Sexual Harassment

Following #MeToo, U of T law prof makes the case for a 'restorative and transformative model of justice'

geoff.vendeville — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 16:00:58 +0000

Following #MeToo, U of T law prof makes the case for a 'restorative and transformative model of justice'

geoff.vendeville Thu, 04/28/2022 - 12:00

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Brenda Cossman's new book, The New Sex Wars: Sexual Harm in the #MeToo Era, revisits the sex wars of the 1970s and 80s and examines their impact on more recent debates around #MeToo (photo courtesy of Brenda Cossman)

Nina Haikara

Topic

Our Community

#MeToo

Sexual Harassment

Faculty of Law

Feminism

Before #MeToo called attention to the ubiquity of sexual assault and harassment, ��Ƶ Professor Brenda Cossman was charting feminist debates around sex work, revenge porn and sexting, sexual harassment and sexual assault – particularly on college campuses.

“It unleashed a viral eruption of women coming forward globally and saying, ‘Yes, it happened to me too,’” says Cossman, a professor in the Faculty of Law. “Within a few days, Tarana Burke [an activist from the Bronx] was recognized as having started the ‘Me Too’ campaign in 2006 to support Black women and girls who were survivors of sexual violence.” But the movement “took on a life of its own, one that was in fact, quite distinct from Burke's Me Too.”

In her latest book, The New Sex Wars: Sexual Harm in the #MeToo Era, Cossman revisits the feminist debates of the 1970s and ’80s and examines their influence on how we think about sexual harm now. Cossman examines tensions between the need for recognition and protection under the law, and what she says is the colossal and ongoing failure of that law to redress historic injustice. The #MeToo movements raises questions about whether justice can be served outside the courtroom, Cossman says.

The so-called sex wars of the 1970s and 80s were highly polarizing over women’s sexuality, especially in regards to porn, she says.

“On one side, you had radical feminists who insisted on sexuality as a site of women's oppression, that women were victims of sexual violence and eventually turned to law to protect women. On the other side were so-called ‘sex radicals’ who saw sexuality, not only as a site of danger, but also pleasure, who insisted that women have sexual agency and who fundamentally oppose the turn to law. These were fierce debates.”

While these debates simmered down by the late 1980s, she says the underlying disagreements have never been resolved – and the outpouring of #MeToo stories began to be met with pushback.

Critics of the movement across the political spectrum claimed “#MeToo was going too far – although what too far meant was really unclear,” Cossman says.

“But there was a very distinctive feminist voice – a feminist version of a critique that emerged first in whispers, then gained traction and eventually erupted into full-fledged feminist war.”

It intensified with the allegation of sexual misconduct leveled against actor-comedian Aziz Ansari by a 23-year-old woman who spoke to Babe.net under the pseudonym, “Grace.” She said Ansari repeatedly tried to pressure her into sex despite her apparent discomfort.

“The story that broke the feminist internet [the Babe.net story] resonated for many women, particularly, but not exclusively young women, while others denounced it as trivializing #MeToo, and #MeToo going too far,” Cossman says.

Soon afterwards, she says #MeToo was framed as “generational” in both the mainstream press and social media: millennial feminists versus second wave feminists.

“And it turned really nasty, really fast,” she adds. “But I saw the same fault lines around sexuality agency and the role of law that had been dividing feminists for decades.”

The law’s role in these debates is complex, notes Cossman.

“#MeToo did not emerge as a legal movement, with a legal agenda. In fact, if anything, #MeToo was a performance of law’s spectacular failure to address sexual violence,” she says, adding that on one side of the issue were people calling for better laws and enforcement, while others appeared more concerned with prosecutorial overreach and the abuse of state power.

Cossman’s book also addresses queer critiques of #MeToo and concludes by noting how we ought to think about these feminist debates – as side by side, rather than in opposition to one another.
“In the final chapters, I try to break out of what is the deep political ‘whiteness’ of #MeToo, and the new sex wars, by centering on the work of Black feminists, particularly abolition feminists, in their critique of the state and mass incarceration in the U.S. and argue for a reparative approach to regulating sexual harm – one that fundamentally de-centers criminal law.”

It is an approach that also re-centers Burke’s Me Too vision.

“I try to build a restorative and transformative model of justice that could do a better job of delivering and promoting accountability and repair,” Cossman says.

The underlying ideological and political divides about sexuality, about women's sexual agency and about the role of law have remained the same for far too long – and it’s time for a change, Cossman argues.

“The regulation of sexual harm means unsticking ourselves from the sex wars binary. It requires new skills, new forms of knowledge, new reading practices, strategies – previously unheeded – and giving the benefit of the doubt to feminists who see things differently by taking that ‘maybe she has a point’ stance and keeping that point in view,” she says.

