tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/gender-based-violence-31569/articlesGender-based violence – The Conversation2024-03-12T18:38:37Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2250672024-03-12T18:38:37Z2024-03-12T18:38:37ZCanada’s inaction in Gaza marks a failure of its feminist foreign policy<p><a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/assets/pdfs/iap2-eng.pdf?_ga=2.63794223.1840653675.1709657832-2101566470.1701624369">“Peace and prosperity are every person’s birthright.”</a> So opened then Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland’s introduction to Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP).</p>
<p>Launched in 2017, the policy stated that Canada would take an explicitly feminist approach to international assistance, including a commitment to protecting women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Many considered it to be a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0020702020960120">forward-thinking policy that builds on the past work of NGOs and other international partners.</a></p>
<p>However, the policy also revealed shortcomings. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0020702020953424">It was criticized</a> for its <a href="https://www.e-ir.info/2020/02/10/the-growth-of-feminist-foreign-policy/">fuzzy definition of feminism,</a> its <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/11926422.2019.1592002">surface-level engagement</a> with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1229039">overlapping forms of inequality</a> women actually face and for its <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/fpa/orz027">neoliberal approach to feminism</a> that seeks to fix problems within the Global South, with little engagement with how these problems arose in the first place.</p>
<p>And now, as Israel’s offensive on Gaza marches on unabated and the <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/29/gaza-death-toll-surpasses-30000-with-no-let-up-in-israeli-bombardment#:%7E:text=The%20death%20toll%20in%20%23Gaza,large%20majority%20women%20and%20children.">civilian death toll mounts</a>, Canada’s tepid response calls the strength and sincerity of its feminist commitments into doubt. Furthermore, the country’s <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-lawsuit-israel-military-exports-1.7134664">continued sale of military equipment to Israel</a> suggests where Canada’s stated feminist values conflict with other political interests leaving Palestinians by the wayside. </p>
<p>On a recent visit to Israel, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly expressed solidarity with Israeli victims of <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/oct-7-sexual-violence-united-nations-reasonable-grounds-1.7133305">sexual violence committed by Hamas</a> and announced <a href="https://x.com/melaniejoly/status/1767189501208666293?s=20">$1 million dollars</a> in support. In addition to funding, Joly also offered RCMP support to help investigate the crimes of sexual violence against Israeli women. </p>
<p>In December, Joly issued <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/joly-condemns-hamas-rapes-of-israeli-women-after-weeks-of-pressure-1.6677943">strong condemnations</a> in response to allegations of rape committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. </p>
<p>In February 2023, Joly <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9491196/canada-joly-ukraine-visit/">also pledged millions for Ukrainian victims of sexual assault</a> along with Canada’s support for the investigation and prosecution of sexual and gender-based violence committed during Russia’s war against Ukraine.</p>
<p>Will Canada do the same for Palestinian women affected by military and sexual violence?</p>
<h2>Palestinian women’s rights long ignored</h2>
<p>Joly <a href="https://twitter.com/melaniejoly/status/1760435093342986384?s=20">condemned</a> the sexual and gender-based violence being committed against Palestinian women in Gaza in February 2024, but without explicitly naming who the perpetrators of violence are. </p>
<p>Her statement came after <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against">United Nations experts</a> expressed alarm over “credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.” They cited reports of arbitrary executions, killings, detentions and sexual abuse of Palestinian women and girls by Israeli forces.</p>
<p>Even before the current escalation of violence, Canada’s support of Israel’s actions have long been identified as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/11926422.2020.1805340">significant limitation of FIAP</a>.</p>
<p>In the policy’s peace and security section, Canada commits to advocate for the “respect and protection of the human rights of women and girls in its international and multilateral engagements.” It also says that ensuring the safety and security of women and girls is one of the key steps to ensuring peace.</p>
<p>In Gaza, this security is not being assured. Israel’s bombardment and tightened blockade has killed more than 31,000 people, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/pentagon-walks-back-austins-gaza-casualty-figures-2024-02-29/">most of whom are women and children</a>. Those who survive live under constant threat and without access to basic medical aid, food and water. Over 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza — about 1.9 million civilians — <a href="https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15564.doc.htm#:%7E:text=A%20staggering%2085%20per%20cent,proposing%20that%20Palestinians%20should%20be">have been displaced</a> from their homes.</p>
<p>Palestinian women also face increased risk of sexual violence. There <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/22/claims-of-israeli-sexual-assault-of-palestinian-women-are-credible-un-panel-says">are credible</a> reports of sexual violence being used as a tool of war against both Israeli and Palestinian women. </p>
<h2>Reproductive health in Gaza in a dire state</h2>
<p>FIAP identifies a full range of reproductive healthcare <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9491196/canada-joly-ukraine-visit/#:%7E:text=Canada%20is%20pledging%20millions%20of,Russia%27s%20war%20on%20Ukraine%20nears.">as key to ensuring women and girls’ equality and empowerment</a>.</p>
<p>In Gaza, these rights are besieged daily. </p>
<p>An estimated <a href="https://prismreports.org/2024/02/13/reproductive-rights-organizations-failing-palestinians/">50,000 pregnant women in Gaza</a> are at <a href="https://jezebel.com/miscarriages-in-gaza-have-increased-300-under-israeli-1851168680">increased risk of miscarriage</a>, stillbirth and maternal death. This is in part due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-uncertain-fate-of-patients-needing-life-saving-dialysis-treatment-in-gaza-220941">Israeli attacks on health-care facilities</a>. These attacks have led not only to direct casualties, but have also severely restricted access to prenatal and natal care. </p>
<p>Women are <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/21/gaza-childbirth/">giving birth without appropriate medical care</a>. This puts their lives and the lives of their babies at risk, contributing to higher rates of maternal and infant death.</p>
<p>The widespread food crisis has also had dire implications for reproductive and maternal health. The <a href="https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/press-releases/intensifying-conflict-malnutrition-and-disease-gaza-strip-creates-deadly-cycle">United Nations Children’s Fund has voiced concern</a> over the nutritional vulnerability of over 155,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. </p>
<p>Malnutrition can make breastfeeding difficult, if not impossible, and yet <a href="https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-babies-hamas-israel-war-e0f843a8f5f1af49efc45f6cb02005a6">formula has been difficult</a> (and for some, impossible) to access. This has been exacerbated by high prices and delays and restrictions on delivery of humanitarian aid. Malnutrition affects maternal health, and can also have long-term consequences for the health of mothers and their children.</p>
<h2>Canada must act</h2>
<p>After mounting public pressure, including country-wide protests, Canadian officials first uttered the word “ceasefire” in December, two months after the start of the war. They did so on Dec. 12, 2023, in a non-binding <a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/international_relations-relations_internationales/un-onu/statements-declarations/2023-12-12-explanation-vote-explication.aspx?lang=eng">UN resolution vote</a>.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Canadian exports of military equipment to Israel have not only continued, but have <a href="https://www.readthemaple.com/trudeau-government-authorized-28-million-of-new-military-exports-to-israel-since-october/">increased since October</a>. Global Affairs Canada claims these exports are only for <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/9/demands-for-canada-to-stop-supplying-weapons-to-israel-grow-louder">non-lethal equipment</a>. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, they contribute to Israel’s military capacity. They undermine the legitimacy of Canada’s commitments to peacebuilding, and call into question whether its commitments to protecting the rights of women and girls extend to Palestinians.</p>
<p>Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy <a href="https://www.international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/priorities-priorites/policy-politique.aspx?lang=eng">claims to be</a> “a reflection of who we are as Canadians.” It expresses the belief that “it is possible to build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world… A world where no one is left behind.” </p>
<p>By its own standards, Canada has a responsibility to do more than verbalize support for a humanitarian ceasefire and <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/global-affairs/news/2024/03/canada-announces-continued-assistance-for-people-in-gaza.html">provide humanitarian aid</a>. </p>
<p>Canada’s <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/israel-gaza-london-ceasefire-ontario-families-1.7056926">delayed</a> and <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/30/canada-clarifies-its-stand-on-a-humanitarian-truce-00124372">inconsistent response</a> to Israel’s military violence in Gaza represents a failure to evenly apply its own foreign policy.</p>
<p>Canada’s current strategy of <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/canada-aid-gaza">providing humanitarian aid</a> to assuage the effects of military violence, while simultaneously continuing to <a href="https://www.readthemaple.com/trudeau-government-authorized-28-million-of-new-military-exports-to-israel-since-october/">sell military equipment</a>, points to paradoxes within its foreign policy. An effective feminist foreign aid policy needs political action to address the root causes of poverty, violence and sexual and reproductive harm. In Gaza, this includes military occupation, violence and blockade. </p>
<p>If Canada truly wants to create a more peaceful and prosperous world, they must not leave Palestinian women behind.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/225067/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Potvin previously received funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mayme Lefurgey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Canada’s tepid response to the war in Gaza and the severe harm caused to Palestinian women casts doubt on the sincerity of the government’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.Jacqueline Potvin, Research Associate, School of Nursing, Western UniversityMayme Lefurgey, Research Fellow, Department of Sociology, University of New BrunswickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2224912024-02-07T19:16:45Z2024-02-07T19:16:45ZWhether of politicians, pop stars or teenage girls, sexualised deepfakes are on the rise. They hold a mirror to our sexist world<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573644/original/file-20240206-21-w7r7te.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=49%2C0%2C8194%2C5487&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/offended-girl-smartphone-suffering-night-day-2393831379">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Victorian MP Georgie Purcell <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/melbourne-mornings/georgie-purcell-nine-news-photoshop-image/103403756">recently spoke out</a> against a digitally edited image in the news media that had altered her body and partially removed some of her clothing. </p>
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<p>Whether or not the editing was assisted by artificial intelligence (AI), her experience demonstrates the potential sexist, discriminatory and gender-based harms that can occur when these technologies are used unchecked. </p>
<p>Purcell’s experience also reflects a disturbing trend in which images, particularly of women and girls, are being sexualised, “deepfaked” and “nudified” without the person’s knowledge or consent.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nine-was-slammed-for-ai-editing-a-victorian-mps-dress-how-can-news-media-use-ai-responsibly-222382">Nine was slammed for 'AI editing' a Victorian MP's dress. How can news media use AI responsibly?</a>
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<h2>What’s AI got to do with it?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://www.sas.com/en_au/insights/analytics/what-is-artificial-intelligence.html">term AI</a> can include a wide range of computer software and smartphone apps that use some level of automated processing. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-19-best-artificially-intelligent-movie-characters-ex-machina-2001-ai/">science fiction</a> might lead us to think otherwise, much of the everyday use of AI-assisted tools is relatively simple. We teach a computer program or smartphone application what we want it to do, it learns from the data we feed it, and it applies this learning to perform the task in varying ways. </p>
<p>A problem with AI image editing is that these tools rely on the information our human society has generated. It is no accident that instructing a tool to edit a photograph of a woman might result in it making the subject look younger, slimmer and/or curvier, and even <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/11/29/ai-image-generator-stable-diffusion-perpetuates-racial-and-gendered-stereotypes-bias/">less clothed</a>. A simple internet search for “women” will quickly reveal that these are the qualities our society frequently endorses. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman sits on a computer using photo editing software to alter a photo of a woman in underwear" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573638/original/file-20240206-23-8mgtht.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">While digitally retouching real photos has been happening for years, fake images of women are on the rise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/photo-retoucher-editing-on-computer-transforming-1860526357">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Similar problems have emerged in AI facial recognition tools that have misidentified suspects in criminal investigations due to the racial and gender bias that is built into the software. The <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/rendezview/facebook-how-did-you-get-me-so-wrong/news-story/5a32690aa65686210ddccc4557704c20">ghosts of sexism</a> and racism, it seems, are literally in the machines. </p>
<p>Technology reflects back to us the disrespect, inequality, discrimination and – in the treatment of Purcell – overt sexism that we ourselves have already circulated. </p>
<h2>Sexualised deepfakes</h2>
<p>While anyone can be a victim of AI-facilitated image-based abuse, or sexualised deepfakes, it is no secret that there are gender inequalities in pornographic imagery found online. </p>
<p><a href="https://sensity.ai/reports/">Sensity AI (formerly Deeptrace Labs) has reported</a> on online deepfake videos since December 2018 and consistently <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/10/7/20902215/deepfakes-usage-youtube-2019-deeptrace-research-report">found that 90–95% of them are non-consensual pornography</a>. About 90% of them are of women.</p>
<p>Young women, children and teens across the globe are also being subjected to the non-consensual creation and sharing of sexualised and nudified deepfake imagery. Recent reports of faked sexualised images of teenage girls have emerged from a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/deepfake-ai-nudes-teen-girls-legislation-b6f44be048b31fe0b430aeee1956ad38">New Jersey high school in the United States</a> and another high school in <a href="https://theconversation.com/cyberbullying-girls-with-pornographic-deepfakes-is-a-form-of-misogyny-217182">Almendralejo, Spain</a>. A third instance was reported in a <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2024/01/24/teen-took-life-online-bullying-shared-fake-nudes-20162284/">London high school</a>, which contributed to a 14-year-old girl taking her own life.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/taylor-swift-deepfakes-new-technologies-have-long-been-weaponised-against-women-the-solution-involves-us-all-222268">Taylor Swift deepfakes: new technologies have long been weaponised against women. The solution involves us all</a>
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<p>Women celebrities are also a popular target of sexualised deepfake imagery. Just last month, <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjvajd/taylor-swift-is-living-every-womans-ai-porn-nightmare">sexualised deepfakes of Taylor Swift</a> were openly shared across a range of digital platforms and websites without consent. </p>
<p>While research data on broader victimisation and perpetration rates of this sort of image editing and distribution is sparse, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article-abstract/62/6/1341/6448791">our 2019 survey</a> across the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand found 14.1% of respondents aged between 16 and 84 had experienced someone creating, distributing or threatening to distribute a digitally altered image representing them in a sexualised way. </p>
<p>Our research also shone light on the harms of this form of abuse. Victims reported experiencing psychological, social, physical, economic, and existential trauma, similar to harms identified by victims of other forms of sexual violence and image-based abuse. </p>
<p>This year, we have begun a <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/projects/sexualised-deepfakes-predictors-consequences-responses-and-preven">new study</a> to further explore the issue. We’ll look at current victimisation and perpetration rates, the consequences and harms of the non-consensual creation and sharing of sexualised deepfakes across the US, UK and Australia. We want to find out how we can improve responses, interventions and prevention.</p>
<h2>How can we end AI-facilitated abuse?</h2>
<p>The abuse of Swift in such a public forum has reignited a call for federal laws and platform regulations, moderation and community standards to prevent and block sexualised deepfakes from being shared. </p>
<p>Stunningly, while the non-consensual sharing of sexualised deepfakes is already a crime in most Australian states and territories, <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/disrupting-and-preventing-deepfake-abuse-exploring-criminal-law-r">the laws relating to their creation</a> are less consistent. And in the US, there is <a href="https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/ai-deepfake-nudes-taylor-swift-x-image-sexual-abuse-rcna136221">no national law</a> criminalising sexualised deepfakes. Fewer than half of US states have one, and state laws are highly variable in how much they protect and support victims. </p>
<p>But focusing on individual states or countries is not sufficient to tackle this global problem. Sexualised deepfakes and AI-generated content are perpetrated internationally, highlighting the need for collective global action.</p>
<p>There is some hope we can learn to better detect AI-generated content through guidance in spotting fakes. But the reality is that technologies are constantly improving, so our abilities to differentiate the “real” from the digitally “faked” are increasingly limited. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/celebrity-deepfakes-are-all-over-tiktok-heres-why-theyre-becoming-common-and-how-you-can-spot-them-187079">Celebrity deepfakes are all over TikTok. Here's why they're becoming common – and how you can spot them</a>
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<p>The advances in technology are compounded by the increasing availability of “nudify” or “remove clothing” apps on various platforms and app stores, which are commonly advertised online. Such apps further normalise the sexist treatment and objectification of women, with no regard for how the victims themselves may feel about it. </p>
<p>But it would be a mistake to blame technology alone for the harms, or the sexism, disrespect and abuse that flows from it. Technology is morally neutral. It can take neither credit nor blame. </p>
<p>Instead, there is a clear onus on technology developers, digital platforms and websites to be more proactive by building in <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/industry/safety-by-design">safety by design</a>. In other words, putting user safety and rights front and centre in the design and development of online products and services. Platforms, apps and websites also need to be made responsible for proactively preventing, disrupting and removing non-consensual content and technologies that can make such content.</p>
<p>Australia is leading the way with this through the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, including <a href="https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-03/Image-Based%20Abuse%20Scheme%20Regulatory%20Guidance.pdf">national laws</a> that hold digital platforms to account.</p>
<p>But further global action and collaboration is needed if we truly want to address and prevent the harms of non-consensual sexualised deepfakes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anastasia Powell receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS). Anastasia is also a director of Our Watch (Australia's national organisation for the prevention of violence against women), and a member of the National Women's Safety Alliance (NWSA).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Adrian James Scott receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Criminology Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Asher Flynn receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Criminology Research Council and Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Asia A. Eaton receives funding from the National Science Foundation, Meta, SPSSI, and the Australian Research Council. She is Head of Research for Cyber Civil Rights Initiative.</span></em></p>The proliferation of non-consensual, sexualised deepfake images is a reflection of society’s negative attitudes towards women.Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family & Sexual Violence, RMIT UniversityAdrian J. Scott, Reader, Goldsmiths, University of LondonAsher Flynn, Associate Professor of Criminology, Monash UniversityAsia A. Eaton, Professor, Florida International UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2197862024-02-01T23:03:34Z2024-02-01T23:03:34ZGirls in hijab experience overlapping forms of racial and gendered violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570251/original/file-20240118-27-ltadts.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=308%2C625%2C5251%2C3075&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Violence against girls who wear hijabs is often situated in structural oppression, including gendered Islamophobia and white supremacy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/girls-in-hijab-experience-overlapping-forms-of-racial-and-gendered-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://worldhijabday.com/">World Hijab Day</a> recognizes the millions of Muslim women and girls who wear the traditional Islamic headscarf.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/26/europe/un-hijab-olympics-intl/index.html">Around the world</a>, Muslim girls in hijab are experiencing unique forms and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/islamophobia-canada-health-care-muslim-1.6792148">heightened rates</a> of gender and race-based <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9549134/ttc-islamophobia-nccm-police-toronto/">violence and discrimination</a>. Overt violence against girls and women in hijab have captured global attention, evidenced most recently in the violent Canadian attacks on <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/community-groups-join-calls-for-further-action-in-attack-on-two-women-1.5839402">women in hijabs in Alberta</a> and the horrific <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/it-s-been-6-months-since-members-of-the-afzaal-family-in-london-ont-were-killed-what-s-changed-1.6274751">murders of the Afzaal family in London, Ont.</a></p>
<p>Violence against hijabi girls is often situated in structural oppression, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10665680600788503">gendered Islamophobia</a> and white supremacy. Understanding the underpinnings of this violence is key to imagining more just and equitable futures for girls and young women in hijab.</p>
