

• record and work with Protective Services on investigating the root cause of reported incidents of violence
• analyze and report data related to incidences of violence, in cooperation with Protective Services
• use the Emergency Notification System to enhance the U of R’s response to violent incidents
• participate as a member of EIT, as may be required
• connect this policy to the University's Occupational Health and Safety Committee (OHC)
• regularly review and monitor the effectiveness of this policy

Early Intervention Team (EIT)

• comply with the EIT Terms of Reference

Consequences for Noncompliance

All members of the University community are subject to the requirements of this policy. Violations place the University at significant risk and are subject to appropriate corrective administrative, academic or non-academic discipline and could result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of the member’s position with the University, or in the case of a student, an academic suspension or expulsion. The President may ban, as appropriate, any individual presenting a risk of violence from any U of R campus. Significant legal penalties may also be assessed under The Saskatchewan Employment Act and The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.

Processes

Active Emergency Situations

If you experience a current or imminent act of violence on campus:
• FIRST: contact 911 immediately
• THEN: contact Protective Services at 306-585-4999
• LASTLY: inform your supervisor or manager when it is safe to do so

Non-Emergency Situations

If you experience an incident of violence or threat of violence that DOES NOT require an emergency response:
• Inform your immediate supervisor or manager
• Report the incident to Protective Services at 306-585-4999, or by completing the online incident report form.

If a report of violence or threat of violence is received by an immediate supervisor or manager, the following expectations apply:

a) Ensure that the individual making the report is safe and that they are advised to consult their health-care provider for appropriate treatment/post-incident counselling;
b) Ensure that the incident is immediately reported to Protective Services
c) Support the investigation process as required and requested.

Supervisors' initial responsibilities are met upon completion of a), b) and c) above, and no further action should be taken until further instructions are provided by Protective Services.

Protective Services Response

When Protective Services receives a report of violence or threats of violence they will:
a) Provide an immediate and appropriate response following a preliminary assessment of the report of an incident of violence or potential incident of violence. This may require immediate dispatching of Protective Services resources who will take appropriate steps subject to the nature and scope of the reported violence or threat of violence. Their primary objective will be to ensure the safety of individuals, provide any emergency first aid, and to restore order, which may include having violent individual(s) removed from University property;
b) Immediately notify the Director, Protective Services, who shall take appropriate steps to notify the University Executive Team.

Investigating

All reports of incidents or potential incidents of violence in the University community will be assessed and may be investigated.
• Investigations of incidents involving students will follow the procedures outlined in the Regulations Governing Discipline for Academic and Non-Academic Misconduct
• Investigations of incidents involving workplace violence will be dealt with in accordance with applicable University regulations and/or collective agreements.

Prevention and Training

Workplace Violence Prevention Program

Where a risk of violence has been identified, the Dean, Director or designate is responsible for coordinating the development of site-specific violence prevention measures by:

• creating written procedures that include the appropriate response to incidents of violence and procedures for reporting incidents and obtaining assistance
• providing engineering and administrative controls or personal protective equipment which would reasonably be required to reduce the risk of violence
• making any changes to work organization, operating procedures or other administrative arrangements that would reasonably be required to reduce identified risks of violence
• providing training or information to employees and students that includes:
  • the means to recognize potentially violent situations
  • procedures, work practices, administrative arrangements and engineering controls that have been developed to minimize or eliminate the risk of violence
  • the appropriate responses to incidents of violence
  • how to obtain medical or psychological assistance
  • procedures for reporting violent incidents

Training and support for assistance in developing control measures is available by contacting the Director, Protective Services.

Resources

Persons who have experienced or witnessed violence or threats of violence are encouraged to access counseling resources:

Students
Students may access counseling resources via Student Mental Health

Employees
University employees may access counseling resources via the Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

Related Information

• Early Intervention Team (EIT) Terms of Reference ( 462 KB)
• Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA) Fair Notice ( 536 KB)
• U of R VTRA Protocol Flow Chart (requires employee login to URSource)
• Human Resources website (UR Source)
• GOV-100-005 Health and Safety
• GOV-100-018 Sexual Violence/Misconduct
• GOV-100-015 Respectful University