“#MeToo may have created new space to speak about sexual violence – but its legacy remains in our hands.”

U of T pledges to ‘build best systems and practices’ to protect university community from sexual violence

Christopher.Sorensen — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 21:44:32 +0000

U of T pledges to ‘build best systems and practices’ to protect university community from sexual violence

Christopher.Sorensen Tue, 10/19/2021 - 17:44

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(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)

Geoffrey Vendeville

Topic

Our Community

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

The ��Ƶ is pledging to build the best systems and practices to protect its community members from sexual violence and harassment, support survivors and foster an environment of consent, accountability and respect.

President Meric Gertler said in a statement, following an Al Jazeera report, that he is committed to bringing necessary change in this area.

“Let me be clear: sexual violence – indeed sexual harassment of any kind – has absolutely no place at the ��Ƶ,” President Gertler said.

“I want to assure members of our community – especially survivors – that I am according this issue the highest priority.”

Earlier this month, a review of U of T’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, as well as the supports available to members of the U of T community, was launched. The periodic review comes as post-secondary institutions across Canada and around the world contend with issues surrounding sexual violence and harassment, as well as regulatory amendments by the Ontario government that require universities and colleges to update sexual violence and harassment policies.

President Gertler said he has asked the review to make every effort to include input from survivors, as well as tri-campus and college engagement. He said he has also asked the review to address four specific questions pertaining to the university’s sexual violence policies and practices:

What are the best practices to address the barriers to reporting and to provide support for survivors?
How do we appropriately account for power dynamics that are inherent in institutions of higher learning?
Given the importance of communication and transparency, what information can be shared with participants engaged in, and at the conclusion of, a sexual violence process while taking into account confidentiality, privacy obligations and a fair and effective process?
Should the university sector develop a process for sharing information between institutions about findings of sexual violence misconduct by faculty members?

“While we have worked hard to make our policies robust, we acknowledge that there is more that needs to be done – given the particular dynamics at play in higher education settings,” he said.

The consultation phase of U of T’s review is being led by Professor Linda Johnston, dean of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Allison Burgess, director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office. Students, staff, faculty and librarians will have opportunities to provide input through a mix of online and in-person consultations.

The president encouraged any member of the U of T community who has been affected by sexual harassment or violence to seek support from the university’s Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre. “If you choose to come forward, you will be doing so in a trauma-informed space, confidentially, protected from reprisal, and your concerns will be treated with the utmost seriousness,” he said.

U of T developed a Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment that came into effect in 2017 and applies to students, staff, faculty and librarians. It also established the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre the same year, with locations on all three campuses. The centre helps students, staff and faculty who have been affected by sexual violence or sexual harassment access support, services and accommodations in a welcoming, safe and confidential space. It is open to any member of the U of T community, regardless of where or when the sexual violence occurred, or if the individual chooses to make a formal report.

President Gertler said it was important that U of T’s review address any gaps in the current policy.

“All members of the University community should have the ability to study, work, and live in a campus environment free from sexual violence, including sexual harassment,” he said.

“I pledge that the ��Ƶ will do everything in its power to enhance our policies, and improve our systems and practices; to create an environment where survivors feel empowered to share their experiences and seek support; to build awareness; and to foster a culture of consent, accountability, and respect.

“That is the commitment I am making today.”

If you are in crisis or immediate danger, call 911.

The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre has made extra support available for members of the U of T community impacted by the current news around sexual violence. For more information, see: https://uoft.me/svsupport

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or harassment, 24-7 crisis support is also available from these community resources.

U of T launches review of sexual violence and sexual harassment policy

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 19:47:31 +0000

U of T launches review of sexual violence and sexual harassment policy

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/07/2021 - 15:47

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(Photo by David Lee)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Topic

Our Community

Sexual Harassment

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing

Meric Gertler

Sexual & Gender Diversity Office

St. George

U of T Mississauga

U of T Scarborough

The ��Ƶ is launching a review of its sexual violence policy, as well as the supports that are available to students and other community members.

Carried out every three years, the review looks for ways to improve the current policy and strengthen supports and services with input from students, staff, faculty and librarians.

The review comes at a time when regulatory amendments by the Ontario government require universities and colleges to update sexual violence and harassment policies. The amendments ensure individuals who report sexual violence do not face action for violations of university policies related to drug and alcohol use at the time the incident took place, and that students who disclose or report sexual violence are not asked irrelevant questions about their sexual history or sexual expression.

Technical changes to reflect the amendments are now proceeding through U of T’s governance process while its more extensive review gets underway.

The university is seeking the views of community members on a range of questions, including topics like how to address concerns of sexual violence or harassment when no formal report has been made.