<h2>Islamophobia</h2>
<p>The term Islamophobia has often been used and understood in different ways. While often used interchangeably, some have argued that the term anti-Muslim racism, rather than the term Islamophobia, better encapsulates the systemic nature of anti-Muslim hate and violence.</p>
<p>Sociologist and Muslim studies scholar Jasmin Zine <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/48696287">has outlined how Islamophobia in Canada is comprised of systemic oppressive networks</a> and industries that are both fueled by and fuel anti-Muslim racism. Zine explains that an “industry behind purveying anti-Muslim hate” distinguishes Islamophobia from other forms of oppression.</p>
<p>According to Zine, this well-funded, lucrative and often transnational industry is comprised of media outlets, political figures and donors, white nationalist groups, think tanks, influencers and ideologues that support and engage in “activities that demonize and marginalize Islam and Muslims in Canada.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C6000%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young girl in a pink hijab watches a sunset" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C44%2C6000%2C3943&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568512/original/file-20240109-25-pd0nip.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Understanding the underpinnings of violence is key to creating more just and equitable futures for girls and young women in hijab.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Gendered Islamophobia</h2>
<p>Islamophobia and anti-Muslim racism is part of the fabric of institutions. Critics of laws such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.32.1.05">Bill 21 in Québec</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2013.738821">similar measures in France</a> have argued that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/muslim-women-most-affected-by-quebec-s-secularism-law-court-of-appeal-hears-1.6644377">Muslim women who wear the hijab are most affected</a>. These measures reflect narratives that <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674088269">position Muslim girls and women as oppressed victims</a> in need of rescue, as well as <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/159783/orientalism-by-edward-w-said/9780394740676">Orientalist tropes</a> in the form of the <a href="https://assertjournal.com/index.php/assert/article/view/31/62">“save us from the Muslim girl” narratives</a>.</p>
<p>As Muslim women in hijab, we grieve horrific violence alongside our communities. Violent attacks highlight how anti-Muslim racism is often situated at a nexus of anti-Black racism, xenophobia, white supremacy and patriarchy. </p>
<p>We know that anti-Muslim violence is often aimed at girls and women in hijab. Yet, academic literature on hijabi girlhood is relatively scarce. Two years ago, we put out <a href="http://journals.berghahnbooks.com/_uploads/ghs/GHS_cfp_TheGirlInTheHijab.pdf">a call to the international academic community</a> seeking papers and creative submissions on the experiences of girls and young women in hijabs.</p>
<h2>The girl in the hijab</h2>
<p>Two years later, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160302">our new special issue</a>, called <em>The Girl in the Hijab</em>, has now been published in the international journal <em>Girlhood Studies</em>. It comes at a time when anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and <a href="https://www.canarablaw.org/s/Anti-Palestinian-Racism-Naming-Framing-and-Manifestations.pdf">anti-Palestinian racism</a> are on <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/muslim-groups-report-skyrocketing-number-of-islamophobic-incidents-across-canada">the rise around the country</a> and around the world.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/girlhood-studies/16/3/girlhood-studies.16.issue-3.xml">The special issue</a> includes academic articles written by mostly Muslim women and creative works produced by hijab-wearing girls themselves. Both types of work provide insight into the current global landscape of hijabi girl experiences. </p>
<p>Cultural politics lecturer <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160303">Noha Beydoun explores the events surrounding the donning of the American flag as a method of protest</a>. She finds that this phenomenon gained popularity because it worked to conceal complicated U.S. histories regarding Muslim immigration and broader imperial interests. Beydoun’s analysis evidences that the “American flag as hijab for girls and women reinforces the larger constructs it seeks to resist.”</p>
<p>Gender studies professor Ana Carolina Antunes highlights <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160305">how unconscious bias and microaggressions hinder a positive sense of belonging among hijab-wearing students and impacts their academic success</a>. This study also reveals that anti-Muslim sentiment in schools affects the everyday experiences of Muslim girls, leading to disconnection from the school community. </p>
<p>Among the central themes in the special issue is <a href="https://assertjournal.com/index.php/assert/article/view/31/62">how women and girls resist gendered and Islamophobic discrimination in their everyday lives</a>. Hijabi girls resist oppressive narratives through their everyday actions and activist engagements. In Antunes’s study, girls asserted their right to occupy space in the educational environment.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/islamophobia-in-schools-how-teachers-and-communities-can-recognize-and-challenge-its-harms-162992">Islamophobia in schools: How teachers and communities can recognize and challenge its harms</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A girl in a black hijab with a handbag walks down a tree-lined path" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570252/original/file-20240118-20-old0n0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For Muslim women, donning the hijab can be an act of resistance and resilience in the face of discrimination.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Clinical social workers Amilah Baksh and her mother, Bibi Baksh, provide insight into their <a href="https://doi.org/10.3167/ghs.2023.160306">lived experiences as Indo-Caribbean social workers and university educators</a>. In their article, they identify the hijab as a form of resistance and resilience in their personal and professional lives. In their words, “it was never the hijab that rendered us voiceless. It is Islamophobia.”</p>
<p>The special issue highlights how Muslim girls and women, racialized through donning hijab, continue to be at the forefront of the struggle against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim violence, even as we remain among the primary targets of that violence.</p>
<p>The articles in this special issue demonstrate the need for better policies, education and laws that consider the unique experiences of girls and women in hijab. To counter violence against girls and women in hijab, we must name and understand the complexities of anti-Muslim racism and gendered Islamophobia. </p>
<p>Critically, this must center the voices of girls and women in hijab, opening or widening spaces for girls and women in hijab to practise acts of resistance in ways that are not bound by colonial logics and respectability politics.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219786/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Salsabel Almanssori receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Muna Saleh receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant (2022-2024) for her research titled “A Narrative Inquiry into the Curriculum-Making Experiences of Palestinian Muslim Youth and Families in Alberta.”</span></em></p>Around the world, Muslim girls who wear hijabs are experiencing unique forms and heightened rates of gender and race-based violence.Salsabel Almanssori, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, University of WindsorMuna Saleh, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Education, Concordia University of EdmontonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2214002024-01-19T00:43:22Z2024-01-19T00:43:22ZGolriz Ghahraman’s exit from politics shows the toll of online bullying on female MPs<p>The high-stress nature of working in politics is increasingly <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/494224/parlimentary-workplace-culture-improved-significantly-since-damning-2019-review-report">taking a toll on staff and politicians</a>. But an additional threat to the personal wellbeing and safety of politicians resides outside Parliament, and the threat is ubiquitous: online violence against women MPs. </p>
<p>Since her election in 2017, Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman has been subject to <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/01/16/ghahraman-faced-continuous-sexual-physical-threats-shaw/">persistent online violence</a>. </p>
<p>Ghahraman’s <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/statement_from_golriz_ghahraman">resignation</a> following allegations of shoplifting exposes the toll sustained online violence can have on a person’s mental health. In an <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/zm9gn8/biography-as-a-battleground-what-it-means-to-be-new-zealands-first-refugee-mp">interview with Vice</a> in 2018, Ghahraman expressed how the online abuse was overwhelming and questioned how long she would continue in Parliament. </p>
<p>Resigning in 2024, Ghahraman said <a href="https://www.greens.org.nz/statement_from_golriz_ghahraman">in a statement</a> </p>
<blockquote>
<p>it is clear to me that my mental health is being badly affected by the stresses relating to my work</p>
</blockquote>
<p>and</p>
<blockquote>
<p>the best thing for my mental health is to resign as a Member of Parliament. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ghahraman is not alone in receiving torrents of online abuse. Many other women MPs have also been targeted, including former Prime Minister <a href="https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2023/01/24/data-shines-a-light-on-the-online-hatred-for-jacinda-ardern.html">Jacinda Ardern</a>, Green Party co-leader <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/361341/green-party-co-leader-receives-rape-and-death-threats-on-social-media">Marama Davidson</a>, National MP <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018836535/female-politicians-face-sexist-abuse-online">Nicola Willis</a> and Te Pāti Māori co-leader <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/lately/audio/2018836535/female-politicians-face-sexist-abuse-online">Debbie Ngarewa-Packer</a>.</p>
<p>Words can not only hurt, but they can seriously endanger a person’s wellbeing.</p>
<p>Online violence against women MPs, particularly against women of colour, is a concerning global trend. In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13218719.2022.2142975">an Australian study</a>, women MPs were found to be disproportionately targeted by public threats, particularly facing higher rates of online threats involving sexual violence and racist remarks. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-newsrooms-saw-the-rise-of-mob-censorship-in-2023-as-journalists-faced-a-barrage-of-abuse-219583">New Zealand newsrooms saw the rise of 'mob censorship' in 2023, as journalists faced a barrage of abuse</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>Similar online threats face women MPs in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/feb/17/how-female-mps-cope-with-misogynistic-abuse">United Kingdom</a>. Studies show that women of colour receive <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.uk/online-violence-women-mps">more intense abuse</a>.</p>
<p>Male politicians are also subject to online violence. But when directed at women the violence frequently exhibits <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2023.2181136">a misogynistic character</a>, encompassing derogatory gender-specific language and menacing sexualised threats, constituting <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/ending-violence-against-women/faqs/tech-facilitated-gender-based-violence">gender-based violence</a>. </p>
<h2>Our legal framework is not enough</h2>
<p>New Zealand’s current legal framework is not well equipped to respond to the kind of online violence experienced by women MPs like Ghahraman. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2015/0063/latest/whole.html">Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015</a> is designed to address online harassment by a single known perpetrator. But the most distressing kind of abuse comes from the sheer number of violent commentators, most of whom are unknown to the victim or <a href="https://www.compassioninpolitics.com/three_quarters_of_those_experiencing_online_abuse_say_it_comes_from_anonymous_accounts">intentionally anonymous</a>. This includes “<a href="https://rm.coe.int/the-relevance-of-the-ic-and-the-budapest-convention-on-cybercrime-in-a/1680a5eba3">mob style</a>” attacks, where large numbers of perpetrators coordinate efforts to harass, threaten, or intimidate their target.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/analysis-shows-horrifying-extent-of-abuse-sent-to-women-mps-via-twitter-126166">Analysis shows horrifying extent of abuse sent to women MPs via Twitter</a>
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</em>
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<p>Without legal recourse, women MPs have two options – tolerate the torrent of abuse, or resign. Both of these options <a href="https://www.cigionline.org/articles/when-women-are-silenced-online-democracy-suffers/">endanger</a> representative democracy. </p>
<p>Putting up with abuse may mean serious impacts on mental health and personal safety. It may also have a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/18/vile-online-abuse-against-women-mps-needs-to-be-challenged-now">chilling effect</a> on what topics women MPs choose to speak about publicly. Resigning means losing important representation of diverse perspectives, especially from minorities.</p>
<p>Having to tolerate the abuse is a breach of the right <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-recommendation-no-35-2017-gender-based">to be free from gender-based violence</a>. Being forced to resign because of it also breaches women’s rights to <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women">participate in politics</a>. Therefore, the government has duties under international human rights law to prevent, respond and redress online violence against women. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1745702227761664002"}"></div></p>
<h2>Steps the government can take</h2>
<p>United Nations human rights bodies provide <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/general-comments-and-recommendations/general-recommendation-no-35-2017-gender-based">some guidance</a> for measures the government could implement to fulfil their obligations and safeguard women’s human rights online. </p>
<p>As one of the drivers of online violence against women MPs is prevailing patriarchal attitudes, the government’s first step should be to correctly label the behaviour: gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Calling online harassment “trolling” or “cyberbullying” downplays the harm and risks normalising the behaviour. “Gender-based violence” reflects the systemic nature of the abuse.</p>
<p>Secondly, the government should urgently review the Harmful Digital Communication Act. The legislation is now nine years old and should be updated to reflect the harmful online behaviour of the 2020s, such as targeted mob-style attacks. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-misogyny-narcissism-and-a-desperate-need-for-power-make-men-abuse-women-online-95054">How misogyny, narcissism and a desperate need for power make men abuse women online</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>New Zealand is also now out of step with other countries. <a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/osa2021154/">Australia</a>, <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/enacted">the UK</a> and the <a href="https://www.eu-digital-services-act.com/">European Union</a> have all recently strengthened their laws to tackle harmful online content. </p>
<p>These new laws focus on holding big tech companies accountable and encourage cooperation between the government, online platforms and civil society. Greater collaboration, alongside enforcement mechanisms, <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2022/08/intensification-of-efforts-to-eliminate-all-forms-of-violence-against-women-report-of-the-secretary-general-2022#:%7E:text=Pursuant%20to%20UN%20General%20Assembly,as%20on%20broader%20efforts%20to">is essential</a> to address systemic issues like gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Thirdly, given the <a href="https://newsroom.co.nz/2022/07/12/digital-harm-soaring-year-on-year">increasing scale</a> of online violence, the government should ensure adequate resourcing for police to investigate serious incidents. Resources should also be made available for social media moderation among all MPs and training in online safety. </p>
<p>More than ever, words have the power to break people <a href="https://theconversation.com/disinformation-campaigns-are-undermining-democracy-heres-how-we-can-fight-back-217539">and democracies</a>. It is now the urgent task of the government to fulfil its legal obligations toward women MPs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221400/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra Mudgway does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Representative democracy is under threat as females – particularly from minority groups – leave or choose not to enter politics. Many say the mental toll of online abuse has become overwhelming.Cassandra Mudgway, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of CanterburyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2209832024-01-17T13:07:08Z2024-01-17T13:07:08ZWhy police in England and Wales are failing to warn people about partners’ previous abuse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569035/original/file-20240112-29-vo063t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/birmingham-england-september-17-2019-main-1798441609">Michael715|Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Since 2014, the police in England and Wales have had powers to warn someone when they know their partner poses a real risk of danger, under what is known as <a href="https://theconversation.com/domestic-abuse-bill-proposed-changes-to-protect-victims-explained-110258">Clare’s Law</a> (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme). Police can also offer the information if they identify a person at risk. Disclosures can include any kind of information held in police records that indicates a risk of abuse. </p>
<p>In early January 2024, journalist Shanti Das reported that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/06/revealed-police-refusing-requests-for-background-checks-on-violent-partners#:%7E:text=Under%20Clare's%20law%20%E2%80%93%20named%20after,who%20may%20be%20in%20danger.">some forces</a> are refusing to release such information. Analysing government data for 43 forces, Das uncovered significant differences in response rates to Clare’s Law applications. Some forces disclose in response to 75% of requests, many to less than 30%, and at least one, to as little as 5%. </p>
<p>My <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14773708221128249">research </a> shows that being given this kind of information can be invaluable to victims of domestic abuse, because of the way perpetrators use secrecy and lies to exert control. </p>
<h2>Why Clare’s Law disclosures can be life changing for victims</h2>
<p>Each time a serial perpetrator starts a new relationship, they spin a false narrative about their past, using secrecy and lies to exert control. This might involve <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/When_Love_Goes_Wrong/ztmgehKSrNYC?hl=en">explaining away</a> rumours or reports of past abuse as malicious allegations by a “crazy” ex-partner, or pretending previous convictions are for shoplifting, say, or self-defence. </p>
<p>As the relationship develops and the abuse begins, perpetrators use psychological manipulation to blame their partner for their own behaviour – telling them that they deserve the abuse or that they made it happen. “<a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Look_what_You_Made_Me_Do/FlQyswEACAAJ?hl=en">Look what you made me do</a>” is a phrase that exemplifies how perpetrators twist and distort the truth to expand their scope for control over their victim’s lives and minds. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Police officers in hi-vis vests." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/569037/original/file-20240112-21-bzcggb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Police officers can help to identify serial predators.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/police-officer-on-duty-city-centre-651846142">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>The value of Clare’s Law lies in its potential to counter these aspects of abuse.</p>
<p>Police often hold multiple reports of the same kind of abuse from different victims of the same perpetrator – sometimes over many years. Revealing these distinct patterns of abuse <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/14773708221128249">can disprove and disrupt</a> the perpetrator’s narrative. </p>
<p>More importantly, it can expose them for what they are: not a misunderstood or troubled person doing their best, but a serial perpetrator with a distinct repertoire of cruelty that they repeatedly inflict on partner after partner. </p>
<h2>Responding to information requests is expensive</h2>
<p>The police receive a domestic-abuse-related call <a href="https://refuge.org.uk/what-is-domestic-abuse/the-facts/#:%7E:text=Fact%3A%20The%20police%20receive%20a,is%20reported%20to%20the%20police.">every 30 seconds</a>. Domestic abuse accounts for <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/national-police-chiefs-council-crown-prosecution-service-and-college-policing-commit">a third of violent crime</a>. </p>
<p>Despite police leaders <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/sep/17/watchdog-finds-staggering-variation-in-police-use-of-clares-law">agreeing</a> that it is one of their top priorities, some forces make hardly any disclosures under Clare’s Law. Why? The first reason is, unsurprisingly, resources. At least three forces have told me that they have reduced or stopped promoting Clare’s Law simply because they cannot cope with the backlog. </p>
<p>Between 2021 and 2023, police in England and Wales received nearly 84,000 requests for disclosure. Essex police, a medium-sized force, currently has a dedicated team of 20 officers working to respond to these requests. </p>
<p>This significant pressure on forces is only intensified by the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6489ab97103ca6000c039ea0/Domestic_Violence_Disclosure_Scheme.pdf">Home Office requirement</a> that the disclosure be completed within 28 days of an application being made– down from 35 days in 2022. Failure to meet this target sees the force get marked down by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. </p>
<p>But that requirement has been made without the government providing the police with any extra funds to meet it. This matters because responding to a request is resource intensive. </p>
<p>Some people have long and varied criminal histories. Police databases, however, don’t allow officers to search within that history for domestic abuse. So officers have to look at every single recorded incident to see if it is related to domestic abuse, or otherwise indicates a relevant risk. </p>
<p>The process is further complicated by jurisdiction. If relevant events in a person’s history occurred when they lived in another force area, the officer may need to call that force and ask them to do an additional search.</p>
<h2>Interpretation and data sharing difficulties</h2>
<p>Another related problem is that, though disclosures can be made to anyone deemed at risk, some forces <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10439463.2020.1795169">interpret</a> this very narrowly. They only disclose information to someone who is living with the person of interest, or currently in a relationship with that person. </p>
<p>This is despite it being a well-established fact that, in situations of domestic abuse, <a href="https://www.womensaid.org.uk/information-support/what-is-domestic-abuse/women-leave/">the risks escalate</a> when a relationship is ending. Disclosing information at this point can reassure victims that they made the right decision to leave – and help them to stay away.</p>
<p>Also, police forces can be <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10439463.2020.1795169">wary of sharing data</a> – concerned about litigation from angry perpetrators. This has led some forces to decide that they will not disclose information about incidents that have not resulted in a conviction, even when that information indicates a serious risk.</p>
<p>However, very few domestic abuse crimes reported to the police <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/cps-publishes-latest-quarterly-statistics-which-show-continued-increase-people-charged#:%7E:text=Conviction%20rates%20have%20decreased%20by,hate%20crime%20(0.5%25)%20cases.">result in a conviction</a>. As a result, these forces will inevitably have very low disclosure rates. And that’s because they are refusing to disclose relevant information about people they know to be dangerous. </p>
