• CAF Members and Officers have the Duty to Report when they are aware of another CAF member or officer displaying any inappropriate behaviour. This includes any behaviours that go against the CAF Code of Conduct, and of course includes sexual misconduct.
• Technically, if you are a survivor of sexual abuse or violence, and are also a CAF member, you have a Duty to Report. However, you will never be reprimanded for not fulfilling this duty, as the priority for survivors is that you get the support you need, whatever that looks like.
• You could choose to fulfil the Duty to Report on your own, or you may choose to share what happened to you with another CAF member, who can report for you. Keep in mind that each CAF member who is aware of inappropriate behaviours displayed by another CAF member will have a duty to report it.
• If you have questions about the Duty to Report, the SMSRC is a great resource to walk you through the process. Remember that the counsellors who provide support on the line are civilians, and thus do not have a Duty to Report. This is also true of Athena’s staff, who can provide you with support through the crisis line or full-time services.

In terms of response and investigation...

• If there is an incident that has happened on Base for which you want to call the police, then the military police will be the first responders, as it is within their jurisdiction. However, the pursuit of investigation will be handled by the Canadian Forces National Investigative Services (CFNIS). It is also possible that the case will be transferred out to a CFNIS detachment outside the region, in order to avoid any biases or conflict of interest in investigative processes. Just as with sexual assault, these cases will also be given over to civilian police.
• If an incident occurs off Base, then civilian police will respond to the incident.

In terms of Duty to Report...

• If you are a civilian experiencing abuse by a partner who is in the CAF, you do not have a Duty to Report. However, if another CAF member is aware of what is happening, they will have a Duty to Report.
• If you are a CAF member experiencing abuse by a partner who is also a CAF member, you technically do have a Duty to Report. HOWEVER, just as is in the case of sexual assault, you will never be reprimanded for not fulfilling this duty. The priority will always be to get you the support that you need. If you decide to disclose what is happening to another CAF member, then they will have a Duty to Report, but the priority will continue to be supporting you.
• If you are a CAF member experiencing abuse by a civilian, then there is not a Duty to Report. However, you can still choose to report the violence, and pursue services within the civilian system.

In terms of accessing services and support...

To report something in the CAF, you need to go through professional authorities and/or investigative bodies. This includes:

• Up the Chain of Command
• Canadian Forces National Investigative Services (CFNIS)
• Military Police
• Civilian Police*

*As per the Arbour Report, criminal pursuits of sexual assault should go to the civilian police. They may send the case back to the military police if it is determined that there is no criminal component to pursue. In the absence of criminal findings, CAF bodies can pursue administrative discipline for military infractions.

If you request that military police pursue the investigation exclusively, your wishes will be respected. If however, the suspect is accused, then they will be tried in civilian court.

All calls to the SMSRC are documented in a database that is completely outside the Chain of Command. The SMSRC is also not a reporting mechanism, so when you call in, the only thing that will happen is that you will receive information and support.

You do have the option to call totally anonymously, and the SMSRC will make up an alias for their records. However, if you would like certain referrals, they will need you to provide accurate information so that someone can contact you. The only time that confidentiality may be breached is if a caller is at risk of harming themselves or others, is in imminent danger, of if a minor is in danger. The counsellor can explain this further to you when you call, prior to you disclosing anything.

You can also call the SMSRC for guidance on how to support someone who has experienced abuse. A civilian counsellor will guide you through the best ways to help the person, and will also guide you through your Duty to Report, if you have it.

You can also find information on how to support a survivor in the The Respect in the CAF app

If you’re not sure if what happened to you is sexual assault, or if you’re simply confused on the best way to move forward, that is perfectly okay. You can still call the SMSRC, and speak with a civilian counsellor who can provide you with support and refer you to the supports and services that can best suit your needs. The Respect in the CAF app is filled with information on resources and supports that are available to you, and also has information on how to contact the SMSRC.

• In Canada, there is no Statute of Limitations for sexual assault. This means that you can report a sexual assault at any time, even years after it has happened.
• If there is no criminal component to the incident, meaning that it falls under the category of sexual harassment as opposed to sexual assault, then it can be reported up to one year after the date of the last incident.
• If you are not sure if there is a criminal component involved in what happened to you, the SMSRC can advise you.