“We have a collective responsibility to eliminate sexual harassment and violence in all its forms,” says U of T President Meric Gertler.

“U of T is committed to supporting survivors and will do its part to make the university safe for learning, research and all other activities. This policy review is an opportunity to continue improving the work we do.”

Professor Linda Johnston, dean of the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Allison Burgess, director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office, will co-chair the consultation phase, which runs through February 2022. That includes reaching out to student groups and other stakeholder groups for feedback. Review recommendations and any resulting policy changes will be presented to the university’s governing bodies in late spring.

All members of the university community are invited to submit their feedback on the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, the Student’s Companion to the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment, and the supports and services available to the U of T community, including the Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre, through the consultation website.

“We know this is an important issue for our community, and we want to hear from them,” says Trevor Young, acting vice-president and provost. “We hope that by working together, we can address this critical issue and offer people the services and supports they need.”

Sandy Welsh, U of T’s vice-provost, students, adds that conducting regular reviews of the Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment is a key part of U of T’s commitment to making our campuses safe and supporting survivors.

“We are always looking for ways to reduce the barriers to disclosing, reporting and accessing supports,” Welsh says.

The tri-campus Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre (SVPSC) plays a key role in addressing sexual violence and sexual harassment at U of T – from helping community members access counselling and academic accommodations to referrals and legal and financial aid. It also carries out proactive education and outreach to promote a culture of consent and care.

The SVPSC works with community members affected by sexual violence to support their needs and help them understand their options. That can include guiding and supporting survivors through a robust formal reporting process that may involve an independent internal investigation, disciplinary action and measures to protect complainants.

Established in 2017 as part of the university’s Action Plan on Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence, the SVPC ensures all members of the U of T community have access to services, supports and accommodations. The centre’s work is heavily informed by community feedback as well as independent initiatives such as the Ontario government’s Student Voices on Sexual Violence survey, which more than 20,000 U of T students participated in.

Any member of the U of T community who discloses an experience of sexual violence to the centre can expect a range of support and services, said Angela Treglia, the centre’s director.

“The Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre is the first place to go to receive support services and accommodations related to sexual violence,” Treglia said. “We know that there are a lot of different resources and processes available, and sometimes that can feel overwhelming.

“That’s why we provide a single point of contact to help co-ordinate and manage all the different access points that someone may want to reach out to. Our team helps co-ordinate various supports to address unique needs someone may have.”

Treglia said supports available are trauma-informed and confidential, and the exact nature of services can vary based on what’s most important and helpful to the individual.

In addition to disclosing experiences of sexual violence and seeking supports, individuals who have experienced sexual violence can also choose to file a formal report with the support of the centre.

The reports are submitted to the Office of Safety and High Risk, which carries out assessments and implements fair processes in keeping with the university’s Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment. At the conclusion of an investigation, relevant decision-makers in university administration can take appropriate action to address the matter – including disciplinary action.

However, the SVPSC does not itself carry out investigations or take disciplinary action.

“Our role, first and foremost, is to provide support,” Treglia said. “That includes helping individuals understand the various steps in the reporting process and connecting them with a front-line worker who can be with them as they go through the process, if they choose to make a report.”

As for the provincial announcement, Treglia said U of T’s policy makes it clear that investigators must act in a timely, fair, impartial and professional manner.

“This means not asking irrelevant questions, such as about one’s sexual history or sexual expression,” she says. “An individual’s sexual history is not an indicator of consent.”

As well, students who bring forward a report won’t be disciplined for violations of university policies related to drug and alcohol use at the time the sexual violence took place.

“We understand that a fear around ‘getting in trouble’ may prevent someone from seeking help or reporting an incident,” Treglia says. “That’s why it’s so important for survivors to know they won’t be subjected to any penalties related to substance use.

“Sexual violence is never a survivor’s fault.”

One of the centre’s key mandates is education. It offers workshops, training modules and educational programs to individuals, student groups, units and departments across U of T’s three campuses.

Many of the workshops focus on themes around consent, rejection resilience and communicating boundaries. “So, understanding our responsibilities related to consent, how we practise consent, what are the challenges to practising consent and how we overcome these,” Treglia said, noting that consent applies not only to intimate sexual contact but also in everyday interactions with friends, colleagues and family.

One of the centre’s most popular workshops is “Skills for Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence: Using a Trauma-Informed Approach.” Available to faculty, staff and administrators, the workshop aims to equip people with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively manage a disclosure of sexual assault and support individuals in a non-judgmental manner.

“We know that the way someone responds to an individual disclosing an incident of sexual violence can impact whether the individual feels supported on their path of recovery and healing, or whether they feel like ‘I can’t share or talk about this with anyone ever again,’” says Treglia. “So, we want to make sure that friends, faculty and colleagues in these positions are prepared to receive disclosures and respond to them in a supportive, non-judgmental way.”

