One of the biggest policy updates under Carleton university president Benoit-Antoine Bacon is to the university’s sexual violence policy (SVP). The listening phase of the consultations on the policy is currently in progress.
One of the suggested changes is the addition of a clause which protects complainants from punishment for minor violations relating to alcohol or drug use. Carleton administration should strongly support this clause in order to eliminate a major barrier to reporting incidents of sexual assault.
The fear of being punished for the circumstances surrounding their sexual assault is one among many deterrents for survivors of sexual assault in reporting their case to authorities. In creating an immunity clause for survivors in the SVP, the university gets a little bit closer to an incident reporting process that shows compassion to those who choose to come forward.
It’s important for the university to regularly update its sexual violence policy, especially since understanding of, and beliefs surrounding, sexual violence, survivors, and perpetrators, are constantly changing.