• CF Member Assistance Program (CFMAP) is a confidential service, available 24 hours a day/365 days a year. It offers short term counselling to assist with resolving stresses at home and in the workplace.
• Mental health services are available at your regional medical clinic, whether in Canada or abroad. You will receive immediate help, or you will be referred to the proper health service program by a medical doctor.
• The Family Information Line is available to provide information, referrals, and crisis support 24 hours a day.
• The Sexual Misconduct Response and Resource Centre (SMSRC) will support you and help you find a resource that fits your needs.
• Athena’s Sexual Assault Counselling & Advocacy Centre provides free individual counselling to women-identifying individuals who have experienced violence.

• CF Member Assistance Program (CFMAP) is a confidential service, available 24 hours a day/365 days a year. It offers short term counselling to assist with resolving stresses at home and in the workplace.
• Athena’s Sexual Assault Counselling & Advocacy Centre provides free individual counselling to women-identifying individuals who have experienced violence.
• The Family Information Line is available to provide information, referrals, and crisis support 24 hours a day.
• The Sexual Misconduct Response and Resource Centre (SMSRC) will support you and help you find a resource that fits your needs.

Abuse comes in many forms and does not exist in isolation - many forms of abuse are interconnected and overlap. It is important to acknowledge and understand that not all abuse leaves marks – this invites us to think about the ways violence and abuse can happen in subtle or hidden ways.There are many different forms of abuse. Some of the more common forms include:

Physical

• Punching, kicking, shoving or dragging
• Slapping, biting or pulling your hair
• Holding you against your will
• Using a weapon or other objects to threaten or hurt you

Sexual

• Any unwanted activity that violates someone’s sexuality or bodily integrity. It does not have to include physical contact.
• Not letting you say “no” to sex
• Unwanted touching
• Rape
• Sexual Harassment
• Forcing someone to watch pornography

Emotional

• Words/actions/behaviours that affect how we feel. It can coincide with any of these other forms of abuse. It could include threatening to hurt yourself if someone breaks up with you. Everyone has the right to end a relationship that they don’t want to be in.
• Another example is holding the relationship hostage: “if you do or don’t do something, I will break up with you.”

Financial

• Having say over money; not allowing you to have power over decision making/use of money
• Forcing you to pay for them/taking advantage of you with money
• Holding money over your head continuously when they have given you money/gifts/etc...
• Preventing someone from working/earning money

Technology facilitated gender-based abuse

• Abuse that occurs in a digital setting; this could be online, or through a phone, computer

Cultural/Religious

• Ridiculing or insulting another person’s religious or spiritual beliefs
• Preventing the other person from practicing their religion or beliefs
• Using partner’s religious or spiritual beliefs to manipulate/shame them
• Forcing the children to be raised in a faith that the other person has not agreed to
• Use religious texts or beliefs to minimize or rationalize abusive behaviors

• After you report, you should be contacted regularly (at least monthly) with updates on the case. You can ask for fewer or more updates as you wish.
• After you have reported the incident, you will be contacted first to see if you want to participate in the investigation, and if you say no, then the investigation will stop altogether, and your wishes are respected.
• If you decide to move forward with the investigation, then you will continue to receive those regular updates, and you will also be offered different support resources.
• For more extensive information on Sexual Misconduct Response, you can read DAOD 9005-1.

Consent is permission for something to happen. It is both a question, and an answer. Consent should follow the acronym F.E.R.R.I.S:

Freely Given

• This means that you are consenting to something without any pressure, guilt, or threats being made toward you

Engaged

• This means that you are fully aware of what is happening, and you want it to happen

Repeated

• This means that everyone involved is continuously asking for consent. Consent is not something that happens once. It is an ongoing process of checking in

Reversible

• This means that you are free and safe to change your mind at any time. As soon as someone says “no,” or they are “not sure,” the activity stops, and their boundaries are respected.

Informed

• This means that you understand exactly what is about to happen.

Specific

• Just because someone says yes to one thing does not mean they are saying yes to everything.

Intimate partner violence, or intimate partner abuse, refers to abuse that occurs/has occurred in past or present romantic or sexual relationships. This might include sexual abuse, but it can also include any other form of abuse. People also often use this term interchangeably with domestic abuse.

Sexual abuse is any unwanted activity that violates someone’s sexuality or bodily integrity. It can, but does not have to include touching.

The regional Sexual and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre is located at Soldier's Memorial Hospital in Orillia. In addition to evidence collection after a sexual assault, available services include, but are not limited to:

• Crisis support
• Assessment and documentation of injuries/assault history
• Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections
• Emergency contraception options
• Testing for drugs that may have been used to commit the assault
• Risk assessment and safety planning
• Referral to community resources