The centre also provides training on the university’s sexual violence policy and the reporting process, and runs healing-based and survivor-focused programs that include themes such as self-compassion and intersections between sexual violence and other forms of violence and harm – often in collaboration with other offices across the university.

Much of the centre’s programming was moved online during the pandemic, which has helped improve access.

“Moving forward,” Treglia says, “we’re going to be looking at some sort of hybrid model of providing services and supports to take advantage of what we’ve learned from this experience.”

Treglia says that as the university embarks on another academic year, she wants members of the community to know that we all need to take care of each other and the SVPSC is here for them.

“No one ever deserves to be subjected to sexual violence, sexual harassment or other forms of harm,” she says. “We want you to know that you’re not alone. We’re here for you and we’re here to make sure you get the best support available.”

The Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Centre (SVPSC) serves students, staff, and faculty at the ��Ƶ who are affected by sexual violence and harassment.

If you are in crisis or immediate danger, call 911.

Consultations are available by phone, e-mail, and video conferencing. Email svpscentre@utoronto.ca or call 416-978-2266 to set up an appointment.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault or harassment, 24/7 crisis support is also available from these community resources.

Researchers from U of T, Western help launch national survey on workplace sexual harassment

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 15:37:38 +0000

Researchers from U of T, Western help launch national survey on workplace sexual harassment

rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 10/22/2020 - 11:37

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U of T Professor Sandy Welsh, a co-principal investigator of the project, says data from the national survey will help shape recommendations on addressing sexual harassment and violence in the workplace (photo by Johnny Guatto)

Rahul Kalvapalle

Sexual Harassment

Faculty of Arts & Science

Sociology

Researchers from the ��Ƶ are helping to launch a national survey to collect comprehensive data on sexual harassment and violence in workplaces across Canada.

The survey, a collaborative effort with the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children at Western University (CREVAWC) and the Canadian Labour Congress, will provide insight into, among other things, why workers report – or don’t report – workplace sexual harassment, what supports workers need and the links between sexual harassment and other forms of violence in the workplace.

Sandy Welsh, professor in the department of sociology at U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science and co-principal investigator of the study, says the survey will generate data that can shape recommendations to government and workplaces about how to address a longstanding problem.

“The #MeToo movement has created an open dialogue on the scourge of sexual harassment and violence in the workplace, with many people bravely speaking out about their experiences,” says Welsh.

“Yet, while this has told us a lot about the frequency and scale of workplace sexual harassment, there remains a dearth of comprehensive data about victims, their experiences and how workplaces respond in the wake of complaints.”

Welsh is working alongside Western University’s Barb MacQuarrie, who is CREVAWC’s community manager.

The survey launched this week and will be open to both unionized and non-unionized workers for a period of six months. It will collect responses on the prevalence of workplace harassment and violence, awareness, reporting levels, the types of actions taken by workers, supports available to them, organizational consequences and responses and implementation of preventative measures.

All data collected from the survey will be anonymous, and information obtained will not be used to identify respondents. Once a respondent has completed the survey, they will be given the option of participating in a more detailed interview or focus group session with a member of the research team.

The survey is funded by the Government of Canada’s Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Fund. Anyone who completes the survey will be provided with crisis and support phone numbers as well as referral information.

“A comprehensive, national survey is vital to addressing the issue of workplace sexual harassment and violence,” says Welsh. “By taking into account the varying contexts, power dynamics and social factors behind workplace sexual harassment, we can build on existing knowledge and come up with recommendations for government and workplaces on how to bring about meaningful, lasting change.”

Mental Health Clinical Services, Student

sgupta — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 14:30:29 +0000

Mental Health Clinical Services, Student sgupta Fri, 02/22/2019 - 09:30

URL

https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/service/mental-health-clinical-services/

Crisis Support - 24/7, Students

sgupta — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 14:30:05 +0000

Crisis Support - 24/7, Students sgupta Fri, 02/22/2019 - 09:30

URL

https://www.svpscentre.utoronto.ca/resources/24-7-emergency-or-crises-support/

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

sgupta — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 20:47:19 +0000

Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre sgupta Thu, 01/07/2016 - 15:47

URL

https://www.svpscentre.utoronto.ca

Sexual Harassment

Following #MeToo, U of T law prof makes the case for a 'restorative and transformative model of justice'

U of T pledges to ‘build best systems and practices’ to protect university community from sexual violence

U of T launches review of sexual violence and sexual harassment policy

Researchers from U of T, Western help launch national survey on workplace sexual harassment

Mental Health Clinical Services, Student

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Crisis Support - 24/7, Students

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Sexual Violence Prevention & Support Centre

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