<p>This puts victims at risk by reassuring them, falsely, that there is nothing to disclose. Yet, to my knowledge, not a single legal claim on grounds of privacy violation or otherwise has been brought successfully against police in the decade since Clare’s Law was introduced. Police need to stop worrying about data protection and litigation, and focus on protecting victims. </p>
<p>A third and more concerning reason relates to cultural resistance, among some officers, to the police leadership’s decision to treat domestic abuse as a serious crime and a policing priority. In 2023 <a href="https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/bcr/baroness-casey-review/">the Casey investigation</a> into the culture at the Met police found the country’s largest police force to be institutionally misogynist. It is unlikely to be the only one. </p>
<p>I am conducting a national <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ClaresLawSurvey">survey</a> of people who have accessed Clare’s Law. My initial findings show that some police forces say they will only make a disclosure if the applicant reports their partner as a criminal. Other applicants describe being made to “prove” they are still at risk. </p>
<p>Others still say police told them that if they have experienced abuse themselves, then they already know they are at risk and don’t need the information. Only rigorous recruitment into domestic abuse roles, proper training and strictly enforced lines of accountability can start to address this deeper problem.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220983/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Katerina Hadjimatheou receives funding from the British Academy</span></em></p>Being given information about the violent past of a current partner can be life changing. Police forces need better resources to be able to process requests.Katerina Hadjimatheou, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Ethics, University of EssexLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2182142024-01-10T20:01:53Z2024-01-10T20:01:53ZProvincial policies on campus sexual violence are inconsistent across Canada<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568453/original/file-20240109-21-6oe3n1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=75%2C55%2C4525%2C3007&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Campus-based sexual harassment occurs almost daily and often goes unreported.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/provincial-policies-on-campus-sexual-violence-are-inconsistent-across-canada" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Incidents of campus-based <a href="https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-29/issue-29.html">sexual violence</a> and gender-based violence are not new. Though, in the past decade, there has been increased awareness and action from campus administrations in response to campus sexual violence.</p>
<p>In 2021, students at Western University <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/western-frosh-week-1.6572607">protested rape culture on campus</a> following allegations that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/sexual-assault-reports-doubled-in-last-year-at-western-university-1.6506184#">women were being drugged and sexually assaulted during orientation week</a>. Police investigated, but no charges were laid. Western <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/sexual-violence-policies-ontario-western-walkout-1.6178070">launched a task force on sexual violence</a> and mandated consent and violence prevention training for students.</p>
<p>In 2015, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/dalhousie-suspends-13-dentistry-students-from-clinic-amid-facebook-scandal-1.2889635">Dalhousie University</a> suspended 13 dentistry students for misogynistic and sexually violent social media posts targeting women classmates. The students were allowed to graduate after a <a href="https://torontosun.com/2015/05/22/dental-students-in-dalhousie-facebook-scandal-allowed-to-graduate">restorative justice program</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/western-university-and-other-schools-should-cancel-frosh-week-to-stop-rape-culture-167962">Western University and other schools should cancel frosh week to stop rape culture</a>
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<p>These are not one-offs. Campus-based <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/10778012231153369">sexual harassment occurs almost</a> daily and often <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00005-eng.htm">goes unreported</a>. </p>
<h2>Varying provincial responses</h2>
<p>Sexual and gender-based violence operate on a continuum that ranges from <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-queens-university-taking-action-against-students-after-misogynistic/">misogynistic comments</a> to <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stabbing-attack-at-the-university-of-waterloo-underscores-the-dangers-of-polarizing-rhetoric-about-gender-208904">gender-motivated hate-crimes</a>. </p>
<p>Between 2015 and 2021, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9095062/post-secondary-action-plan-sexual-violence/">student-led calls for change</a> and a need to <a href="https://theconversation.com/addressing-campus-sexual-violence-new-risk-assessment-tool-can-help-administrators-make-difficult-decisions-199714">build safer campuses</a> led most <a href="https://www.reescommunity.com/the-next-generation-of-campus-sexual-violence-legislation-creating-minimum-standards-for-campus-policies-2/">Canadian provinces</a> to mandate universities and colleges to formally <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/universities-across-canada-implement-sexual-violence-policies/">adopt sexual violence policies</a>.</p>
<p>Post-secondary institutions’ approaches to <a href="https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/S/Sexual-Violence-at-Canadian-Universities">preventing and responding to sexual violence aren’t consistent</a> across the country, and how institutions follow policy mandates in provinces <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4839917/some-quebec-universities-cegeps-miss-deadline-for-sexual-violence-policies/">can differ</a>.</p>
<p>Provinces have mandated post-secondary policy in varied ways. For example, British Columbia’s <a href="https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/16023_01">Sexual Violence and Misconduct Policy Act</a> requires post-secondary institutions to establish policies that are publicly accessible and focused on preventing violence. Policies must lay out reporting processes, be reviewed every three years and include diverse student group consultations when policy is created and updated.</p>
<p>In 2022, Alberta’s Minister of Advanced Education and Associate Minister of Status of Women sent a <a href="https://www.preview.ualberta.ca/provost/media-library/sexual-violence-policy/copy-of-ministers-letter.pdf">letter to post-secondary schools</a> calling for a stand-alone policy. This policy is to be informed by guidelines from <a href="https://www.preview.ualberta.ca/provost/media-library/sexual-violence-policy/copy-of-ministers-checklist.pdf">Courage to Act</a>, a “<a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/#">federally funded initiative to address and prevent gender-based violence on Canadian campuses</a>” prioritizing survivor-centered measures.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black in a university building with a concerned expression" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568456/original/file-20240109-23-axav9j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Post-secondary institutions’ approaches to preventing and responding to sexual violence aren’t consistent across the country, and how institutions follow policy mandates in provinces can differ.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Manitoba’s <a href="https://web2.gov.mb.ca/bills/41-1/b015e.php">Sexual Violence Awareness and Prevention Act</a> requires colleges and universities to develop policies that focus on consent education and culturally sensitive measures, yet offers unspecific language requiring universities and colleges to raise awareness about sexual violence. Policies must outline reporting processes, including academic accommodations. </p>
<p>Ontario’s <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s16002">Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act</a> requires post-secondary policies pertaining to sexual violence and harassment to be publicly accessible and include <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/definetheline/files/definetheline/survivor-centred_research_rentschler_et_al._2022.pdf">trauma-informed practices</a>. Policies must also list on/off-campus resources, outline the reporting process and academic accommodations. Creating and updating policies must include consultation with student governing bodies. Training on policies must be available to the campus community.</p>
<p>Québec’s <a href="https://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/travaux-parlementaires/projets-loi/projet-loi-151-41-1.html?appelant=MC">Act to Prevent and Fight Sexual Violence in Higher Education Institutions</a> requires higher education institutions to develop stand-alone policies that account for individuals at higher risk of experiencing violence. It outlines reporting processes, including measures for confidentiality and the prohibition of gag orders. </p>
<p>Québec universities and colleges must give all students <a href="https://reporter.mcgill.ca/new-education-and-awareness-modules-on-consent-and-sexual-violence-coming-to-mcgill-in-2019/">education about sexual violence</a> upon arrival, and yearly education to all student leaders, staff and faculty. Colleges and universities must outline safety infrastructure to counter sexual violence and create a code of conduct for relationships involving people with campus authority. All members of the campus community must receive sexual violence training, and there must be a standing committee with diverse campus representation to create and update sexual violence policies.</p>
<p>Nova Scotia and public universities created a <a href="https://novascotia.ca/lae/pubs/docs/MOU-2015-2019.pdf">Memorandum of Understanding</a> addressing sexual violence policies. Universities are required to adopt stand-alone policies with a commitment to prevent sexual violence. Policies must outline the reporting processes and resources available on/off-campus. Universities must consult with student governing bodies and create a working committee to promote sexual violence education.</p>
<p>Prince Edward Island’s <a href="https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/sites/default/files/legislation/p-11-2-post-secondary_institutions_sexual_violence_policies_act.pdf">Post-Secondary Institutions Sexual Violence Policies Act</a> requires that post-secondary bodies have policies outlining reporting procedures. It specifies a need for culturally sensitive measures, and academic accommodations. Student input must also be engaged during policy development.</p>
<p>Saskatchewan, New Brunswick plus Newfoundland and Labrador still <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/u-of-a-sexual-violence-report-1.5457775">have no provincial mandated requirements</a> related to post-secondary institutions and sexual violence.</p>
<p>These examples suggest the extent to which there are differing degrees of specificity guiding post-secondary schools’ policy creation and implementation. </p>
<h2>Survivor-centred approach needed</h2>
<p>A lot is promising: there are explicit calls for prevention, support and response efforts. But many requirements are unclear and vague. For example, <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/s16002">Ontario’s</a> requirement for student consultations and training are left up to individual schools to interpret. </p>
<p>Experts who have examined campus policies about sexual assault and gender-based violence note that campuses often respond to sexual or gender-based violence in ways that increase <a href="https://theconversation.com/addressing-campus-sexual-violence-new-risk-assessment-tool-can-help-administrators-make-difficult-decisions-199714">surveillance and security</a>. This approach is not survivor-centered or preventative in focus.</p>
<p>Even with policies, students can feel unsupported. <a href="https://education.macleans.ca/feature/what-happens-to-sexual-assault-reports-at-canadian-universities-no-one-really-knows/">There’s a nationwide lack of clarity around what happens when</a> a report is made.</p>
<p>While some <a href="https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/60131/ontario-strengthens-sexual-violence-and-harassment-policies-at-postsecondary-institutions">provinces have made some changes</a> to their initial mandates, change is infrequent and policies become outdated. </p>
<p>Campus-based sexual violence policy recommendations and <a href="https://doi.org/10.7202/1075669ar">research</a> is <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4106721-Our-Turn-Action-Plan-Final-English-2">continuously evolving</a>. <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/report">Evidence-informed tools</a> are available to post-secondary institutions to support developing relevant policies. </p>
<p>There is lots of hard work being done to support students and we see pockets of improvement nationwide. But efforts will remain sporadic until there is an established system that ensures <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2020/bringing-fairness-to-campus-sexual-violence-complaint-processes/">accountability</a> for consistent survivor-centered and trauma-informed policies across the country.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218214/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Students’ calls for change led most provinces to adopt sexual violence policies, but those policies have been inconsistent across the country.Katelin Albert, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of VictoriaNell Perry, Graduate Student (MA) in Sociology, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2184212023-12-18T22:29:42Z2023-12-18T22:29:42ZHow technology can help victims of intimate partner violence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565862/original/file-20231214-19-xsrof1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C38%2C4262%2C2805&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Technology is being used to help survivors by connecting them with resources, services and supports</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-technology-can-help-victims-of-intimate-partner-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Intimate partner violence is a major public health concern. According to Statistics Canada, in 2018, 44 per cent of women <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210426/dq210426b-eng.htm">experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime</a>. Rates of intimate partner violence are not only alarmingly high, but steadily increasing. <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231121/dq231121b-eng.htm">In 2022, there were 117,093 victims of police-reported intimate partner violence in Canada</a>. This marked a 19 per cent increase since 2014.</p>
<p>Violence in intimate relationships can take many forms, including physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse and coercive control. And intimate partner violence increases during emergencies such as pandemics, natural disasters and even economic downturns. </p>
<p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, federal consultations with provinces and territories found that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/domestic-violence-rates-rising-due-to-covid19-1.5545851">intimate partner violence rose by 20 to 30 per cent in certain regions of Canada</a>. Rising rates of intimate partner violence worldwide at this time were labelled as <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/in-focus-gender-equality-in-covid-19-response/violence-against-women-during-covid-19">“the shadow pandemic”</a> by the United Nations.</p>
<p>These increases in intimate partner violence have highlighted the need for creative and innovative ways of addressing the issue, particularly during emergencies. As part of <a href="https://www.umanitoba.ca/sites/resolve/files/2023-11/COVID-19%20IPV%20Final%20Report%20November%202023.pdf">our research</a> on intimate partner violence during the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba, we examined how technology is creatively being used to help survivors of intimate partner violence.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C6%2C4459%2C2984&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Silhouette of a woman standing alone in a dark room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C6%2C4459%2C2984&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565599/original/file-20231213-17-jjbmj4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Rates of intimate partner violence are not only alarmingly high, but steadily increasing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Technology and intimate partner violence</h2>
<p>Discussions about intimate partner violence and technology often focus on the ways abusers misuse technology to harm their intimate partners. This type of violence, known as <a href="https://www.umanitoba.ca/sites/resolve/files/2022-04/tech-facilitated-violence-research-brief-14-en.pdf">technology-facilitated violence</a>, includes sending abusive or threatening text messages, monitoring an intimate partner through tracking systems or spyware and controlling an intimate partner’s access to technology. </p>
<p>Technology can pose undeniable harms to survivors of intimate partner violence. However, it is also being used to help survivors by connecting them with resources, services and supports. We specifically saw technology be used in creative ways during the COVID-19 pandemic in place of in-person services.</p>
<p>Participants in our research project noted an increase in online services for survivors of intimate partner violence, including online counselling, safety planning, support groups and text or chat-based crisis lines. The easy access these services provide reduced certain barriers that came with in-person services such as transportation or having to find child care.</p>
<p>Other technology-based initiatives have gained recognition, such as online awareness campaigns. The award-winning <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help/">Signal for Help</a> campaign was launched in April 2020 in a response to increases in both gender-based violence and the use of video calls during the pandemic. The campaign featured a one-handed gesture that survivors of violence could use on video calls to signal that they need help.</p>
<p>Several apps have also been developed to help keep survivors safe. The <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/myplan-safety-app/id1563802534">myPlan Safety App</a> features assessments and strategies for safety planning, online privacy and finding resources in a user’s local area. </p>
<p>Researchers have been exploring <a href="https://data.berkeley.edu/news/expert-shares-how-ai-could-help-doctors-treat-domestic-violence-victims">the potential of using artificial intelligence to help doctors care for and support survivors of intimate partner violence</a>.</p>
<p>Large-scale partnerships with technology companies during the pandemic showed increasing potential for reaching survivors of intimate partner violence at home. <a href="https://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2020/6/news-tech-giants-provide-life-saving-information-during-covid-19">UN Women partnered with tech companies</a> in the United States to distribute information about services and resources for intimate partner violence survivors. <a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/snapchat-announces-new-resources-to-assist-users-dealing-with-domestic-viol/577725/">The National Network to End Domestic Violence and Snapchat</a> also announced a partnership to provide intimate partner violence resources for users through searches of related terms.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with a sad expression sits on the edge of a bed. A man sits on the other end of the bed behind her." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565602/original/file-20231213-17-fk94wl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Online services and apps can provide victims of intimate partner violence with quick, accessible support and advice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Barriers to online services</h2>
<p>The use of technology does not come without challenges. For instance, some of our research participants told us it was difficult to navigate online services. This was particularly apparent for those who had limited experience with technology. Others also noted that it could be hard to find privacy to access online services at home.</p>
<p>Additionally, some participants did not have access to the internet or technology needed to access online services, like a laptop or smartphone. This was common among <a href="https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-35/index.html">those living in rural, remote or northern areas of Canada</a>. Those who did have access to internet and technology in these areas noted that their internet connection or cellular service was often unreliable.</p>
<p>As technology in the area advances, it is important to identify and address social, economic and geographical barriers that can prevent survivors of intimate partner violence from utilizing online services. This is particularly important for survivors with limited online access, such as low-income, older adults or those living in rural areas.</p>
<p>Despite these challenges, the use of technology shows great potential for helping survivors of intimate partner violence, both during and after emergencies. Online service provision was noted as particularly beneficial for younger generations, who experience <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/231121/dq231121b-eng.htm">especially high rates of violence</a>. Continuing to invest in creative and innovative ways of meeting the complex needs of survivors provides promising practices for addressing intimate partner violence now, and into the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218421/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kendra Nixon receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and research support from community partner, the Family Violence Prevention Program (Government of Manitoba). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashley Haller receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and research support from community partner, the Family Violence Prevention Program (Government of Manitoba). </span></em></p>Increases in intimate partner violence have highlighted the need for creative and innovative ways of addressing the issue, particularly during emergencies.Kendra Nixon, Professor, Faculty of Social Work & Director, RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse), University of ManitobaAshley Haller, Research Technician at RESOLVE (Research and Education for Solutions to Violence and Abuse), University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2150462023-11-26T19:58:10Z2023-11-26T19:58:10ZGender-based violence: Teaching about its root causes is necessary to address it<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/gender-based-violence-teaching-about-its-root-causes-is-necessary-to-address-it" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>In 2022, <a href="https://femicideincanada.ca/callitfemicide2018-2022.pdf">184 women and girls were killed by violence in Canada</a>. This number has steadily increased in each of the past three years; 148 women and girls were killed in 2019, 172 in 2020 and 177 in 2021.</p>
<p>There were <a href="https://egale.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Egale_Pride_Unravelled_Government_Package_May23.pdf">6,423 incidences of anti-2SLGBTQIA+ protests and online hate</a> in Canada in the first three months of 2023 alone. Expressions of hate toward trans and non-binary people and 2SLGBTQIA+ people more broadly have been rising.</p>
<p>Transphobia and femicide are both forms of gender-based violence, <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-based-violence/about-gender-based-violence.html">defined as any form of violence directed toward somebody because of their gender, gender identity, gender expression or perceived gender</a>. </p>
<p>My team of researchers, <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com">The Gender-Based Violence Teaching Network</a>, created resources, professional development and <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com/about-6">a teaching toolkit</a> to support more teachers to effectively teach students about the root causes and consequences of different forms of gender-based violence. </p>
<h2>Devastating effects</h2>
<p>Gender-based violence has devastating effects for those who experience it. In addition to immediate physical, psychological and/or sexual harm, it leads to <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3837386">increased economic insecurity</a> and <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/violence-against-women">has detrimental impacts on mental health</a>. </p>
