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Contact
604.827.5180 • SUB 119 A/B
Anisa Mottahed
Support Services Manager
sasc@ams.ubc.ca
Emily Yakashiro
Program Coordinator
sascprog@ams.ubc.ca
Office Hours:
- Mon - Fri: 9 am - 5 pm
- including exam, reading, and summer breaks
Prevention & Changing the Culture
The idea of preventing sexual assault is a tricky topic. Folks from all different walks of life can be survivors of sexual assault, just as much as they can commit it. There is no easy way to identify someone who might be a potential perpetrator anymore than someone who may be a survivor.
There are many different ways of “preventing” sexual assault, and people are very divided on their opinions as to whether such prevention is efficient and actually works. It is important to keep in mind, however, that if a person does experience sexual assault it has nothing to do with the choices they made and everything to do with the choice the perpetrator made to commit the violent act of sexual assault. It does not matter what someone was wearing, if they were under the influence of any substance, if they were in a relationship, etc. Sexual assault is only the fault of the person who commits it.
Jaclyn Friedman, all well-known feminist anti-violence activist, suggested the following when in an interview when she was asked what people can do to prevent violence,
“Learn holistic self-defense, and encourage those you love to do the same. I’m a big fan of IMPACT training (and actually taught it for a while). Good, feminist self-defense will give you a box of tools to keep in your back pocket, so that you can go about your life without worrying too much about “what if,” because you’ll know the answer to many of your “what if” fears. The other thing to keep in mind is that most sexual violence is perpetrated by people who know their victims. You’re much more likely, statistically speaking, to be assaulted by the guy who offers to walk you home, than by a stranger you might encounter while walking home by yourself. So pay attention to the people you know. Do they respect your boundaries, even on small things? If not, those are the people to watch out for.”
-Jaclyn Friedman in Antigone Magazine Spring 2011
On the other hand, many people feel that safety tips like taking self-defense and not walking home alone at night puts the blame on the potential victims or survivors of violence. On this matter, the University of Alberta Sexual Assault Centre states,
“Sexual assault prevention programs tend to focus on giving safety tips and self-defence information. They often include lengthy lists of dos and don’ts for young women in order to help them “reduce their risk” of being assaulted. Unfortunately, these types of prevention efforts have several shortcomings: they put the responsibility on the potential victim rather than the perpetrator; they reinforce a culture of blame and guilt towards survivors of assault; the tips generally focus on stranger assaults, which represent the minority of sexual assault cases. Most victims of sexual assault know, and often trust, their perpetrator; despite their widespread use, there is little evidence that these sorts of tips work. In fact, they may even perpetuate rape myths and attitudes that promote sexual violence; there has been growing support for a more comprehensive approach to sexual assault prevention. This type of prevention focuses on the societal, cultural, and interpersonal dimensions of sexual violence. Their goals go beyond simply giving strategies for individuals to defend themselves in an assault situation. They actually try to address the behaviours and attitudes that encourage sexual violence in the first place.”
Indeed, it is often the case that prevention/safety tips put the responsibility on the potential victim. We hear things like, “don’t walk home alone at night,” more often than we hear things like, “don’t hide in bushes at night and attack people.” In other words, the logic with safety tips and related prevention measures can sometimes come off as, “hey, don’t get raped,” instead of, “don’t rape”. Prevention is often conflated with responsibility, and it is ultimately the responsibility of people not to sexually assault other people.
The SASC supports whatever choice a person might make in order to make themselves feel more safe, whether that is taking part in a prevention class/program or not. For instance, if you do not take part in any self-defense program and are sexually assaulted, it is not your fault. If you do take part in a self-defense program and are sexually assaulted, it is still not your fault. People may have different responses to sexual assault including fight, flight, or freeze, and any/all of these responses do not make experiencing a sexual assault any less “real” or valid.
If you feel that you are interested in some self-defense or prevention courses/programs, here are some resources you might consider looking into:
Other things that may prevent sexual assault:
Understand Consent
…and practice it in every sexual encounter, whether you are in a relationship or it’s a one-night stand. Consent is an enthusiastic and freely given yes. This means you have ongoing communication with your sexual partner(s). Legally, consent is not present if someone:
If you don’t have consent, you are committing a sexual assault. If you have been assaulted it is not your fault.
