A London MPP wants training for people who serve alcohol to include training on the prevention of sexual violence and harassment.
London West MPP Peggy Sattler (NDP) tabled a private member's bill Thursday that would make sexual violence and harassment prevention training a mandatory part of Smart Serve training.
“Servers, bar owners and bartenders are already required to learn to recognize when somebody has had too much to drink and are trained to intervene to stop alcohol service, and help the guest arrange to get home safely,” said Sattler. “It is a natural extension to expand the training to help those in the industry recognize and intervene safely when their customers are at risk of sexual violence or harassment.”
Sattler's bill, called "The Safe Night Out Act," comes after the Wynne government announced funding to develop voluntary sexual violence prevention training for bartenders and servers. Sattler believes the approach taken by the Liberals doesn't go far enough.
“In Ontario, we know that alcohol or drugs were factors in one in five reported sexual assaults, but the actual incidence is likely to be much, much higher,” said Sattler. “Earlier this week, all three parties recognized Sexual Assault Prevention month. My bill would go a long way to preventing sexual violence and harassment by training bystanders how to intervene when they see someone at risk.”
The bill has the support of the Ontario University Students’ Association. Its president, Andrew Clubine, spoke at Queen's Park on Thursday.
“OUSA is pleased to see MPP Sattler take leadership on this important issue. Bar environments tend to be high-risk areas for sexual violence. By mandating training for management and service staff, the province would be taking a step forward in combatting sexual violence within our communities,” he said.