<p>Gender-based violence is prevalent in our society. A <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/blog/new-survey-few-well-prepared-to-support-someone-facing-gender-based-violence/">2021 survey by the Canadian Women’s Foundation</a> showed that two-thirds of 1,515 Canadian respondents know a woman who has experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Despite this high prevalence, it is often not examined in schools as a social issue.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/educationpub/75/">My analysis</a> of Ontario secondary school curricula showed that some form of gender-based violence is mentioned at all grade levels. It is most frequently mentioned in upper-level optional <a href="https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/ssciences9to122013.pdf">social sciences and humanities</a> courses (such as Grade 11 Gender Studies or Grade 12 Challenge and Change in Society). </p>
<p>These elective courses are also more likely to help students examine how gender-based violence is <a href="https://bmcwomenshealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12905-015-0256-4">influenced by systems of power, discrimination and social constructs</a>, including through the intersections of gender and racialization, disability and socioeconomic status.</p>
<h2>Need to learn how violence is normalized</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1884193">Teachers told me</a> that, unfortunately, these elective courses are not always offered and, when they are, they are most often taken by students already familiar with these ideas. </p>
<p>This means most Ontario students never learn about the connection between acts of violence and broader structures that normalize gender-based violence by discriminating against girls, women and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Final_Report_Vol_1a-1.pdf">Indigenous women and girls are 12 times more likely to be murdered or missing than</a> other women in Canada. This disproportionate violence results from centuries of colonization, which continues to manifest through multigenerational and intergenerational trauma, social and economic marginalization, and institutional practices and social behaviours that maintain the status quo and ignore the agency and expertise of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ people. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/missing-and-murdered-indigenous-women-and-girls-an-epidemic-on-both-sides-of-the-medicine-line-118261">Missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls: An epidemic on both sides of the Medicine Line</a>
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<h2>Overlooking power discrepancies</h2>
<p>There are required courses that mention some forms of gender-based violence,
most notably Grade 9 <a href="https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/secondary-hpe">Health and Physical Education</a>. However, my analysis of this curriculum found it frames gender-based violence <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1884193">as an issue of individual responsibility</a>, overlooking the ways power discrepancies can influence the situation and impact a person’s ability to provide consent or respond to violence. </p>
<p>There are also brief mentions of several gender-based violence issues in the Grade 10 Canadian History and Civics and Citizenship courses, including missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. My examination of the curriculum and teachers’ experience teaching it, however, demonstrates these curricula do not prompt critical analysis of the social causes that led to these acts of violence.</p>
<h2>What effective teaching looks like</h2>
<p>My research demonstrated that some teachers are teaching about gender-based violence issues. They explain that effective teaching about gender-based violence involves grappling with the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103755">power and privilege of both students and teachers</a>, intentionally <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2021.2007987">cultivating relationships with and between students</a> and <a href="https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/jfs/vol22/iss22/2/">with community resources</a> and considering the root causes of gender-based violence as connected to patriarchy, colonialism, heteronormativity and cisnormativity. </p>
<p>Students call for education that conveys the holistic consequences for victims as real people, not just statistics, and that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103755">empowers them to understand and prevent gender-based violence in their lives and communities</a>. </p>
<h2>Teaching toolkit</h2>
<p>My team created resources and professional development to respond to <a href="https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/educationpub/77/">teachers’ concerns</a> that they lacked sufficient training and materials about gender-based violence, and that this discourages teaching about it. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.gbvteaching.com/about-6">Teaching About Gender-Based Violence Toolkit</a> is available on our project website. The toolkit has lesson plans, guidance notes and other teaching materials to support teachers to address gender-based violence topics. It aligns to Grade 8-12 Ontario curriculum expectations. </p>
<p>Topics addressed include sexual assault, consent and healthy relationships, human trafficking, transphobia and homophobia, gender policing, cisnormativity and heteronormativity, missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people and intimate partner violence. </p>
<p>More directly addressing gender-based violence through education can help the upcoming generation of Canadians understand how gender-based violence manifests across our society. </p>
<h2>More education needed</h2>
<p>The ongoing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/mashkode-bizhiki-ikwe-unidentified-homicide-jeremy-skibicki-1.7020242">disappearance and murder of Indigenous women, girls</a> and Two-Spirit people, the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9393280/canada-lgbtq-hate-trans-west-block/">proliferation of hate toward 2SLGBTQIA+ people</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/workers-supporting-survivors-of-gender-based-violence-are-demanding-change-195897">the unmanageable demand for women’s shelters</a> and the emergence of new <a href="https://gbvlearningnetwork.ca/our-work/issuebased_newsletters/issue-39/index.html">forms of sexual violence facilitated by technology</a> show the importance of more education about gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Broader awareness of its root causes and devastating consequences is necessary to better address it.</p>
<p>Teachers are uniquely placed to support the development of students’ understanding of gender-based violence. All educators are encouraged to explore the resources that we have created to help students understand that, tragically, gender-based violence exists all around them. </p>
<p>We need to teach students what it looks like and why it happens before we can empower them to collectively act to circumvent it in their lives and communities.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215046/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Catherine Vanner receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>The Teaching About Gender-Based Violence Toolkit offers lesson plans and other teaching materials, and is designed to meet Grades 8-12 Ontario curriculum expectations.Catherine Vanner, Assistant Professor of Educational Foundations, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2127402023-11-03T17:32:50Z2023-11-03T17:32:50ZThe climate crisis is making gender inequality in developing coastal communities worse<p>Across the world, women and men experience the impacts of the climate crisis in different ways. These are shaped by societal roles and responsibilities and result in <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-crisis-could-reverse-progress-in-achieving-gender-equality-127787">widening inequalities</a> between men and women. </p>
<p>Sea-level rise, storm surges and high waves in coastal area do not discriminate, but societal structures often do. This makes climate change a highly gender-sensitive issue.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/">Research</a> has long shown that coastal areas are the most directly affected by climate change. Small islands in Asia, central and South America and Africa – what many term “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-global-south-is-on-the-rise-but-what-exactly-is-the-global-south-207959">the global south</a>” – are particularly vulnerable to land erosion and economic decline, amid livelihood losses in fisheries. </p>
<p><a href="https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/pgr/11413/andi-misbahul-pratiwi">My doctoral research</a> explores how in countries where women and girls already face disproportionate inequalities relating to ethnicity, class, age and education, the climate crisis is <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-womens-environmental-action-across-the-global-south-can-create-a-better-planet-214083">making things worse</a>. In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19480881.2010.536669">coastal areas</a>, in particular, women and girls are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959378006000422">ever more vulnerable</a>.</p>
<h2>Livelihoods under threat</h2>
<p>In 2017, in collaboration with the <a href="https://indonesianfeministjournal.org/">Indonesian Feminist Journal</a>, I conducted <a href="https://indonesianfeministjournal.org/index.php/IFJ/article/view/203/259">research</a> off the coast of Demak in Java, Indonesia. I found that women in coastal communities faced multiple problems, from poverty and <a href="https://wrd.unwomen.org/explore/insights/how-fisherwomen-java-rise-above-climate-change-and-increase-gender-based-violence">domestic and gender-based violence</a> to employment challenges. </p>
<p>Fisherwomen who work at sea are having to sail further out and contend with difficult conditions to find catches. One woman, Zarokah, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzSyPW2D73o">I interviewed</a> had started fishing with her husband, two years earlier, when he could no longer find a crew to work with. They wake at 3am to head out to sea. </p>
<p>She told me a basket of tiny flying fish goes for 150,000 rupiah (£7.70) and a good haul will yield several baskets. But even when they don’t catch anything, they still have to cover the cost of supplies and equipment. <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2022/10/24/warming-seas-bring-indonesias-fishermen-deadly-storms-empty-nets.html">This income is inadequate</a> when faced with a situation where fish are becoming scarcer and extreme weather prevents them from going out to sea.</p>
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<p><a href="https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/196016/">I have shown</a> how women in this area and beyond have contributed significantly to the fishing sector and coastal economies. And yet, Masnu'ah, who is the founder of a local fisherwomen’s organisation, told me that women’s economic role continues to not be recognised by their male peers and society more broadly. </p>
<p>Zarokah is still labelled a “housewife” on her ID card, despite the fact that, as she put it, “If I don’t go, my husband doesn’t go either and we cannot meet our needs.”</p>
<p>If the fisherwomen do not receive recognition for their work, they are unable to access social protections including <a href="https://www.undp.org/indonesia/news/fisherwomen-fisherman%E2%80%99s-world-improving-access-women-indonesian-fisheries">life insurance</a>. As climate change increasingly threatens the profession at large, having state support and insurance is vital. </p>
<h2>Access to amenities and healthcare</h2>
<p>It’s not just women’s livelihoods in this area that are impacted by extreme weather and any other disruptions to the fishing industry. <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2023/07/25/slow-disaster-residents-in-central-javas-sinking-village-forced-to-adapt.html">Tidal flooding</a> has also made it difficult for women and girls to access healthcare facilities. </p>
<p>Women find it difficult to access clinics because the roads are closed and isolated. One activist in Demak told me about helping a woman give birth in the middle of a tidal flood – when the houses were sinking. “It was very difficult,” she said, “because the waves were high, there were no boats. The baby died two to three days after.” </p>
<p>Research from other regions in the world show a similar pattern of increasing vulnerability. In the south-western coastal region of <a href="https://theconversation.com/bangladesh-is-undertaking-the-worlds-largest-resettlement-programme-and-the-climate-is-making-it-harder-208664">Bangladesh</a>, natural hazards, including storm surges and <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-change-isnt-just-making-cyclones-worse-its-making-the-floods-they-cause-worse-too-new-research-182789">cyclones</a>, have long affected women significantly. Of the 140,000 people killed in the 1991 cyclone disaster, <a href="https://lib.icimod.org/record/13783/files/1337.pdf">90% were women</a>.</p>
<p>However, the impacts are broader than that. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/4/3744">A recent study</a> looked at women’s lives, particularly among the ethnic Munda community, in the Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat districts. It found that bad management of open-water sources (ponds and canals) has led to high water salinity. Women and girls, who are responsible for family provisions, have to walk up to 3km – and sometimes as far as 5km – to find drinking water.</p>
<p>They spend long hours carrying heavy water pots, which leads to chronic pain conditions. During droughts, this task can take over three hours daily. The women and girls also face harassment from boys and men while collecting the water.</p>
<p>A 2020 study in Ilaje, a coastal region in Nigeria, found that, there too, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652619338855#abs0010">women and girls</a> often bear the responsibility of ensuring there’s enough food, fuel and clean water available at home. During times of low rainfall or drought, they have to cover similarly long distances. Young girls sometimes have to leave school in order to help their mothers with these tasks.</p>
<p>Pregnant women in Ilaje, particularly, are vulnerable to health effects like malnutrition, dehydration, anemia, and other health risks related to low food and water availability during crises.</p>
<p>Due to prevailing patriarchal norms, Ilaje women lack the authority to make independent decisions within their families and in society. They don’t have control over financial matters and assets. And they are not given opportunities to participate in public spaces, in particular within community group discussions on climate change adaptation. As a result, they are unable to voice their specific concerns and needs – at both family and community levels. </p>
<p>Oceans and coastal ecosystems cover over two thirds of the planet. They <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/">play a crucial role</a> in food and energy production as well as creating employment opportunities. About <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Ocean_Factsheet_People.pdf">600 million people</a> – around 10% of the world’s population – reside in coastal areas that are less than 10 metres above sea level. </p>
<p>The central tenet of the UN’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development is to “leave no one behind”. Applying a <a href="https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/196019/">feminist political lens</a> to the climate crisis is crucial to understanding how multilayered the problems facing women and girls in rural and coastal regions around the world are. </p>
<p>Yet, social and feminist research on how the climate is changing has been <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2010.01889.x">scarce</a>. Without it, women and girls will indeed be left behind. </p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andi Misbahul Pratiwi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Sea-level rises and storm surges don’t discriminate, but societal structures do.Andi Misbahul Pratiwi, PhD Candidate, School of Geography, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2166052023-10-29T14:00:47Z2023-10-29T14:00:47ZThe latest mass shooting in Sault Ste. Marie highlights Ontario’s epidemic of gender-based violence<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-latest-mass-shooting-in-sault-ste-marie-highlights-ontarios-epidemic-of-gender-based-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>It took only 11 months for Ontario to experience its next mass shooting after the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/19/world/canada/canada-vaughan-shooting-condo.html">one in Vaughan in December 2022</a>. </p>
<p>Sault Ste. Marie residents are contending with the loss of <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/unspeakable-tragedy-3-children-and-2-adults-including-shooter-dead-after-sault-ste-marie-shootings/article_a91ea71c-717b-59aa-b12d-df81adc1e584.html">five lives in Ontario’s latest mass shooting</a> on Oct. 24. Police say the shooting was a case of <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/sault-ste-marie-shooter-was-previously-charged-with-assaulting-cop-court-docs-show/article_4cb167f0-7d35-5f3f-9c62-8168e7499ac3.html">intimate partner violence</a>. </p>
<p>A man allegedly killed three young children and one woman, and wounded another woman, before taking his own life. The shooter has been identified as <a href="https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/family-ids-gunman-in-sault-ste-marie-shootings-cops-cite-intimate-partner-violence-cp-1.6618101">the father of the children</a>.</p>
<p>As someone who was personally impacted by <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-research-mass-shootings-but-i-never-believed-one-would-happen-in-my-own-condo-in-vaughan-ont-196863">the Vaughan mass shooting</a>, this latest gun violence incident brings with it anxiety, pain and empathy.</p>
<p>With another grim addition to the list of mass shootings in Ontario, now is the time to reflect on why this latest tragedy happened and to ask if resources are available to cope with these gun violence incidents. As a post-disaster researcher, I believe it is important to consider femicide as the context for the mass shooting in Sault Ste. Marie. </p>
<h2>Recognizing femicide</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.femicideincanada.ca/about/types">Femicide</a> is generally defined as the killing of women and girls. It is the most extreme form of violence on a continuum of violence and discrimination against women. </p>
<p>In Ontario, intimate partner violence has been <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/rural-domestic-violence-cbc-investigation-1.6276520">a long-standing issue</a>. A list published by the Ontario Association of Interval and Transition Houses lists <a href="https://www.oaith.ca/assets/library/2021-2022-Annual-Femicide-List-Revised.pdf">54 femicide deaths</a> in the province during 2021-2022, many of which occurred by gun violence.</p>
<p>Recognition of femicide as a specific form of violence has led to increased advocacy and attention for the issue. In 2013, a 26-year-old woman in Bracebridge, Ont., was killed in a <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/bracebridge-shooting-victims-identified/article_74d2dece-a819-506c-a8de-e9fcaa3eeecc.html">murder-suicide perpetrated by a former intimate partner</a>. </p>
<p>The slain woman’s mother has called for using <a href="https://www.muskokaregion.com/life/honouring-victims-of-domestic-homicide-in-bracebridge-as-numbers-rise-in-canada/article_1f7097d5-277b-5730-aab8-e6067593d844.html">the term femicide as opposed to domestic abuse</a>. She has also played an <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/victims-of-violence-slam-federal-government-over-gun-control-reform-1.5980331">instrumental role in federal gun reform legislation</a> through <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-safety-canada/news/2019/06/royal-assent-of-legislation-strengthening-gun-laws-to-keep-communities-safe.html">Bill C-71</a> which, when fully implemented, would allow for a background check on a gun buyer’s entire life.</p>
<p>In 2015, <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/basil-borutski-trial-triple-murder-verdict-1.4407526">three women were murdered in Renfrew County, Ont</a>. The <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/files/editorial/News/CKW-Inquest-Verdict-Recommendations-SIGNED_Redacted.pdf">findings of the coroner’s inquest</a> included a recommendation that public governments act to formally <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-intimate-partner-violence-should-be-declared-epidemic-by-ontario/">declare intimate partner violence as an epidemic</a>, and to explore adding the term femicide and its definition to the Criminal Code of Canada.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d1LS1dNdH6Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A podcast co-produced by CityNews on the murders of three women in Bracebridge, Ont., and the inquest’s findings.</span></figcaption>
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<p>In June 2023, the <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/9798749/ontario-wont-declare-intimate-partner-violence-epidemic-following-inquest/">Ontario government refused to recognize femicide as an epidemic</a>. </p>
<p>But the decision by Sault Ste. Marie police to come forward quickly <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-advocates-urge-public-governments-to-take-intimate-partner-violence/">using the term intimate partner violence to describe the mass shooting gave advocates renewed hope</a>. </p>
<h2>Mass shootings and misogyny</h2>
<p>There are connections between intimate partner violence and mass shootings. Data from the United States indicates most mass shooting victims are not random: research has indicated that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-021-00330-0">two-thirds of mass shootings are domestic violence incidents</a>, or are perpetrated by shooters with a history of domestic violence. </p>
<p>Police in Lewiston, Maine, are reportedly <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/28/us/maine-shootings-suspect-dead-saturday/index.html">pursuing a theory that a mass shooter went to places that he used to frequent with a longtime ex-girlfriend</a>, killing 18 people on Oct. 25.</p>
<p>For the Sault Ste. Marie mass shooting, police indicated the alleged killer had <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-sault-ste-marie-shooter-had-history-of-intimate-partner-violence/">previously been the subject of intimate partner violence complaints</a>. </p>
<p>There is also a history of other significant mass shootings in Canada that have been related to misogyny. Thirty years after the 1989 École Polytechnique mass shooting, the City of Montréal <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ecole-polytechnique-montreal-massacre-6-decembre-1989/">changed the words on a memorial plaque</a> from a “tragic event” to a “anti-feminist attack.” </p>
<p>And after the <a href="https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/a-look-at-the-22-nova-scotians-killed-in-canada-s-worst-mass-shooting-1.6335839">2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting</a>, the final report from the inquiry listed <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-mass-shooting-gender-based-violence-1.6796068">17 recommendations to address gender-based violence</a>.</p>
<p>After the Vaughan mass shooting, the estranged daughters of the perpetrator called him an <a href="https://toronto.citynews.ca/2022/12/21/vaughan-condo-shooter-daughters-family-statement/">abusive and controlling man</a>.</p>
<h2>Insufficient resources</h2>
<p>Intimate partner violence has a <a href="https://everytownresearch.org/report/guns-and-violence-against-women-americas-uniquely-lethal-intimate-partner-violence-problem/">tragic link to mass shootings</a>. Ontario’s latest mass shooting in Sault Ste. Marie is a case in point. </p>
<p>Advocates working to prevent femicide say that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-femicides-1.6899109">funding has not kept pace with the growing demand for services</a>. </p>
<p>In the immediate aftermath of the Vaughan mass shooting, I pointed out that <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/vaughan-condo-shooting-resident-support-1.6819413">mental health coping services were not present and consistent</a> when they were needed the most. The <a href="https://www.victimservices-york.org/">victim services agency serving Vaughan</a> pointed to <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/we-were-not-equipped-to-handle-a-mass-shooting-months-after-vaughan-condo-murders-traumatized/article_9f746b3a-e9d1-5a23-bb7d-be2c53504a66.html">insufficient resources</a> to respond to major incidents.</p>
<p>Between January and September of this year, the local victim services agency serving Sault Ste. Marie has <a href="https://www.elliotlaketoday.com/local-news/intimate-partner-violence-on-the-rise-locally-victim-services-of-algoma-7736562">handled 193 calls related to intimate partner violence and assisted 232 individuals</a>. Do they have sufficient resources to continue to meet that demand?</p>