Train your staff/group for events
If you work at a bar, club, restaurant, or somewhere else that serves alcohol, advocate to have the staff trained and prepared to deal with drink-spiking or sexual assault. Similarly, if you are a club or student group on campus that is hosting an event where alcohol is being served, have people trained to recognize inappropriate behaviour and what to do if someone approaches you if they or a friend feels they have had their drink-spiked or is otherwise feeling unsafe. The SASC offers workshops on these topics that are free for AMS and UBC staff, students, and faculty.
Intervene if you feel comfortable
Everyone wants to have a good time when they go out, and part of that is having a safe environment. The SASC would never encourage anyone to do anything that they do not feel comfortable doing however, say you are a bar on campus and you see something that doesn’t sit right with you, learn how to intervene safely. For example, if you see a guy trying to leave with a girl who is so drunk she can’t even walk, check in if you feel comfortable. Another example is if a guy being very persistent with a friend of yours and she is having no part of it, but he isn’t getting the message, you could say something if you feel comfortable. WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women) has an awesome campaign called SafeVibe that deals directly with this issue.
Recognize that everyone has a role in preventing sexual assault
This includes people who have not been sexually assaulted, and people of all genders and backgrounds. As a culture, if we say that sexual assault is not acceptable, and actively engage in speaking out against people who seem to be okay with sexual assault occurring, then rates of sexual assault happening would greatly decrease.
Sexual assault is not just a “women’s issue”, since people of all ages and genders can experience it, and everyone has a role in preventing it. For example, since men make up the majority of perpetrators, they also a role in preventing it. Jackson Katz, a well-known anti-sexist activist has put together a list of “10 things men can do to prevent gender violence”.
Advocate for awareness and prevention programs in schools and communities
Making people aware of the reality of violence against women and sexual assault is very important. Many children and teens grow up in abusive homes, and may not have an understanding of healthy relationships and appropriate boundaries. Some good and local programs that are used in elementary, middle, and high schools include Safeteen and RespectEd. WAVAW also offers a prevention and awareness program for youth.
Get Involved
There are many volunteering opportunities to get involved with anti-violence work. Such organizations are constantly looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic about learning about sexual assault, and raising awareness by being involved with prevention campaigns.
Changing the Culture around Sexual Assault
To heal ourselves we also have to heal society
– Riane Eisler
Sexual assault is a very prevalent form of violence in today’s society, including on campus. Here are some things you can do to help stop sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence:
Once you have educated yourself about the myths and facts surrounding sexual assault, use this knowledge to challenge myths where you may hear them (if you feel comfortable). This could be with your friends, family, or even in class. Remember, there are a lot of myths out there about sexual assault and setting the record straight on these myths can be a very powerful thing.
We have lots of available information here at the SASC that we can give away for free. We have information pamphlets, poster campaigns, drink spiking coasters, etc. Have this available in common spaces for people. For example, have pamphlets available in Residence commonsblocks, or in waiting rooms in Student Health Services. Put up posters in undergraduate study lounges on campus, or in your fraternity house. If you host an event and need coasters, swing by and pick some up here for free. Put our magnets on shared fridges in your office or dorm lounge. All of our stuff is free, and you never know when having our material available will be able to help someone.
Education is one of the best ways to prevent sexual assault. Be open-minded to this opportunity to learn more about a tragically common issue. Set the standard for your group/club that sexual assault will not be tolerated, and that everyone should be aware about it.
Support SASC events, or other events related to raising awareness about sexual assault. There are lots of other anti-violence organizations in Vancouver that hold events throughout the year, take the opportunity to explore your city and learn more about sexual assault in a way that is engaging and informative. Showing your support for such events shows that you are an ally to ending sexual violence.
The media is notorious for victim-blaming, or featuring victim-blaming articles. Challenge this information by writing a letter to the editor, or responding to an offensive article in online forums. We need to have media outlets that support safety and accurate information, not ones that perpetuate myths about sexual assault or otherwise engage in victim-blaming.
