Sexual Assault In Canadian Universities

Imagine walking home on a Friday evening after a late night class. You are tired and alone. You are walking down the hall to your dorm when suddenly you see a group of drunk boys. You ignore them and avoid eye contact. They start cat-calling you. The only thing you can think of is to get out of there, as you are terrified to get sexually assaulted. The thought of these boys raping you is the only thought in your head. Unfortunately, this the true reality for young women in Canadian Universities. We often do not hear about it on the news, therefore, are unaware of the problem. Sexual misconduct is a huge problem in universities because many victims are scared of publicity. Victims are often young women, between the ages of 17 and 24. They don’t

Since university students are usually new drinkers, and easy to take advantage of, are easy targets to become sexual assaults victims. In a research done in 2015, they found that one in five women experience sexual assault while attending a post-secondary institution. It is noted that many on-campus assaults occur within the first 8 weeks of the school year. An investigation by CBC revealed that over 700 sexual assaults were reported between 2009 to 2013 at Canadian colleges and universities (Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario pg. 2). In late June 2017, Brittany Galler was raped in her own dorm. She woke up in her own bed, without clothing. The guy next door, had raped her, while she was asleep. She filed a police report, and the guy was evicted. He moved out of the building in the next week, no further measures were taken to prevent such events in future. (Xing CBC) The students cannot trust or rely on the university to take action because many do not have policies. It is alarming that even in the 21st century, we are still facing problems to deal with sexual assault

Ontario and British Columbia have passed provincial legislations requiring universities and colleges to create stand-alone sexual violence policies (Our Turn Action Plan Final English Most Compressed) Outside of school, students who have experienced sexual assault can contact the police. The Criminal Code of Canada says anyone who commits a sexual assault is guilty of an indictable offence. If proven, is accountable to prison up to ten years. If the victim is under the age of sixteen years, the offender is accountable to prison for up to 14 years and a minimum imprisonment of 12 months ("Canada Criminal Code"). In my humble opinion, this is not enough to address the issue, reason being, to a potential offender, the consequences aren’t clear of sexual assaults crime. Especially when their University has a loose or no sexual assault policies, then, they could get potentially get away with it. It is unclear why sexual assault isn’t considered a crime. Sexual assaults are worse than armed robbery or fraud because the effects of sexual misconduct or rape are not only physical but can also lead to emotional traumas. The victims often face mental health issues, including depression, PTSD, and is extreme cases, victims are found suicidal ("Effects Of Sexual Violence | RAINN"). Due to its, sensitivities, Canadian universities and colleges need to work much harder to ensure that proper