<p>An aspect contributing to the devastating impact of mass shootings in Ontario and Canada is the lack of public funds and political will needed for the prevention of gun violence incidents and the response to their impact.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jack L. Rozdilsky receives support for research communication and public scholarship from York University. He also receives research support from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.</span></em></p>A mass shooting in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. has been classified as a case of intimate partner violence.Jack L. Rozdilsky, Associate Professor of Disaster and Emergency Management, York University, CanadaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2133492023-10-10T22:53:10Z2023-10-10T22:53:10ZWhy taking a trauma- and violence-informed approach can make sport safer and more equitable<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/why-taking-a-trauma-and-violence-informed-approach-can-make-sport-safer-and-more-equitable" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Spanish football player Jenni Hermoso <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/jenni-hermoso-sexual-assault-accusation-luis-rubiales-spanish-soccer-1.6957834">accused Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault in September</a> after he kissed her on the lips without her consent during the FIFA Women’s World Cup award ceremony. </p>
<p>Rubiales has since resigned from his job. And the incident has yet again highlighted the pressing need for action to support survivors and prevent sexual and gender-based violence in sports. It also underlined the sheer outrage of the public and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2018.1564944">fuelled demands</a> for education, interventions and the dire need to overhaul and reform the sport sector here in Canada. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/violence/status_report/2014/en/">World Health Organization</a> has declared sexual and gender-based violence one of the most ubiquitous and complex global health issues. Canada has been going through its own <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/sports-minister-carla-qualtrough-safe-sport-crisis-1.6959940">safe sport crisis</a>. The recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/hockey-canadas-problems-show-that-the-government-needs-to-regulate-sport-in-canada-192052">Hockey Canada crisis</a> boldly and publicly illustrated the need for better educational activities in youth sport. </p>
<p>In 2022, Hockey Canada’s CEO and entire board of directors <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/hockey-canada-board-1.6612582">resigned due to their controversial handling of alleged sexual assaults</a>. Allegations of abuse in varsity sports across Canada have been on the rise, <a href="https://www.tsn.ca/u-sports/western-investigating-misconduct-allegations-within-women-s-hockey-program-sources-say-1.2006658">with the most recent allegations</a> put forth in September by the women’s hockey team at Western University. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/hockey-canada-in-overtime-the-troubled-organizations-next-moves-will-determine-its-future-192304">Hockey Canada in overtime: The troubled organization's next moves will determine its future</a>
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<p>These issues have prompted public discussion around sexual violence, abuse and safeguarding sport. There is a need to develop both innovative interventions and unorthodox approaches at all levels — from the grassroots to the elite level — to truly make sport more equitable, inclusive and safe. </p>
<h2>Trauma- and violence-informed approaches</h2>
<p>Mainstream sport and physical activity programs rarely tackle social and structural inequities. In response, <a href="https://equiphealthcare.ca/files/2021/05/GTV-EQUIP-Tool-TVIC-Spring2021.pdf">a trauma- and violence-informed approach</a> calls for participants, coaches, managers and organizations to better understand the effects of systemic, structural and interpersonal violence. This approach is guided by <a href="https://equiphealthcare.ca/files/2020/01/EQUIP_GTV_TVIC_Principles.pdf">four tenets of trauma- and violence-informed care</a>: </p>
<p>1) trauma awareness; </p>
<p>2) safety and trustworthiness;</p>
<p>3) choice and collaboration; </p>
<p>4) strengths-based and capacity building.</p>
<p>In Canada, calls for a preventive approach to sexual and gender-based violence are loud and clear. There have been demands by <a href="https://www.scholarsagainstabuse.com/">scholars</a>, sport managers, policymakers, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2022.840221">athletes</a> and coaches for sporting bodies and governments to better understand the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/sports/scholars-against-abuse-jan23-1.6722975">widespread abuse in Canadian sports</a>. And yet, these issues remain understudied. </p>
<h2>Accounting for violence in sport</h2>
<p>Through our <a href="https://theconversation.com/levelling-the-playing-field-how-a-trauma-informed-approach-can-make-physical-activity-more-accessible-181952">community-based research</a>, we are working with diverse community organizations in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver on a multi-level, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/news/2022/10/government-of-canada-supports-projects-to-prevent-and-address-family-violence.html">pilot project that brings an understanding of trauma and violence</a> into their sport and physical activity programs and organizations more broadly.</p>
<p>Through this work, we aim to address and foreground the intersecting effects of systemic, structural and interpersonal violence in the development and delivery of sport and physical activity. To do this, we are using <a href="https://apwld.org/feminist-participatory-action-research-fpar/">feminist participatory action research</a> to better address the diverse voices, needs and concerns of community members. </p>
<p>This research involves piloting trauma- and violence-informed training modules for coaches/providers, alongside sport and physical activity programs that cater to their specific needs and priorities.</p>
<p>We have also explored what we can learn from sport for development programs across the globe. <a href="https://www.sportanddev.org/">Sport for development</a> positions sport as a valuable tool to achieve local, domestic and global development objectives, including those encompassed by the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">UN Sustainable Development Goals</a>.</p>
<p>For example, Women Win — an international organization that aims to advance girls’ and women’s rights through sport and play — supports <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/9781838678630">sport, gender and development</a> initiatives to safeguard and support survivors while promoting health equity and safe sport. Their programming has been useful for promoting sexual and reproductive health rights and addressing sexual and gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Women Win has <a href="https://www.womenwin.org/grls/areas-of-expertise/">developed toolkits</a> to help youth address sexual and gender-based violence by transforming their attitudes and behaviours.</p>
<p>Other topics encompassed by the toolkits include using sport and play to build self-confidence, assertive communication, positive body image and self-advocacy. While a notable first step, it is important to ensure these tools don’t place the burden of preventing sexual and gender-based violence on the shoulders of survivors. </p>
<h2>Alternative solutions</h2>
<p>While <a href="https://brocku.ca/applied-health-sciences/kinesiology/faculty-research/faculty-directory/cathy-van-ingen-phd/">scholarship is growing in this area</a>, further research is needed to better understand how trauma- and violence-informed approaches to sport in Canada — alongside sport for development — may address systemic and institutional violence. Indeed, these approaches can potentially help self-identified women who have — and continue to — experience inequities and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/10778012221134821">barriers to participation in sport and physical activity</a>. </p>
<p>Managers, coaches and policymakers must gain a deeper understanding of interpersonal, systemic and sexual and gender-based violence, while also providing support to survivors. While Canadian sport for development organizations like <a href="https://shapeyourlifeboxing.com/">Shape Your Life</a> and global entities like Women Win offer promising strategies, additional resources are required to address these issues adequately. </p>
<p>Scholars and stakeholders have an opportunity to generate new ways of thinking about safe sport practices and policies promoted, for example, through sport for development programming that is survivor-led, trauma-informed and grounded in transformative justice. And while sport for development programs aren’t perfect, the sport sector would do well to build on the crucial groundwork organizations like Women Win and Shape Your Life have already laid out.</p>
<p>Trauma- and violence-informed approaches can potentially enhance safety across Canada’s abusive, patriarchal sporting culture. Now, more than ever, we need collaborative, evidence-based and novel solutions to address violence in sport and support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Because we can — and must — do better.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213349/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Public Health Agency of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Francine Darroch receives funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>A trauma- and violence-informed approach calls for participants, coaches, managers and organizations to understand the effects of systemic, structural and interpersonal violence.Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst, Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, CanadaFrancine Darroch, Associate Professor, Health Sciences, Carleton UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2146352023-10-04T20:30:38Z2023-10-04T20:30:38ZAre We Dating The Same Guy? Online groups toe the line between protecting women and defaming men<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551207/original/file-20230929-19-y6jzfd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=100%2C90%2C6609%2C4376&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Social media sites have given many the potential to reach millions of people instantly. With that reach, the risks and impacts of defamation can be far greater.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-online-groups-toe-the-line-between-protecting-women-and-defaming-men" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Infidelity and deception have always been part of dating and relationships. Traditionally managed privately between the parties or through legal processes, these issues have recently been co-opted by online vigilante communities that <a href="https://medium.com/sexography/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-has-become-a-hate-group-to-slander-innocent-men-a5f3a575585c">shame daters</a> — men in particular — who behave badly. </p>
<p>But are these online communities about more than shaming? Do they also safeguard women from getting exploited or hurt? </p>
<p>These questions are being debated in London, Ont., where a man featured on the Facebook group “Are We Dating the Same Guy? London, Ontario” <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook-group-london-ontario-1.6937007">launched a defamation lawsuit</a> against one of its administrators alleging he was called names, accused of sending lewd photos and labelled a bad parent.</p>
<p>As scholars who specialize in dating culture and defamation, this case is intriguing to us for the legal precedent it may set. It could also have far-reaching implications for people in the online dating world and anyone using social networking platforms.</p>
<p>Social media sites enable users to potentially reach millions of people instantly. With that reach, the risks and impacts of defamation can be far greater.</p>
<p>As university educators working in environments where online dating is widespread and incidents of gender-based and sexual violence <a href="https://ontariosuniversities.ca/student-voices-on-sexual-violence-survey">occur often</a>, we’re also interested in what this case could mean for university students.</p>
<h2>Are We Dating The Same Guy?</h2>
<p>The first group was launched on Facebook in New York in 2022 by women who wanted to protect one another from men who cheat, are violent or exploit them financially. </p>
<p>Since then, groups have sprouted up in hundreds of cities across <a href="https://mashable.com/article/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook">North America</a>, <a href="https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/veille-sanitaire/veille-sanitaire-du-vendredi-02-juin-2023-4425553">Europe</a>, the <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-inside-the-facebook-group-where-women-vet-men-they-re-talking-to-dating-apps-b1058726.html">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/dating/inside-wild-dating-groups-exposing-australian-men/news-story/616da5fa9c3335d4af90cff25811b531">Australia</a>. Men in Toronto have retaliated by also creating their own Facebook page: <a href="https://streetsoftoronto.com/are-we-dating-the-same-girl-facebook-group-toronto/">Are We Dating the Same Girl?</a></p>
<p>Members of the women’s groups post information about “red flag” men using screenshots of dating app profiles, text exchanges and sometimes memes. <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy375q/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-facebook-groups">Many posts</a> are anonymous, contain trigger warnings and are difficult to read because they detail awful instances of coercion, assault, racism, extortion and abuse.</p>
<p>However, the degree to which these groups actually protect women is up for debate and so is the purpose they serve. In some instances, these groups may be used to make <a href="https://www.bendsource.com/news/are-we-dating-the-same-guy-yes-19906004">false claims</a> about men. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smartphone display with different dating app icons" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551210/original/file-20230929-29-bmdb1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Online dating has proliferated in recent years and groups have popped up to highlight daters who behave badly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Online dating groups</h2>
<p>Online posts stating that someone has behaved poorly in the dating context could be considered defamatory. Men whose reputations suffer from the information featured in the groups <a href="https://theintercept.com/2023/07/22/metoo-defamation-lawsuits-slapp/">could sue</a> the people posting and the group administrators for defamation, especially if they are of high social or professional standing and have a lot to lose.</p>
<p>Post-writers might <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.34.1.03">defend themselves</a> against accusations of defamation through the defence of “truth.” The rationale for this defence is that a person cannot sue for reputational harm if the statement made about them is in fact true. </p>
<p>However, this defence would require posters to prove their allegations are true. We know from <a href="https://doi.org/10.3138/cjwl.22.2.397">decades of experience</a> that this can be especially difficult in stereotypical “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1350/ijep.2009.13.4.329">he said/she said</a>” situations. </p>
<p>Post-writers might also raise a “qualified privilege” defence. This protects someone against civil liability for defamatory statements made to <a href="https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onsc/doc/2013/2013onsc4796/2013onsc4796.html?autocompleteStr=vanderkooy&autocompletePos=1">protect the interests</a> of another party, a common interest or the public interest. </p>
<p>Although these groups were established to protect women from toxic or dangerous men, it’s unclear whether group members have a legal or moral duty to share and receive this information, which is the hallmark of qualified privilege.</p>
<p>If any information is shared with malice or includes statements that exceed what is necessary to protect someone’s interests, the post-writers cannot rely on this defence. This means that vitriolic statements or gratuitous complaints about someone’s dating behaviour aren’t protected by qualified privilege. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A women on a laptop with a pensive look on her face." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/551208/original/file-20230929-17-kdrt13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Posters can defend themselves by saying their comments are truthful. But that can often be hard to prove in court.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Gender-based violence on campus</h2>
<p>Online dating, social media posting and defamation have unique implications for university campuses where additional dynamics are at play. </p>
<p>Students who experience distressing dating experiences, including gender-based and sexual violence, may post the names and photos of the perpetrators online to call out violence and protect fellow students. However, in doing so they could be vulnerable to defamation suits if they cannot legally prove that the statements are true. </p>
<p>Individuals labelled offenders could <a href="https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/server/api/core/bitstreams/cc69509d-8744-4ad6-a7aa-493332530f4b/content">bring defamation claims</a> or complaints against their accusers under student codes of conduct. </p>
<p>This happened at Yale University when a former <a href="https://apnews.com/article/yale-rape-acquittal-colleges-sexual-assault-1d74bbe89517db23c49a4a098186bd89">student was sued for defamation</a> after she reported that a fellow student had raped her. In 2018, a fired Yukon College instructor also <a href="https://www.yukon-news.com/news/fired-yukon-college-instructor-sues-student-over-sex-assault-allegations/">sued a student</a> who accused him of sexual assault and posted about it online.</p>
<p>Such cases could escalate campus tensions regarding safety issues and make it harder for people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2022-0228">come forward about sexual assault</a>, which are already infrequent due to fears of being disbelieved, shamed by peers or reliving the traumas related to the events. </p>
<h2>More safeguards needed</h2>
<p>The romantic escapades of celebrities once dominated news headlines, but in our digital society, anyone’s dating life can be thrust into the spotlight. Are We Dating the Same Guy? groups highlight the thorny social and legal implications of posting what could be considered defamatory content. </p>
<p>The proliferation of these groups across the globe means we must reflect on the complicated world of online dating, where there is little protection for daters and few ramifications for people who behave badly. </p>
<p>The potential for students to be pulled into similarly complex legal battles is equally important to consider. To safeguard students, universities should ensure they are able to come forward about abuse, whether to file formal complaints or to obtain other supports. </p>
<p>Universities should also consider distributing information about online dating and social media issues so students better understand their rights and risks when it comes to gender-based and sexual violence, dating and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2023.100975">campus safety</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214635/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Social media groups have emerged designed to protect women from bad dating experiences. Those who use them could be liable to being sued for defamation.Treena Orchard, Associate Professor, School of Health Studies, Western UniversityErika Chamberlain, Professor and Dean, Faculty of Law, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2138462023-10-02T17:47:09Z2023-10-02T17:47:09ZRiskier times on campuses mean we need a tool for prevention and intervention of sexual assaults<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550721/original/file-20230927-29-n78pww.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=54%2C0%2C6048%2C3965&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">How post-secondary institutions react after a sexual assault incident can impact campus safety.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/riskier-times-on-campuses-mean-we-need-a-tool-for-prevention-and-intervention-of-sexual-assaults" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The excitement of entering a new academic year for university and college students can be palpable and filled with hope. But the start of the school year in post-secondary settings also has a shadow side, known as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380221134293">red zone</a>. </p>
<p>The red zone is one of the riskier times for gender-based and sexualized violence to occur — about <a href="https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.3.331-338">50 per cent of sexual assaults on campus</a> happen during this period. The impact on victims can be tremendous and devastating. </p>
<p>Others on campus are left to worry about their personal safety, while families and friends become concerned about their loved ones being on campus grounds or attending campus events. </p>
<p>After an incident of violence occurs, universities and colleges start thinking about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838018756121">reputational harm</a> and what impact this might have on enrolment in the long-term.</p>
<h2>Institutional betrayal</h2>
<p>The post-secondary environment is a unique community focused on teaching and learning. Education should be at the heart of these learning environments, but this is affected after on-campus incidents of assault. </p>
<p>Victims have expressed feelings that an assault forces them to the margins of these communities. They experience institutional betrayal when their university or college failed to have policies or measures that would ensure their safety and failed to do what was reasonably expected to prevent further violence. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-sexual-assault-victims-speak-out-their-institutions-often-betray-them-87050">When sexual assault victims speak out, their institutions often betray them</a>
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<p>Post-secondary institutions and their communities should be resolutely driven to maintain a <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED537696.pdf">strong, safe and quality-focused place of learning</a>. </p>
<p>Universities and colleges also need to focus on prevention and intervention in their campus community, in addition to <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/events/responding-to-critical-incidents-of-sexual-violence-at-post-secondary-institutions">effectively responding to victims and the individuals who caused harm</a>. Ensuring campus safety and reducing reputational harm to the institution means assessing every incidence of gender-based and sexualized violence.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a crowd of people wearing yellow T-shirts" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=317&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550722/original/file-20230927-19-l3yvos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The start of the school year in post-secondary settings is when 50 per cent of campus sexual assaults can happen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Identifying areas of risk</h2>
<p>It is important to not only assess the risk presented by perpetrators, but to also proactively identify areas within the institution that may enable future gender-based and sexualized violence to occur on campus. This analysis should be the sole responsibility of the institution — using a risk assessment tool can help meet such objectives. </p>
<p>It can be used to identify those areas that are in need of intervention or areas where prevention work can happen.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/addressing-campus-sexual-violence-new-risk-assessment-tool-can-help-administrators-make-difficult-decisions-199714">Addressing campus sexual violence: New risk assessment tool can help administrators make difficult decisions</a>
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<p>In light of the enormous scientific research in the field of risk assessment, it is surprising there has been no tool developed for use in universities and colleges. To address this gap, the <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/knowledgecentre">Gender-Based and Sexualized Violence Community Risk Assessment Tool</a> was launched in September.</p>
<p>We developed the tool to help prevent gender-based and sexualized violence on campus. We reviewed existing risk assessment tools for sexual and intimate partner violence and comprehensively reviewed research literature on campus sexual violence and gender-based violence risk factors. </p>
<p>We also conducted an environmental scan of risk assessment tools in use to ensure there weren’t tools that were unpublished but being used by practitioners. Our research helped us identify over 20 risk factors.</p>
<p>We then convened two advisory groups to help us determine which factors would be included in a final tool. Each group was comprised of sexual violence co-ordinators, student conduct officers, academic administrators, violence risk experts and, most importantly, students. These post-secondary stakeholders were drawn from across the country, from a variety of institutions and represented a number of viewpoints from across the post-secondary community. </p>