Want to learn more about the SASC? Join our mailing list by emailing the SASC Outreach worker at Sascoutreach@ams.ubc.ca with the subject title “Mailing List”, and you will receive information about upcoming events we will be at or are hosting, and new initiatives we are starting. We don’t send out such updates too often, so don’t worry, we won’t spam you!
Anti-violence organizations and programs both locally and internationally often rely on the generosity of others to keep running. Support the work they do by making a donation-every little bit helps.
You don’t need to be a counsellor or trained in support work to know services that are available to survivors of sexual assault, nor are you expected to provide support to whoever might disclose their experiences to you. However, if someone shares with you that they have been sexually assaulted, it helps to know some places where they might seek help if they want to. A good, easy idea is to put a number in your phone for a rape crisis line- it’s a good thing to have handy in case you or someone you know needs it. WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against Women) and Rape Relief both have 24/7 crisis lines. WAVAW’s is: 604-255-6344. Rape Relief can be reached at: 604-872-8212. BWSS has a crisis line that is available Monday to Friday 10am-5pm & Wednesdays 10am-8pm.
Rape jokes are not funny. If you think they are, you have a bad sense of humour. It is important to remember that language is very powerful. Saying things like “man, I got raped by my midterm,” is totally inappropriate. Statistically speaking, 1 in 4 women will be raped in her lifetime in Canada (Stats Canada 2004 & 2007), which means that if you say a “joke” like that, there is probably a woman within earshot who has been raped, and it is no laughing matter. Survivors of rape and sexual assault can be traumatized by hearing people use “rape” so casually, and it offensive to have people take something so lightly that may be been so devastating for someone else.Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are talking about sexual assault or other forms of sexual violence in a public forum or space, preface your talk by noting that you will be discussing such matters. This is called a trigger warning. For example, if you are professor and you are talking about the prevalence of sexual assault during wartime, or you are student giving a presentation on a book or novel that discusses sexual violence, give your audience a warning. This can be as simple as putting a note on a syllabus that says the movie that will be watched in class contains a rape scene or adding onto a handout that sexual assault will be briefly discussed during your presentation.
If you hear of someone you know being sexually assaulted or say you are talking about a celebrity case of sexual assault, believe the survivor. Survivors of violence struggle with people not believing or not taking seriously their experiences, so it is important to vocalize your support for survivors- even if you don’t know them. It is difficult to deal with the fact that people we know and love are survivors of sexual assault, but that is no excuse to put your head in the sand. People often say that it is a “guys worst nightmare to be accused of rape”. What people oftentimes forget is that it is also a woman’s worst nightmare to be raped, so keep this in mind next time you hesitate to believe that a person was sexually assaulted. Remember, sex without consent is ALWAYS rape and rape is ALWAYS serious.
Do not make excuses for someone who has committed sexual assault. Even if they are a “good person,” they still have committed a violent crime. If someone you know is talking about sex that does not sound consensual (i.e., sexual assault!), hold them accountable for what they are saying by challenging what they are saying. It does not need to be aggressive or controversial. If could be something like, “That doesn’t sound right to me. I think by saying she wasn’t feeling well, she probably meant she didn’t want to have sex.”
If you see an anti-violence campaign or hear about one on the news or something that interests you, post it on your social networking outlets like Facebook, Twitter, etc. It is a way to get the conversation going about these issues, or just to get the word out there.Interesting campaigns that might be a little more interesting and appealing to university aged students include:
This short, to-the-point video/ad produced by Rape Crisis Scotland
This Is Not An Invitation to Rape Me, a campaign also by Rape Crisis Scotland:
SafeVibe Campaign by WAVAW.
Get involved! There are many groups out there doing anti-violence work and raising awareness about sexual assault who always need volunteers. If nothing out there appeals to you, start your own group!
Everyone in Canada who is aware of a child 18 and under who is being abused has the legal duty to report this abuse. This is instated by the Child, Family and Community Service Act. Whether you are a teacher and you think one of your students is being abused, or your roommate tells you that her younger siblings back home are being abused, you are legally obligated to report this abuse. You can learn more about making a report at http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/child_protection/reportabuse.htm . Also, if you have concerns about this, or you don’t know where to start or what to do, you can always contact the SASC at sasc@ams.ubc.ca or by calling 604.827.5180.