In the wake of the sexual assaults that have occurred on campus recently, the lack of sexual assault support services and educational initiatives at Carleton has once again been highlighted.
Posters alerting our community of the assaults have been distributed across campus, emails have been sent and many discussions have already taken place.
It is common for survivors of trauma to experience flashbacks and other extremely negative emotional responses when unexpectedly facing something related to their trauma. This is referred to as “being triggered.” As such, these notifications and discussions of sexual assault can be triggering for survivors of sexual violence.
Access to specific support services is of the utmost importance for survivors. While the posters list some Carleton-based and Ottawa-wide resources, they failed to acknowledge the volunteer-run, Carleton sexual assault support line.
Operated by the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre, the support line is the only service geared towards the Carleton community that is specifically devoted to sexual assault support.
A triggering environment is not conducive to productive academic performance, especially when students are already under so much stress from their schoolwork, employment and personal lives. The coalition’s support line recognizes the unique challenges faced by students at the university.
By neglecting to mention the support line on their posters, Carleton is explicitly hiding a crucial resource from its students, staff and faculty.
While the support line is a major part of the coalition’s advocacy, the sexual assault centre we seek to create on campus would not exist solely to provide support after an assault. Public education initiatives would be a main aspect of the centre’s philosophy and day-to-day operations.
By educating those on campus about the climate of silent acceptance surrounding sexual assault, we will be raising awareness and working towards the ultimate goal of ending sexual and gender-based violence.
Recently, the coalition has hosted workshops on how to be supportive when a friend or family member discloses they have been sexually assaulted. In the past, there have been workshops on enthusiastic consent, film screenings and discussions, the annual Task Force on Gender-Based Violence, and much more.
The coalition is determined to continue these educational initiatives, but so much more could be done to make our campus a safer place if we had the space to devote more time and energy to public education. With limited funding and without space on campus to undertake these endeavors, it is increasingly difficult for coalition members to accomplish this goal.
The support line is run via cell phone, but an entire centre cannot be run in this fashion. The physical space for planning, meeting, working, storing documents, and supporting survivors is desperately needed.
Five years since it was established, the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre continues to advocate for a student-run, university-funded centre that would serve any student, staff or faculty member.
We shouldn’t have to work so hard for so long simply to have the administration respect our right to live free of sexual violence.
— Heather M. Martin
Carleton alumnus
On behalf of the Coalition for a Carleton Sexual Assault Centre