<p>The resulting tool includes 16 risk factors clustered into four groups related to the victim, campus community, violence incidence and the person who caused harm. A few of these 16 risk factors included institutional student life culture, sexual preoccupation and participation in hypermasculine culture.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2r71PzhUpwk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">CBC reports on a student who says she experienced assault by a perpetrator who remains on campus.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Risk assessment and decision-making</h2>
<p>When an incident of sexualized and gender-based violence on a campus is reported, an important part of the investigation includes a risk assessment of the person who caused harm. This helps inform decisions and <a href="https://safersocietypress.org/rnr-principles-in-practice/">ensures the level of intervention matches the level of risk</a> to ensure safety.</p>
<p>The current tool goes further by focusing on factors related to the campus community and the victim. These factors provide information that could help identify areas the university or college needs to work on in order to improve safety and better respond to all instances of violence in their campus community.</p>
<p>Campus community risk for sexualized and gender-based violence should be assessed at various stages of a reported incident from initial accusation to investigation, and even after decisions are made about the individual who caused harm. This allows the institution to identify relevant areas where intervention could lower risk, make decisions about the individual who caused harm, and develop programs that would better prevent further incidents.</p>
<h2>Evidence-based decision-making</h2>
<p>Using the Community Risk Assessment Tool allows universities and colleges to make evidence-based decisions about their policies and procedures, <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/elp">learning environments</a> and supports for marginalized students. It also helps address a culture of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X211064321">hypermasculine beliefs</a> among campus groups and changing <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/088626001016008004">problematic sexual expectations</a> and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0030624">oppressive attitudes</a> on campus.</p>
<p>These decisions can positively influence the entire campus community. More broadly, the use of a risk assessment tool can progressively improve reputational risk by mandating a risk assessment for each incident. This ensures that an institutional audit of campus safety is a fixed and usual course of action. </p>
<p>This ensures a consistent process across all reported incidents may instill some confidence for victims that the university or college’s decisions are reasonably formed based on an objective tool.</p>
<p>Following an incidence of violence, the use of an evidence-based risk assessment tool can only help to promote safety and a sense of accountability by universities and colleges after the fact.</p>
<p>Without such a tool, campuses will be left reacting to incidents of gender-based and sexualized violence as they arise, rather than building a safe and effective learning community.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandy Jung receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She also provides consultation to Possibility Seeds.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jesmen Mendoza provides consultation to Possibility Seeds. </span></em></p>A new community risk assessment tool allows post-secondary institutions to make evidence-based decisions about their policies and procedures.Sandy Jung, Professor, Department of Psychology, MacEwan UniversityJesmen Mendoza, Psychologist and Faculty Member, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2129462023-09-27T12:24:22Z2023-09-27T12:24:22ZHarassment and abuse perceived to harm poor women less − new research finds a ‘thicker skin’ bias<p>People think sexual harassment and domestic abuse are less harmful for women in poverty than for higher-income women, according to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104472">four studies</a> involving 3,052 Americans conducted by <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=McvKSycAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">my</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hNlMsXkAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">colleagues</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=H-H6_qYAAAAJ">me</a>. We also found that people believe women in poverty require less help and support when experiencing these kinds of sexual misconduct. </p>
<p>My research partners and I recruited participants of different ages, genders and incomes. We asked them to read about either a low-income woman or a high-income woman who was dealing with workplace sexual harassment or intimate partner abuse. Then we had participants rate how distressing these instances would be for the woman. </p>
<p>The harassment events described inappropriate behavior from a co-worker, such as sexual comments and unwanted advances, while domestic abuse events included threats, demeaning comments and physical violence from the woman’s partner. In some of the studies, participants also rated how much social support or bystander intervention would be necessary for these events.</p>
<p>Our participants rated the harassment and abuse events as less upsetting for the lower-income woman than for the higher-income woman. They also thought the lower-income woman would need less emotional support from friends and family and less help from bystanders than the higher-income woman. On average, participants thought she needed only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2023.104472">85% as much help</a> as her higher-income counterpart. </p>
<p>The result was the same whether the woman was white, Black, East Asian or Latina. Both low- and high-income study participants shared this pattern of judgment – as did male and female participants.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>There is no data that shows lower-income women are less affected by gender-based violence – in fact, there is evidence they are often <a href="https://doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.20.6.625">more affected</a>.</p>
<p>Women in poverty are <a href="https://nwlc.org/resource/out-of-the-shadows-an-analysis-of-sexual-harassment-charges-filed-by-working-women">more likely to experience sexual harassment</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-018-0019-8">domestic abuse</a> – and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5070/L3262045668">have more difficulty finding support</a> after experiencing sexual misconduct. Our research suggests that stereotypes about toughness may contribute to the neglect low-income women encounter when they seek help after violence. </p>
<p>It isn’t that study participants didn’t like the low-income woman. In fact, in our studies, participants rated the low-income woman as friendlier and warmer than the higher-income woman. But liking the low-income woman didn’t prevent participants from thinking the harassment and abuse would be less harmful for her. </p>
<p>Such perceptions may have wide-ranging consequences. For example, low-income women may not receive the care they need from those around them. They also may be disproportionately neglected by those in powerful positions, such as human resources managers and police investigating domestic abuse. </p>
<p>Biased perceptions may help explain why lower-income women <a href="https://doi.org/10.5070/L3262045668">encounter more barriers in the legal system</a>. </p>
<p>Already, the neglect of low-income women has been effectively part of U.S. federal workplace law based on <a href="https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/blr/vol70/iss3/1/">several rulings from courts hearing sexual harassment claims</a>. For example, in the 1995 case <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6933014541839038196&q=Gross+v.+Burggraf&hl=en&as_sdt=40000006&as_vis=1">Gross v. Burggraf</a>, the court ruled that sexually harassing behaviors in a “white collar” workplace do not necessarily qualify as harassment in “blue collar” contexts like construction sites. </p>
<p>This logic echoes our study participants’ judgments – and also partially explains why low-income women have spoken out about being <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/us/the-metoo-moment-blue-collar-women-ask-what-about-us.html">sidelined by the #MeToo movement</a>.</p>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p>Our research fits with a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2843">growing</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2017.09.002">body</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000442">of work</a> examining beliefs around experiencing adversity. People seem to widely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430215625781">endorse the idea</a> “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Individuals who have experienced past hardship, such as women experiencing financial difficulties, are perceived by others to have grown a “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2020.33">thicker skin</a>,” making them less affected by new negative events.</p>
<p>Our findings show this kind of bias exists for low-income women – and highlight the need for strategies to counteract this biased belief.</p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212946/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathan Cheek received funding from the National Science Foundation. </span></em></p>While women in poverty are more likely to experience sexual harassment and domestic abuse than higher-income women, people assume it is less distressing for them.Nathan Cheek, Assistant Professor of Psychological Sciences, Purdue UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2122432023-09-10T13:04:16Z2023-09-10T13:04:16ZCanada’s lack of recognition for gender-based violence is putting disaster survivors at risk<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546717/original/file-20230906-29-yolnrr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=58%2C0%2C2938%2C1999&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Evidence suggests gender-based violence increases during disasters and in the years that follow.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/canadas-lack-of-recognition-for-gender-based-violence-is-putting-disaster-survivors-at-risk" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Canada has experienced an <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/here-s-a-look-at-what-s-happened-in-canada-s-record-breaking-wildfire-season-so-far-1.6512161">unprecedented wildfire season in 2023</a>. People’s experiences with any disaster event are influenced by social- and place-based vulnerabilities. For example, where you live affects your exposure to different hazards including wildfires and floods. </p>
<p>Pre-existing <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781420078572/social-vulnerability-disasters-deborah-thomas-brenda-phillips-lynn-blinn-pike-alice-fothergill">social vulnerabilities contribute to some populations having disproportionate impacts from these events</a>, in both the short and long term. Social vulnerability factors that have a demonstrated effect on people’s experience with disasters include income, health, disability, age, race, and gender. These factors also intersect in ways that increase vulnerability for certain populations. </p>
<p>Evidence suggests <a href="https://oxfordre.com/naturalhazardscience/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780199389407.001.0001/acrefore-9780199389407-e-390">gender-based violence increases during disasters</a> and in the years that follow. Further, the risk for <a href="https://journals.gre.ac.uk/index.php/gswr/article/download/1088/pdf">women</a> and <a href="https://genderanddisaster.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Identifying-the-experiences-and-needs-of-LGBTI-emergencies-FINAL.pdf">LGBTQI populations</a> is heightened when sheltering in place or evacuation from a community is required. </p>
<p>Evidence of gender-based violence during and after disasters can be reflected in increased calls from women to police and domestic violence helplines. However, it is estimated that <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/ccs-ajc/rr06_vic2/p3_4.html">78 per cent of cases of sexual assault</a> in Canada are not reported for a variety of reasons. </p>
<p>It is important to recognize that social vulnerabilities are not inherent individual traits, rather <a href="https://hal.science/hal-02001407/document">vulnerability stems from historic inequities</a> over time that impact access to resources and marginalize people. </p>
<p>Government preparedness for and responses to disasters must consider and address how social vulnerabilities increase disaster risk and adverse outcomes for some populations.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man and woman in a kitchen arguing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/547287/original/file-20230908-37766-ktrx5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Supports like counselling centres, women’s shelters and sexual assault centres can be disrupted during a disaster.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Gaps in emergency management planning</h2>
<p>My research examines how social vulnerabilities, gender and gender-based violence are addressed in government plans for responding to disasters and pandemics. <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Recognition-of-the-Gendered-Impacts-of-Disasters-EN-1.pdf">In my research</a>, I found that federal, provincial, territorial and local government emergency management plans in Canada acknowledge how social vulnerabilities contribute to the differential impacts of hazard events for households and communities. </p>
<p>Importantly, the federal government recently published two reports examining how social vulnerability contributes to disaster risk: the <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/ntnl-rsk-prfl/index-en.aspx#s2">National Risk Profile</a> and the report on <a href="https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2022/rncan-nrcan/m183-2/M183-2-8902-eng.pdf">Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Canada</a>. </p>
<p>However, my research also found these reports and plans do not address how gender influences the direct and indirect impacts of disasters, including the <a href="https://theconversation.com/domestic-violence-will-spike-in-the-bushfire-aftermath-and-governments-can-no-longer-ignore-it-127018">increase in gender-based violence during and following disasters</a>. </p>
<p>While federal, provincial and territorial governments have made <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-results-framework.html">commitments to addressing gender inequities</a> and the use of <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-based-analysis-plus/government-approach.html">gender-based analysis tools such as GBA+</a>, I found limited reference or commitment to the use of these tools. </p>
<p>GBA+ tools examine how gender intersects with other identity factors, such as age, ethnicity and income to differentiate experiences of women, men and gender diverse populations. </p>
<p>Public Safety Canada’s <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/dprtmntl-pln-2023-24/index-en.aspx">Departmental Plan</a> references GBA+ when addressing emergency management. However, the plans address social vulnerability more generally and no commitments are made to address gender specifically.</p>
<p>The only identified government funded report addressing gender and disaster in the Canadian context was a <a href="https://wrd.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/9457_9457GenderMainstreamingCanada1.pdf">2008 report</a> by the Public Health Agency of Canada.</p>
<p>The federal and some but not all provincial and territorial governments took <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/FPT-Govt-Actions-to-Address-GBV-EN.pdf">actions during the pandemic</a> to address the increase in gender-based violence. However, there has been no concerted effort by Canadian governments to address the gendered impacts of disasters more generally.</p>
<h2>Gender-based violence and disasters</h2>
<p>There is an established <a href="https://genderanddisaster.com.au/research/">body of research</a> on gender-based violence during Australian bushfires. Researchers found <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517696876">domestic violence occurred</a> in households where a woman had previously experienced violence, as well as in households were there had been stable non-violent relationships. </p>
<p>Further, those experiencing violence noted an increase of the severity of the violence following the disasters. These same patterns were noted in the pandemic in Canada.</p>
<p>The Australian research also found women’s unemployment or homelessness during a disaster was exploited by men who return under the guise of offering assistance. In other instances, men’s behaviour during disaster was excused by counsellors or police because of the stresses brought on by a disaster. The dismissal of violence in the context of a disaster harms women.</p>
<p>Another concern is that supports like counselling centres, women’s shelters and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Catherine-Carter-Snell/publication/359635464_Gaps_in_Sexual_Assault_Prevention_in_Natural_Disasters/links/6245fbba8068956f3c5c762b/Gaps-in-Sexual-Assault-Prevention-in-Natural-Disasters.pdf">sexual assault centres</a> can be disrupted during a disaster. In the recent evacuation of Yellowknife, all these services would likely have been impacted. Further, communication infrastructure is also impacted by disasters, which can limit the ability to call for help. </p>
<p>The Canadian Women’s Foundation recently supported the <a href="https://canadianwomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Service-Continuity-Guidelines-for-the-GBV-Sector-EN.pdf">development of guidance to help these organizations</a> prepare for service disruptions in the event of a disaster.</p>
<h2>A call to action</h2>
<p>We have a <a href="https://philpapers.org/rec/ZACTEO-3">moral and ethical imperative</a> to address the inequitable effects of disasters within society. </p>
<p>Recommendations on how to address the gendered impacts of disasters, including gender-based violence, include <a href="https://interagencystandingcommittee.org/system/files/2018-iasc_gender_handbook_for_humanitarian_action_eng_0.pdf">The Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action</a>, <a href="https://gbvguidelines.org/en/">Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action</a>, the Red Cross <a href="https://www.ifrc.org/sites/default/files/Minimum-standards-for-protection-gender-and-inclusion-in-emergencies-LR.pdf">Minimum Standard Commitments to Gender and Diversity in Emergency Programming</a> and the UN’s <a href="https://www.unfpa.org/featured-publication/gbvie-standards">Minimum Standards for Prevention and Response to Gender-based Violence in Emergencies</a>. </p>
<p>Australia has made significant investments in addressing <a href="https://genderanddisaster.com.au/">the gendered impacts of disasters</a>. Their process offers an example of what is needed in Canada to advance gender and disaster practice. </p>
<p>The mandate to address <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en.html">gender inequities in Canada is already in place</a>, as are <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/gender-based-violence.html">plans to address gender-based violence</a>. There is an urgent imperative to bring the work addressing gender-based inequity and violence into emergency management practice. These efforts need to be led by all orders of government and integrated into their <a href="https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2022-ems-ctn-pln/index-en.aspx">action plans for improving emergency management practices</a> in Canada.</p>
<p>Experts on the gendered impacts of disasters must become part of the emergency response effort. In addition to integrating gender analysis in planning activities, rapid gender analysis needs to be conducted at the outset of a disaster and throughout the recovery period.</p>
<p>Further, emergency management organizations need to work closely with counselling centres, women’s shelters and sexual assault services to ensure they have the capacity to respond to disasters. These organizations must be recognized as an essential service when disasters occur.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212243/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Research funding recieved from the Canadian Women's Foundation.</span></em></p>Research shows gender-based violence increases in the aftermath of disasters. Governments must incorporate ways of addressing it into their disaster response plans.Jean Slick, Professor, Disaster and Emergency Management, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2104452023-09-07T20:52:28Z2023-09-07T20:52:28ZHow students are developing solutions to the problem of campus sexual and gender-based violence<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-students-are-developing-solutions-to-the-problem-of-campus-sexual-and-gender-based-violence" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Some universities have <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/some-ontario-universities-pulling-course-info-from-public-sites-for-safety-faculty-want-more-say-1.6540576">removed course information from public websites as part of efforts to</a> prevent and respond to gender-based violence, following the stabbing attack this past summer on June 28 at the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-stabbing-attack-at-the-university-of-waterloo-underscores-the-dangers-of-polarizing-rhetoric-about-gender-208904">University of Waterloo</a>.</p>
<p>Police recently added an <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/stabbing-incident-university-waterloo-attempt-murder-1.6947981">additional charge of attempted murder</a> to previous charges faced by a man accused of entering a classroom and stabbing three people in a gender studies class. Police believe the attack <a href="https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/police-say-university-of-waterloo-stabbing-that-sent-three-to-hospital-targeted-gender-issues-class-1.6461829#">was motivated by hate related to gender expression and gender identity</a>.</p>
<p>While institutional responses pertaining to increasing security or surveillance <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/university-of-waterloo-vivek-goel-gender-course-continues-1.6897673">technology</a> are important, we can’t build a wall big enough, or an alarm system sharp enough, to protect students from hate, patriarchy or <a href="https://www.vox.com/2014/12/15/7371737/rape-culture-definition">rape culture</a>. </p>
<p>And in some cases, responses like added policing can lead to <a href="https://incite-national.org/2020/06/11/abolitionist-feminist-resources-to-dismantle-policing/">increased violence</a>, especially for <a href="https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/why-policing-and-prisons-cant-end-gender-violence">Black, queer, trans, Indigenous, poor or non-binary people</a>. </p>
<p>As one response to the problem of gender-based violence on campus, a project at Queen’s University is piloting gender-based/sexual violence training that meets students where they’re at — the classroom — and engages them through their field of study.</p>
<h2>Gender-based violence on campus</h2>
<p>The attack at Waterloo is symptomatic of larger issues of sexual and gender-based violence present in society, especially on university <a href="https://files.ontario.ca/tcu-summary-report-student-voices-on-sexual-violence-survey-en-2019-03.pdf">campuses</a>. </p>
<p>Gender-based and sexual violence lies at the intersection of <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/color-of-violence">racism</a>, sexism and homophobia. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/addressing-campus-sexual-violence-new-risk-assessment-tool-can-help-administrators-make-difficult-decisions-199714">Addressing campus sexual violence: New risk assessment tool can help administrators make difficult decisions</a>
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<p>A recent initiative to <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca">address and prevent gender-based violence</a> on Canadian campuses reports research conducted about <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00005-eng.pdf?st=IS1xkl8M">post-secondary students in 2019</a> showed 71 per cent of students have either witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a post-secondary setting. Racialized, Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ students are disproportionately <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/14842-eng.htm">at risk</a> of sexual assault. </p>
<h2>Prevention strategies matter</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199943494.013.005">Prevention strategies for ending gender-based violence</a> <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d482d9fd8b74f0001c02192/t/62ac86307f9bb400023b8598/1655473740770/Courage+to+Act+Report+2022.pdf">must be rooted in challenging inequities</a> through community mobilization, comprehensive education and structural change. </p>
