The Ontario government has released results of a province-wide survey on sexual violence conducted last year, showing student perceptions on sexual violence along with an announcement to increase the Women’s Campus Safety Grant.
The Student Voices on Sexual Violence Survey was conducted to gather information about how respondents perceive, understand and respond to sexual violence, according to the report.
Sixty-three per cent of university students who responded to the survey said they have experienced an incident since the beginning of the 2017-2018 academic year. At Carleton University, 67 per cent of students who participated said they have been sexually harassed.
Western University was the school with the highest percentage of respondents saying they’ve been sexually harassed, and University of Ontario Institute of Technology had the lowest percentage.
The survey also sought to understand what students know about the support resources are available to them and how to report a sexual assault.
At almost all universities, over half of the respondents said they strongly disagree that they’re aware of the services available to them and how to report an incident.
Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario’s minister of training, colleges and universities, said in a statement that the Ontario government “takes the safety and well-being of our students seriously.”
“Our postsecondary institutions have a responsibility to protect students, and must do everything possible to ensure campuses are free from sexual violence. Our government has zero tolerance for sexual assault, harassment, and any other form of violence in our communities,” she said.
Rahim Ibrahim, a second-year political science student at the University of Ottawa, said that reading the survey results, he was shocked that considering the high number of incidents, there was also a high percentage of respondents who did not know what to do should they encounter a situation of sexual violence.
“I think we need to create more awareness about how to report things like that,” Ibrahim said.
Saphiya Suren, a first-year global and international studies student at Carleton, said she believes that school should be an open and approachable environment for students.
“The fact that only 20 per cent of students responded to the story shows how uncomfortable people are still talking about sexual violence. Even more needs to be done to show that teachers and adults are available and approachable for help, and create that relationship with students,” she said.
Following the report, Fullerton also announced immediate actions, such as doubling the funding to the Women’s Campus Safety Grant, a fund distributed to campuses to address safety and security needs, including those related to sexual violence.
Carleton put out a statement in response to the survey results saying that the school looks forward to using the grant from the province to promote “intersectional, innovative, and individualized supports for everyone on campus.”
Ontario post-secondary schools are required to report annually to its board of governors on a number of measures related to the experiences of and support for students who have experienced sexual violence.
Carleton is expected to present its 2018 report to the school’s Board of Governors on March 28.
Another announcement is that Ontario will now require universities and colleges to have a task force devoted to tackling sexual violence on campus.
“The task force would include diverse student representatives and be required to report its findings to both their respective Board of Governors as well as to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities,” the release said.
Schools currently have stand-alone sexual violence policies that have to be reviewed every three years as mandated by the previous Ontario Liberal government.
Image by Jasmine Foong
