Students demand better consent education and tougher action against perpetrators
- Gurshabad Kang
- May 18, 2022
- 4 min read
Sexual assault is unfortunately prevelant in educational institutes across Canada, and even the world. It’s a shame that students do not feel safe and supported in an environment they spend an immense amount of time in. Educational systems are being called out for sloppy protocols and inadequate training and support when it comes to dealing with sexual assualt. Students have a right to feel safe and protected in schools while they seek education at any level.
According to Statistics Canada, “About 1 in 10 (11%) students who identify as women at Canadian postsecondary schools were sexually assaulted in a postsecondary setting in 2019, compared with 4% of students who identify as men. The majority (71%) of students witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours—either on or off campus, or in an online situation that involved students or other people associated with the school. More women (45%) than men (32%) personally experienced these kinds of behaviours, which include inappropriate verbal or non-verbal communication, sexually explicit materials, and physical contact or suggested sexual relations.”
Sexual violence became a huge discussion among post secondary schools after the incidents that unfolded at Western University in September 2021. More than 10,000 students walked out of class demanding better sexual violence education and stricter protocols against perpetrators. Allegedly, more than 30 first year students, all female, were drugged and dozens were assaulted during orientation week. Police were involved and an investigation conducted however, no one came forward, which is not uncommon when it comes to cases of sexual violence. Victims do not feel supported or heard and therefore do not come forward.
Eventually, competing narratives drown out the voices of the victims and people end up believing the narrative that best suits their perception. Such incidents trigger a larger conversation around rape culture and complacency on university/college campuses.
Sexual assault is the most underreported crime in Canada, and even more so on campuses, where less than 8% of students who experienced it told someone associated with the school.
The process of reporting sexual assualt is very confusing, duanting and flawed. It almost feels like institutions want to make it harder for victims, not the perpetrators. According to most post-secondaries, there is two types of “reporting”:
“Disclosing”, meaning telling someone in a position of authority such as, a RA, a professor, or someone in student health services or the sexual violence office
“Reporting”, meaning a disclosure to a specific channel in order to start an investigation.
A student must officially report and follow up in order for the university to start taking any action. Even then, it’s often the survivors who have to prove their experience to be true and face their trauma head on in order to get justice. Universities claim to believe survivors but oftentimes victim-blaming questions are part of the discourse.
The incidents at Western University are not an anomaly; reports of spiked drinks at the University of Guelph, a sexual assault arrest at the University of Saskatchewan, and the protests at Bishop’s University were also reported in the same time span.
This is not just a Canadian issue. University and college students all around the world are demanding educational institutes to do better and take the sexual violence crisis seriously.
Consultation conducted by Revolt Sexual Assault and The Student Room, generating a final sample of 4,491 students and recent graduates across 153 different institutions found 62% of all students and recent graduates have experienced sexual violence in UK universitites, along with other alarming statistics.
“Current and former students say they feel let down after reporting rape and abuse to their university, with cases not taken seriously enough and not enough care taken to keep alleged perpetrators away from victims. Others said they did not feel comfortable or have enough trust in the process to make a report in the first place.” according to research conducted by The Independent.
This is not just a college or university problem because sexual violence happens K- 12. The biggest barrier in dealing with sexual violence is the lack of consent and sexual violence education in elementay and secondary institutions, who also struggle with sexual misconduct. The focus needs to shift from a defensive stance to a preventative one. There needs to be a shift from band-aid solutions to an unbiased deep dive into the issue.
A 2021 study from the University of Calgary found that one in three youth in Grades 9 and 10 had experienced adolescent dating violence. Another alarming statistic that highlights the importance of consent education is that only one in three people in Canada understand what it means to give consent to sexual activity.
These conversations need to start young and need to be a mandatory part of the curriculum if we want to see any changes. The sexual violence crisis is worsening day by day and those in power seem to not have any grasp regarding long term solutions. Instead of deterring the perpetrators, often the ownance falls on the ones at risk to avoid sexual violence. Advice such as – avoid going out at night, don’t wear suggestive clothing, don’t be under the influence is prevalent and it perpetuates blaming survivors.
Jenna Meier and Bronte Ibbotson are 17 year old high school students who launched a nationwide campaign to end sexual violence in secondary schools called High School Too. They are attempting to shed light on the importance of age appropriate consent education as young as elementary school.
“By learning about consent at an earlier age, students not only learn how to prevent sexual harassment and violence, but gain an understanding of what resources and support are available if it happens to them. Consent education can even begin in preschool with teaching kids how to understand and respect the personal space of others.” Ibbotson said.
"That's why it's so important to learn it from a young age because then hopefully we can prevent situations that stem from ignorance kind of happening in the future in high school and then in university," she further added.
Progress and prevention can be accomplished only if places and people in authority take survivors seriously. This crisis can no longer be hidden or washed away. It is too widespread and affects too many people leaving them with life changing trauma and mental health issues. Consent and sexual violence eductaion needs to become a priority for every educational institution worldwide.
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