<p>For many universities, the vision is there, but the road is long. And in the context of limited resources, stretched staff and stressed students, how can anti-violence practitioners reach students, especially those not already engaged in these conversations? </p>
<p>One hurdle is the divide between faculty who have been historically tasked with students’ education and knowledge, and administration, who have been tasked with the welfare of students, including responding to and preventing sexual violence on campus. The project we are involved in brings these approaches together.</p>
<h2>Reaching more students</h2>
<p>Co-authors of this story, Rebecca Rappeport, a sexual violence specialist in <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/sexualviolencesupport/">the Queen’s University Human Rights and Equity Office</a>, and Rebecca Hall, a professor in the department of <a href="https://www.queensu.ca/devs/">global development studies</a>, worked together. We piloted embedding gender-based/sexual violence prevention material into the curricular goals of a global development studies classroom.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-long-fight-against-sexual-assault-and-harassment-at-universities-170258">The long fight against sexual assault and harassment at universities</a>
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<p>Rappeport was invited to lead a one-and-a-half hour workshop during a first-year global development studies class. The workshop focussed on educating students about gender and sexual violence as a <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/722312">social problem</a>, and raising awareness about services available at the university and in the community.</p>
<p>Afterwards, students were asked to engage the analytical tools they were building in the classroom to create proposals addressing this problem. </p>
<p>In keeping with <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/health-risks-safety/trauma-violence-informed-approaches-policy-practice.html">trauma-informed approaches</a> to teaching, students were given advance notice of the collaboration and a “no questions asked” opt-out option with an alternative assignment.</p>
<h2>Engineering students involved</h2>
<p>The workshop framed campus sexual and gender-based violence as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/social-enterprise-network/2012/jun/08/wicked-problems">wicked problem</a> — that is, a problem that requires multiple approaches and intersectional and transdisciplinary collaboration. </p>
<p>Framing gender-based and sexual violence as a wicked problem means that the embedded approach lends itself well to most academic departments — not only to departments focused on feminist theory or equity.</p>
<p>Last winter, Rappeport also brought an embedded workshop, similarly with an “opt out” option, to the second-year mechatronics and robotics classroom of engineering professor Joshua Marshall. </p>
<p>Following Rappeport’s workshop in an engineering class, students were asked to apply their emerging disciplinary knowledge to the problem of gender and sexual violence on campus. In groups, students focused on how their engineering knowledge could contribute creative strategies for addressing campus violence.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/canadian-engineers-call-for-change-to-their-private-iron-ring-ceremony-steeped-in-colonialism-194897">Canadian engineers call for change to their private 'iron ring' ceremony steeped in colonialism</a>
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<h2>Students as agents of change</h2>
<p>The training met students where they’re at (the classroom) and engaged them through their field of study, with incentives: grades. </p>
<p>This form of engagement reached beyond students who tend to be engaged in gender issues, including significantly more male students.</p>
<p>But beyond this practical aim, in embedding the training in classroom learning, we sought to position the <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-and-colleges-want-to-enrol-more-students-but-where-are-they-supposed-to-live-195624">students as agents of change</a>, rather than solely potential perpetrators, victims or witnesses. </p>
<p>Students are encouraged to consider developing new approaches, technologies and policies to work towards ending gender-based violence: to see themselves as inventors, social scientists and leaders.</p>
<p>Preliminary survey results from the two piloted classes showed a significant increase in students’ self-assessment of their knowledge, and their ability to help solve issues related to sexual violence, linking their discipline to these issues. There was almost 100 per cent participation from both classes with over 300 students.</p>
<h2>Expanding pilot program</h2>
<p>This fall, Rappeport will extend this pilot program with Queen’s engineering, kinesiology and health sciences faculty, with plans for further expansion. </p>
<p>Sexual and gender-based violence can seem like an insurmountable problem, but interdisciplinary thinking encourages creative approaches to social change. Using their own university as a case study allows students to combine their lived experience on campus with classroom knowledge to think through a major social problem. </p>
<p>With this teaching approach, we aim to layer immediate approaches to campus violence with a vision for longer-term structural change. We do so by encouraging students who are often missed in traditional prevention programming to integrate this awareness into their future careers, whether that’s community organizing, writing policy or building robots.</p>
<p><em>Rebecca Rappeport, Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Community Outreach and Student Support Worker at Queen’s University, co-authored this story.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210445/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Hall receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council</span></em></p>Faculty and university staff are embedding training to prevent gender-based and sexual violence into curricular goals of both arts and STEM classes.Rebecca Hall, Assistant Professor, Global Development Studies, Queen's University, OntarioLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2121072023-08-25T00:19:56Z2023-08-25T00:19:56ZGender-based violence is a big concern in hospitality – and women bear the brunt of managing it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544472/original/file-20230824-29-ks6aer.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3855%2C2577&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Gender-based violence, particularly sexual harassment, is a serious and persistent problem across the workforce.</p>
<p>But our <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1483454">new research</a> paints a concerning picture of the extent of the problem in the hospitality industry.</p>
<p>We interviewed 124 hospitality workers in Melbourne and Newcastle from a range of different bars, restaurants and cafes.</p>
<p>We found <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gwao.12844">young women, queer and gender diverse workers</a> are on the front line in responding to and managing the threat of gender-based violence in their venues. </p>
<p>Women bar workers were also routinely seen as “<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gwao.13006">better suited</a>” to manage the threat of violence.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/welcome-to-your-first-job-expect-to-be-underpaid-bullied-harassed-or-exploited-in-some-way-110438">Welcome to your first job: expect to be underpaid, bullied, harassed or exploited in some way</a>
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<h2>‘The line is clear’</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0278431918305061">Gendered dynamics</a> are particularly stark in service labour.</p>
<p>Enduring sexual harassment was described as a routine “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1360780418780059">part of the job</a>” for young people, particularly in women in bar work.</p>
<p>Workers insisted the line between friendliness and harassment from patrons in bar work is “very clear”. Karen*, a bar worker from Melbourne, said</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The line is very clear. I think it’s as soon as you feel unsafe in a situation, it’s like ‘don’t say to me, anything explicit about what you want to do with me’. That’s obviously, deeply inappropriate. I’m serving you a drink.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/72-of-australians-have-been-sexually-harassed-the-system-we-have-to-fix-this-problem-is-set-up-to-fail-141368">72% of Australians have been sexually harassed. The system we have to fix this problem is set up to fail</a>
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<p>Ben, a barista in Newcastle, wanted management to clearly designate “the line” for what is “acceptable” or “unacceptable” behaviour, rather than placing responsibility on the individual to “speak out”.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Why is it not standardised across venues? I feel like that line [calling out bad behaviour] is dictated by your superiors.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Workers like Ben, whose managers didn’t have processes for protecting staff, meant risks had to be assessed and navigated by workers on their own. Learning how to manage harassing or abusive customers was considered a normal and essential part of the job, particularly impacting women, gender diverse and queer workers.</p>
<h2>Women routinely expected to manage violence</h2>
<p>In our study, women bar workers were regularly called upon to defuse violent or aggressive patrons. Women were expected to be “calmer” and “kinder”, creating significant risk of harm for them.</p>
<p>Felicity, a Melbourne bar worker, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If a guy is in for a bit of argie [looking to fight], the absolute worst thing you can do is send a male bar member to deal with it […] Women can deescalate that situation far better, nine times out of ten. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>A pub worker from Newcastle, Stan, said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Some guys just want to kick off and will start a fight over anything […] It doesn’t matter what you do in those situations, you’re pretty much fucked. Unless you’re a female [staff member], to be honest.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This expectation to manage violence is an unrecognised extra form of gendered labour which women are primarily expected to undertake.</p>
<p>Women, queer and gender diverse workers also described instances of being spat at, followed home, and threats of physical and sexual violence.</p>
<p>Given the scale and breadth of gendered <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/recorded-crime-victims/latest-release">violence against women</a>, the normalised position that women are “better suited” to manage violence is risky and exploitative.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1598082867006955522"}"></div></p>
<h2>Five recommendations to change the industry</h2>
<p>We suggest five recommendations targeting employers, policy and resourcing to create change in the industry. </p>
<ol>
<li><p>new policies for addressing sexual harassment in front-of-house service labour are needed. This includes processes for registering and resolving complaints, investigations and outcomes, which should be developed by government and industry in consultation with workers</p></li>
<li><p>the hospitality industry should develop tailored approaches, in line with <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/sex-discrimination/projects/positive-duty-under-sex-discrimination-act#XliB5">the new positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act</a>, to support businesses and venues to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This should address key areas such as <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/factsheet_-_effective_education_and_training_0.pdf">effective education and training</a>. It should also focus on recording all instances of gender-based violence so the true scale of the problem can be better understood and monitored over time</p></li>
<li><p>hospitality management strategies should implement a “zero tolerance” approach to account for, and reduce the risk of, sexual and gender-based harassment. Behavioural expectations between workers, and workers and employers, should be discussed and agreed upon</p></li>
<li><p>hospitality venues must continue to improve gender equity across all staffing positions to support developing skills and the value of diverse experience in hospitality</p></li>
<li><p>increased state and federal funding is needed for local organisations to deliver training, resources and campaigning tailored for hospitality workers based on their experiences. This will lead to better outcomes in the industry.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>These changes can create safer and more respectful workplaces for all. </p>
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<p><em>*All names attributed to quotes from participants in this study are pseudonyms.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212107/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julia Coffey receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Farrugia receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lena Molnar works for Women with Disabilities Victoria. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Threadgold received funding from the Australian Research Council for this project. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Megan Sharp does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our research with 124 Australian hospitality staff found women bar workers were routinely seen as ‘better suited’ to manage the threat of violence - which is both risky and exploitative.Julia Coffey, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of NewcastleDavid Farrugia, ARC Future Fellow, School of Education, Deakin UniversityLena Molnar, Research Fellow, Newcastle Youth Studies Centre, University of NewcastleMegan Sharp, Lecturer in Sociology, The University of MelbourneSteven Threadgold, Associate Professor, Sociology, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2114912023-08-23T13:03:22Z2023-08-23T13:03:22ZThe power of needlework: how embroidery is helping South African women tell unspeakable stories<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542686/original/file-20230814-28-wbiufb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C577%2C5000%2C3958&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">In her artwork for the project, Christina Leputla depicted victims of domestic violence fleeing their attacker.</span> </figcaption></figure><p>In June 2020, three months after South Africa entered the first of a series of hard lockdowns to slow the spread of COVID, the country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa described men’s violence against women as a “<a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-06-18-gender-based-violence-is-south-africas-second-pandemic-says-ramaphosa/">second pandemic</a>”. </p>
<p>In the first three weeks of that lockdown the Gender Based Violence Command Centre, designed to support victims of gender-based violence (GBV), <a href="https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-09-01-shocking-stats-on-gender-based-violence-during-lockdown-revealed/">recorded more than 120,000 victims</a>. Also in its <a href="https://www.saps.gov.za/services/april_to_march_2019_20_presentation.pdf">2019/2020 crimes statistics</a>, the South African Police Services indicated that an average of 116 rape cases were reported each day.</p>
<p>While South Africa’s GBV crisis is not new, it was exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, which made the perpetual challenges faced by many women and gender non-conforming individuals hyper visible. </p>
<p>This visibility sheds light on the reality that the home is a complex space where <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">care and violence</a> can <a href="https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/spc3.12568?casa_token=fhtiC323xA0AAAAA:nQOf6gVo54TLKsikaMp4ayC7xFFB9B2Um2AUyoeiwTlzn3J_ePd1yH5i1lq8y7NAXxuREDAkTKepoReV">co-exist</a>. Women can feel simultaneously safe and in danger in their homes. All of this happens behind closed doors, often robbing women of a voice to express their fear, suffering and pain. </p>
<p>That affects more than just individual women: GBV is a collective, structural challenge. When women are violated at homes, it affects familial relations, productivity at work, and <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">overall societal functioning</a>. </p>
<p>I am a psychologist who wanted to harness the power of visual artistic expression to highlight the multi-layered ways in which gendered violence is woven into everyday encounters. To do so, <a href="https://vc.bridgew.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2917&context=jiws">I turned</a> – as I have done <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-embroidery-broke-the-silence-around-womens-apartheid-trauma-146714">in previous research</a> – to embroidery.</p>
<p>As I have written in my previous research into the role of embroidery in empowering women’s storytelling, for this current work, I drew again from this methodology to visually tell the narrative of GBV in colourful and creative ways, paying attention to moments of encounters where those who perpetrate and those against whom the violence is perpetrated appear in the same frame. The visual artwork invites the viewer to witness. The hope is that beyond the witnessing is a call for action. </p>
<h2>Everyday violence</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An embroidery depicts a woman with blue hair, her eyes wide and frightened and her mouth covered by another person's hand" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=615&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542685/original/file-20230814-20-p9bccb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=773&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Evelyn Twala’s embroidery communicates fear and pain.</span>
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<p>Beyond making visually appealing artwork, needlework has always been a useful tool <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2015.1047661?journalCode=tied20">to tell difficult or unspeakable stories</a>. Through depicting their lived experiences of gender trauma, women can have an outlet for their pain. While their embroideries serve as a canvas for the outpouring of pain, loss and trauma, their work also tells stories of hope, resilience and resistance.</p>
<p>For this research I worked with the <a href="https://www.artivismexhibition.com/intuthuko-embroidery-project.html">Intuthuko women’s collective</a>. The group consists of 16 Black women based in one of the townships (these are historically Black urban residential areas) in Ekurhuleni in the Gauteng province. GBV in South Africa continues to <a href="https://aho.org/news/south-african-poor-black-women-are-the-face-of-health-inequity/">affect Black women</a> disproportionately, a reality rooted <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09612025.2023.2219535">in history</a> as well as in present systems. </p>
<p>The idea with this project was to let the visuals do the talking. So we did not focus on personal experiences, but an overview of the many ways in which GBV shows itself in our lives. I was part of the group and also contributed in making an embroidery piece. This allowed me to shift from being just a researcher and spectator to becoming a contributor in the process of thinking, reflecting and making. It was a collaborative endeavour where we came up with themes as a collective and then each focused on a particular theme for the making of the embroideries. </p>
<p>During the process of making the embroideries, we would share stories of how GBV constantly affects our communities, reflecting on the need to use these embroideries as a form of awareness raising, tool for community dialogues, and to challenge the patriarchal system that has rendered the world unsafe for women. </p>
<p>The aim was to highlight the multi-layered ways in which gendered violence is woven into everyday encounters. We sought to engage the ways in which creative meaning could be made of GBV in our communities – and how the challenges facing our society because of gendered violence could be given attention. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-embroidery-broke-the-silence-around-womens-apartheid-trauma-146714">How embroidery broke the silence around women's apartheid trauma</a>
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<h2>Perpetual fear</h2>
<p>The embroideries depict a society where <a href="https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-08-05-female-fear-factory-any-woman-can-be-made-into-a-whore-so-sit-like-a-girl/">fear is manufactured</a>, created, and produced by patriarchal and unjust structural violent systems. This in turn leads to women living in perpetual fear; they cannot feel safe within and outside of their homes. </p>
<p>Through our artistic visual depictions, we expressed how GBV creates a sense of women being regulated and controlled, and of not entirely owning their bodies.</p>
<p>Some embroideries featured women being violated and robbed in public places, reduced to kneeling down for mercy. The artworks highlighted women’s sense that the streets are not safe and that they are never sure whether they will make it back home safely. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An embroidery depicts a male figure groping a woman in a street alongside some houses. She is raising her hand to object." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542688/original/file-20230814-23-qeu3kt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=729&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Angela Mangte’s artwork captures women’s sense that they are not safe in the streets.</span>
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</figure>
<p>Feeling unsafe and in a constant state of fear makes it difficult for many women to exercise their agency: when society is structured in ways that make women victims, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/reseafrilite.45.4.89">patriarchy prevails</a>.</p>
<h2>Staring reality in the face</h2>
<p>These embroideries are not just pieces of visual art. They are a challenge to the viewer to stare the violence in the face with the hope that they will be compelled to reflect and to act. </p>
<p>The embroideries have been displayed at an art exhibition where the public could attend and engage with the pieces. We also produced a multilingual visual booklet which is being used in the women’s community and schools as a tool for opening up dialogues on GBV.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211491/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Puleng Segalo receives funding from the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences. </span></em></p>Pain in a thousand stitches; depicting a society where women live in constant fear of being attacked.Puleng Segalo, Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair, University of South AfricaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2105942023-08-16T20:10:23Z2023-08-16T20:10:23ZIt is not just heat waves — climate change is also a crisis of disconnection<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542024/original/file-20230809-28-ur0cq8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=42%2C0%2C4755%2C3160&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Political tribalism has severely hampered genuine action on climate change and developing more environmentally just practices and standards.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/it-is-not-just-heat-waves-climate-change-is-also-a-crisis-of-disconnection" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Climate change is widely recognized by the scientific community as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60922-3">the biggest global health threat of the 21st century</a>.” </p>
<p>However, climate change isn’t just about greenhouse gas emissions. At its core, it is both a symptom and a cause for the centuries-long trend in declining social connection and community cohesion.</p>
<h2>A modern atomized life</h2>
<p>Consider this: If <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2017.22114">human history</a> was summarized in 100 minutes, modern life would only take shape in the last 30 or so seconds. </p>
<p>In these last 30 seconds, human beings began <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01019">domesticating plants and animals</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0965-40">built cities</a>, <a href="https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vgbJbZi00bQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=history+of+the+factory&ots=9UAgXOExlf&sig=5-Xc1cKNB8lOOguT21xyv8j7tPE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20the%20factory&f=false">invented factories</a> and began harnessing <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2876929">electric power</a>. These novelties <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3631212">totally revolutionized how we relate to each other</a> and <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24690565">the world around us</a>. </p>
