What is the sexual abuse prevention program?

The Ontario College of Teachers has partnered with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection on the development and deployment of an online sexual abuse prevention program. It will be available starting on January 3, 2022.

Completion of the program is a new requirement to be eligible for certification by the College. Individuals who are members of the College as of January 3, 2022 must successfully complete the program by August 31, 2022. Applicants and re-applicants must successfully complete the program to be eligible for certification by the College. Successful completion of the program requires passing the assessment component with a minimum score of 80 per cent. Multiple attempts can be taken if necessary.

This program, and related content such as the Professional Boundaries professional advisory, are firmly anchored in the College’s Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and will be familiar to Ontario Certified Teachers.

The program consists of a series of video modules, each with a distinct focus on subjects that include how to recognize when a student may be disclosing that they have been abused and how healthy relationships with trusted adults can help individuals who have experienced abuse successfully recover.

It will take approximately three hours to complete. It can be completed all at once or taken over multiple sessions. The program concludes with an assessment component that requires a minimum score of 80 per cent for the program to be considered complete. It can be taken multiple times if necessary.