Report Homophobic Violence, Period (RHVP)

Report Homophobic Violence, Period (RHVP) is a reporting, public awareness and education program that focuses on youth ages 13 to 25 and addresses the issue of homophobic and transphobic bullying and violence. It is an initiative of the Toronto Police Service's (TPS) LGBT Community Consultative Committee (CCC), and was developed in partnership with 21 different agencies, community service providers, and community organizations. Today, the RHVP program has over 35 community partner organizations across Canada, and Egale Canada serves as the national dissemination partner, delivering training and materials across Canada.

In September 2007, members of the TPS' LGBT Community Consultative Committee expressed concern about the continued victimization of members of the community in the streets of Toronto. In particular, they reacted to the chilling news that a 13 year old boy just outside the boundaries of the City of Toronto had committed suicide because of homophobic bullying. The CCC recognized that this terrible event was far from unique, and expressed the additional opinion that bullying behavior in our schools acts as a hotbed which eventually could lead to the commission of homophobic/transphobic hate crimes. The RHVP program was their response.

Suicide ideation and attempts among lesbian, gay, bisexual and straight youth Source: Eisenberg & Resnick, 2006

The RHVP program focuses on crime-prevention strategies targeting bullying before it reaches the criminal threshold of a hate/bias crime. RHVP also provides education and awareness regarding patterns of behavior which may lead to the commission of hate crimes. In the case of an offence, the program stresses the need to report hate-motivated incidents and offers a number of options to both victims and witnesses if they do not feel comfortable talking to police. It is designed to empower young people who have been found to experience profound levels of harassment regardless of changing societal attitudes.

According to Statistics Canada: Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation doubled in 2008, and increased by another 18% in 2009. In 2009, 74% of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were violent crimes, with common assault being the most frequent type of violent offence. As a result, 63% of hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation resulted in physical injury to the victim—far more than any other identifiable group. A youth phenomenon: The peak ages of those accused of hate crimes in Canada are 17 and 18; over half of both victims and those accused are between 12 and 22. Educational facilities rank second among offence locations.

The RHVP program has been widely recognized for its innovative approach to engaging youth, community organizations and police in reporting and preventing hate crimes. In particular, the program received the 2008 Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Community Policing Award. In 2010, the International Association of Chiefs of Police's ranked RHVP among the top 10 for the Motorola Webber Seavey Award for quality in law enforcement and community policing excellence.

The results of this program can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. In quantitative terms, the TPS—within six months of the launch of RHVP—noted a 100% increase in police-reported hate crimes against the LGBT community. In qualitative terms, the program has assisted in further strengthening the relationship between the LGBT community and the Service. Success in qualitative terms is also witnessed by the interest of other law enforcement agencies to adopt/adapt the program in their respective jurisdictions. To date, RHVP training and education has been delivered to communities and police services in 10 different cities across Canada.

Example of RHVP Print Material: Windsor, ON

For more information:

• Toronto Police Service RHVP
• Every Class in Every School: The first national climate survey on homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia in Canadian schools
• RHVP on Facebook
• Courage in the Face of Hate

Egale Canada ©2011

Canada's LGBT human rights organization: advancing equality, diversity, education, and justice.