<p>Prior to the modern age, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.005">most humans lived in small collective bands</a>, surrounded by extended family, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43050800">and hardly ever ventured far</a> from home. These traditional lifestyles are increasingly rare <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5749/j.ctv6q52rv">as the pressures of capitalism and colonialism homogenize our lives</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An Indigenous community on the boundaries of a clear-cutting operation." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541767/original/file-20230808-27-i8u8og.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Clear-cutting operations in Brazil reveal with particular clarity the exponential growth of our demands upon this planet, in stark contrast to our ever shrinking social networks and communities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Andre Penner)</span></span>
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<p>Across the globe, people <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview">increasingly live in cities</a> and are forced to abandon traditional lifestyles. <a href="https://www.americansurveycenter.org/why-mens-social-circles-are-shrinking/">Social networks have divided and grown smaller and smaller</a>. Despite efforts to resist declining social connection, we increasingly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-015-0440-z/%22%22">organize ourselves into disconnected and competing family units</a>. As a result, rates of loneliness <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-067068">are elevated</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.06.006">and increasing</a> in nearly every global region and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696820962599">our attachments to one another are becoming less and less secure</a>.</p>
<h2>Consequences for our planet</h2>
<p>The consequences of modern life don’t end with <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/03/new-surgeon-general-advisory-raises-alarm-about-devastating-impact-epidemic-loneliness-isolation-united-states.html">growing rates of loneliness and social disconnection</a>. Indeed, in the same fraction of time that we revolutionized human social life, we have also dramatically increased our demand on the world around us — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780642031.0005">clearing billions of acres of forests</a>, releasing <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-10-2057-2017">billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere</a> and <a>imposing vast infrastructure upon this planet and its non-human inhabitants</a>. Moreover, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-021-00237-w">we are losing traditional ecological knowledge needed to protect our environments</a>. These atomized lifestyle changes have been costly to the environment.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A baby in a pram stares at a phone on a subway carriage." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=48%2C0%2C5400%2C3564&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541963/original/file-20230809-16-tydw85.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Climate change is as much a crisis of disconnection with ourselves and our planet as it is a failure of policy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)</span></span>
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<p>In addition to the more environmentally intensive lifestyles we now lead, our increasingly individualistic culture has emerged as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2019.100198/%22%22">key driver of environmental degradation</a>. Studies suggest that tribalism and polarization are stifling our ability <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40665-016-0018-z%22%22">to respond to the environmental threats we are increasingly facing</a>. </p>
<h2>A vicious feedback cycle</h2>
<p>Perhaps of greatest concern, it is apparent that there is a vicious feedback cycle between climate change and poor social cohesion. In fact, there is a growing body of research showing that climate change will not just be worsened by our social disconnectedness, but will itself contribute to greater disconnection. Climate change and our modern social ills are linked.</p>
<p>As exemplified by recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/style/modern-love-relationship-climate-change.html">media reports</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.623757">even close families and friends experience conflict over climate change</a>. Such conflicts may arise from disagreements about <a href="https://theethicalist.com/partner-does-not-care-climate-change/">how to live our lives in an environmentally conscious way</a> and this potential is increased by <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4168583">important gender differences in climate anxiety</a>.</p>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/eco-anxiety-climate-change-affects-our-mental-health-heres-how-to-cope-202477">Eco-anxiety: climate change affects our mental health – here's how to cope</a>
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<p>Couples worried about the future may therefore experience conflicts over <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15674-z">whether to have kids</a>. For other couples, climate change may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-018-0690-7">reduce intimacy</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1958">increase intimate partner violence</a> and threaten <a href="https://womendeliver.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Climate-Change-Report.pdf">sexual and reproductive wellbeing</a>. Indeed, there is compelling evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-018-0690-7">unseasonably warm weather is associated with a decline in births</a> nine months later, which suggests that changes in the climate could impact intimacy between partners. Climate change is a wedge issue that has the potential to drive us further and further apart.</p>
<p>While the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91611-4">decision to not have kids may have many environmental benefits</a>, living and ageing without children can have its own difficulties – including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X22000824">increased risk for loneliness and isolation</a>. The feedback cycle goes both directions.</p>
<p>Moreover, at the population level, these impacts are compounded. Extreme weather effects can increase the rate of interpersonal violence. Declining birth rates lead to considerable economic impact. And mass migration creates cultural challenges such as those driving the re-emergence of extreme-right parties in Europe.</p>
<h2>The way out</h2>
<p>Put simply, human life has changed at a breakneck pace and our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.12.005">biology, ecology and psychology have failed to keep up</a>. </p>
<p>As <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111303">Indigenous peoples have taught for centuries</a>, it’s time we recognize that all things are interconnected. If we don’t act, climate change will worsen our social bonds, which will only reduce our capacity to respond to the environmental threats that lie ahead. The climate will worsen and the cycle will continue.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/fearmongering-about-people-fleeing-disasters-is-a-dangerous-and-faulty-narrative-200894">Fearmongering about people fleeing disasters is a dangerous and faulty narrative</a>
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<p>However, there is a way out of this vicious feedback loop: we can reverse the centuries-long trend in disconnection by treating social and environmental health on par with physical and mental health. </p>
<p>Our own research suggests that <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8226568">promoting social connection is key to reducing the harmful effects of climate change, including its effect on mental health</a>. Other studies also show that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625211020661">more connected we are, the better we will be able to discuss</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080%2F08941920.2019.1709002">respond to</a> climate change. </p>
<p>Of course, if the last few decades are any indication, we must acknowledge that social connection and cohesion is difficult to achieve. If modern life were conducive to healthy social lives, we would not be where we are today. </p>
<p>This is exactly why we need renewed public and philanthropic investments in social cohesion and community life. For example, <a href="https://www.friendshipbenchzimbabwe.org/">friendship benches in Zimbabwe</a> provide a leading example for how relying on and strengthening community <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08767-9">can help people live happier and healthier lives</a>. We must learn from communities leading the way across the globe if we are to survive and thrive in the midst of environmental change. Indeed, climate change requires us to come together.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210594/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kiffer George Card has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Health Research British Columbia, Canadian Red Cross, Public Health Agency of Canada, Government of British Columbia, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kalysha Closson receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program.</span></em></p>Dealing with climate change requires us to address not just our carbon emissions but also the disconnection with ourselves and our planet which fuels ecological destruction.Kiffer George Card, Assistant Professor in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityKalysha Closson, Adjunct Professor and Post Doctoral Fellow, Faculty of Health SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2089042023-07-01T01:21:32Z2023-07-01T01:21:32ZThe stabbing attack at the University of Waterloo underscores the dangers of polarizing rhetoric about gender<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535109/original/file-20230630-29-33j7ki.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=67%2C163%2C4904%2C3145&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Police tape on a door following a stabbing at the University of Waterloo on June 28,. Waterloo Regional Police said three victims were stabbed inside the university's Hagey Hall, and the suspected attacker was arrested. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nick Iwanyshyn</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the wake of the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/tr/news/crime/2023/06/29/update-suspect-in-university-of-waterloo-stabbing-identified.html">recent stabbing attack</a> on a University of Waterloo professor and two students in a philosophy of gender course, we need to talk about the profound power words have to shape our world. </p>
<p>We are both professors at the University of Waterloo who focus on various aspects of gender and language in our research and teaching.</p>
<p>In her book, <em><a href="https://brooklynrail.org/2019/03/books/Rebecca-Solnits-Call-Them-By-Their-True-Names">Call Them By Their True Names</a></em>, journalist and author Rebecca Solnit argues that we are presently in a crisis of language where words have lost their meaning in a sea of misinformation and inflamed debates. Her response is that we all must be careful and precise with the words we use in order to “oppose the disintegration of meaning.” </p>
<p>In this spirit we will be very precise in our language here: the continued patterns of violence both online and offline against women, racialized, disabled, queer and gender nonconforming people are forms of <a href="https://www.dictionary.com/browse/stochastic-terrorism">stochastic terrorism</a> and need to be named as such. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a police officer seen from the back stands in a public square." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535107/original/file-20230630-25-vcarj7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A police officer looks on during a vigil at the University of Waterloo on June 29.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What is stochastic terrorism</h2>
<p>At its core, stochastic terrorism is public demonization of a group which incites random violence against that group. Crucial here are the words <em>public</em>, <em>demonization</em> and <em>violence</em>. They work together to silence people either by threat of violence or through violence itself. </p>
<p>When a group of people are publicly and repeatedly demonized, they are dehumanized for the benefit of others. This demonization and distancing is crucial for inciting violence. It makes violence toward certain people, or those expressing certain ideas, more palatable. It distances those enacting the violence from the true horrors of their actions. </p>
<p>When it comes to gender-based violence <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/07/cursed-from-circe-to-clinton-why-women-are-cast-as-witches">such demonization is hardly new</a>. It was used to target women and others who did not conform to religious dogma in medieval and early modern witch trials. </p>
<p>More recently, the demonization of women has been a staple of so-called incel doctrines that have informed other acts of violence including the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43892189">Isla Vista shootings in 2014</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/13/toronto-van-murders-court-victim-2018-attack">Toronto van attack</a> in 2018.</p>
<p>Social media is awash with influencers like <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-misogyny-the-new-way-andrew-tate-brought-us-the-same-old-hate-191928">Andrew Tate</a> who spread misogynistic rhetoric to millions. All this combines to create a situation where gender-based violence becomes more likely.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/yes-the-incel-community-has-a-sexism-problem-but-we-can-do-something-about-it-207206">Yes, the incel community has a sexism problem, but we can do something about it</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1674632303933308931"}"></div></p>
<h2>Spreading hate has real consequences</h2>
<p>This hatred is spread through public conversations, often on <a href="https://theconversation.com/close-to-home-the-canadian-far-right-covid-19-and-social-media-178714">social media platforms</a> that do not adequately regulate hate speech or protect the most vulnerable recipients of that hate speech. </p>
<p>When such ideas spread rapidly and easily in online spaces without consequence it allows them to multiply and gain validation. This combination of widespread, normalized, publicly accessible hatred and dehumanization is central to the forms of violence we see erupting across spaces currently, including in our spaces of learning. </p>
<p>As women scholars who came of age in the shadow of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/polytechnique-tragedy">École Polytechnique massacre</a>, we are well aware of how gender-based violence makes a lasting impact on how we experience and move in the world. The murder of 14 women by a gunman motivated by a hatred of feminists sent a very direct message to Canadian girls and women who witnessed the horror and its aftermath. </p>
<p>At a time when both of us were planning out our post-secondary studies, the message we heard was: you are not welcome in spaces of learning and the threat of violence will always be present. For us and others of our generation, this formative experience served as a basis for many of our feminisms. </p>
<p>This week, the immediate thoughts and feelings we experienced after the violent attack on members of our university community were all too familiar. They reminded us again that the threat of violence for daring to stand in a classroom and speak is ever-present. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of people hold each other and stand outside a building/" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535108/original/file-20230630-14361-sf1osb.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">People gather in the Arts Quad for a vigil at the University of Waterloo campus on June 29, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>University classrooms can be transformative</h2>
<p>Being precise with language allows us to also name what could be. In her 1993 Nobel Lecture, <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1993/morrison/lecture/">American novelist Toni Morrison</a> defined language as something that delimits the possibilities of our world. Language can oppress and do violence. However, when it is used collaboratively in good faith, it becomes a way to open us all to a better world. </p>
<p>Universities embody this double-edge. They can be sites of <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2021/post-secondary-institutions-must-rethink-approach-to-gender-based-violence/">violence and silencing that has shaped us in profound ways</a>. They are also sites of risk in choosing to speak at all, in sharing ideas that are new and untested, and in the sense that by inviting new perspectives we risk our well-worn certainties and challenge our fundamental assumptions. </p>
<p>But that is how places of learning become sites of transformation and liberation. This specifically is what we want for our students, now and in the future. The risk is present, but so too is the promise of change. And so we will continue to teach and share insights on issues of gender within our classrooms because the sharing of knowledge is what universities are intended for.</p>
<p>There has always been rhetorical and violent backlash when people express new ideas and challenge established norms. Women, queer, racialized and gender nonconforming students and professors are vulnerable to the violence of what is considered the norm. It is disingenuous and dangerous to pretend it is otherwise. </p>
<p>We must name things for what they are, acknowledge the ways that we are vulnerable, and confront the continued harm done by the unchecked and dehumanizing public forums of the internet. We hope the ongoing threat of violence does not deter younger generations from being curious, examining the world, and sharing their visions for the future. </p>
<p>What we need to do as a public community both inside and outside universities is support our youth by naming hatred and violence for what it is. In doing so, we can expose the consequences of the demonization of others and the weaponized use of language.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208904/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shana MacDonald receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alysia Kolentsis receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>The stabbings at the University of Waterloo remind us that violence for daring to stand in a classroom and speak is still ever-present.Shana MacDonald, Associate Professor of Communication Arts, University of WaterlooAlysia Kolentsis, Associate Professor, English language and literature, University of WaterlooLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2071292023-06-15T20:06:13Z2023-06-15T20:06:13Z‘He just kept going’ – why you might snap back, freeze or ignore street harassment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531076/original/file-20230609-17-byp5nm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C0%2C4452%2C2991&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-walking-outdoors-city-looking-snobby-1447635221">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As someone who has spent the last decade researching sexual harassment and violence in public spaces, the question I’m commonly asked is:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What advice should I give my teenage daughter about what to do when she’s harassed by men in public? </p>
</blockquote>
<p>This question is, of course, completely understandable. We all want our loved ones to feel safe when they’re out in public. </p>
<p>Women and LGBTQ+ people <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/report/everyday-sexism/">experience high levels of harassment</a> in public (though it is always important to remember gender-based violence is most likely to be perpetrated <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/crime-and-justice/personal-safety-australia/2021-22#violence%5D">at home by someone you know</a>). So there is a high likelihood this is something you or your loved ones will experience. </p>
<p>Street harassment is often not taken seriously as an issue. Many forms of this behaviour are not against the law, meaning victims have limited options for reporting or seeking support. This can make it challenging to know what to do if you’ve been harassed.</p>
<p>While it’s tempting to focus on what people can do to “stay safe” or respond effectively to harassers, this is ultimately the wrong question to ask.</p>
<h2>Shouting back</h2>
<p>In my <a href="https://www.streetharassmentjustice.com/">recent research</a>, I undertook in-depth interviews with 46 people about their experiences of harassment in public spaces. Participants often discussed how they responded to harassers. These responses could take many forms.</p>
<p>Some participants described verbally challenging harassers, often by telling them to “fuck off” or shouting back at them. </p>
<p>Physical acts of resistance were also common – including making gestures and pulling faces at a harasser. One participant described “blowing a kiss” at a group of men who had shouted homophobic abuse at him. “Sarah” described fighting back:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He just kept going. So there was a moment where he grabbed my arm […] and then I just gave him a big slap at that moment.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Resistance also involved participants <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01924036.2020.1732435">refusing to limit</a> their lives and actions because of street harassment, perhaps by defiantly continuing to walk home at night or holding a partner’s hand in public despite unwelcome comments. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/i-started-walking-the-long-way-many-young-women-first-experience-street-harassment-in-their-school-uniforms-202718">'I started walking the long way': many young women first experience street harassment in their school uniforms</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Reclaiming power</h2>
<p>Challenging harassers could be an important strategy for some participants to reclaim a sense of power and disrupt the normalisation of harassment. One participant reflected on how harassers (<a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/63/3/668/6596757?searchresult=1">mostly men</a>):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Feel so comfortable staring you down, that I don’t want to make them feel comfortable doing that. Sometimes I kind of like yell at them or make a gross face at them or give them the finger. Because it’s not innocent and it’s not innocuous.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Being silent or refusing to acknowledge an harassers’ actions was also commonly raised as a form of resistance, as it denied harassers the satisfaction of a response. However, one participant reflected that while silence could be a safer option because “you don’t get into any conflict with anyone”, it also felt “like I’m getting rid of my power”. </p>
<p>Some people find it takes <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2193206">many years to realise</a> harassment is something that can be resisted, because it is often normalised as being “complimentary” or “flirtatious”. As one participant said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Just having experienced it so many times that I’ve recognised the patterns and that it’s not just, oh this man’s just lonely and needs to talk. It’s like, no that’s predatory behaviour and I can call it out.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Although some participants talked about acts of resistance as moments of “snapping” in anger, these responses could perhaps best be thought of as a slow build up of rage after years of encountering street harassment. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girl walks past graffiti wall with head held high" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531077/original/file-20230609-29-esj5ai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Silence can be form of resistance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/Gw1Wzs-DDn4">Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/catcalls-homophobia-and-racism-we-studied-why-people-and-especially-men-engage-in-street-harassment-183717">Catcalls, homophobia and racism: we studied why people (and especially men) engage in street harassment</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Resistance and safety</h2>
<p>There was often a delicate balancing act between resistance and maintaining a sense of safety. One older participant reflected on her life experiences of sexist and homophobic harassment, saying that while she tried to show defiance to harassers, she was also making “quick judgements […] because I don’t know if I’m going to be hit or not”.</p>
<p>Resisting harassers involved significant mental, emotional and physical labour, with participants having to make rapid assessments of how safe they felt to respond. Some people described being “worn down” by years of experiencing harassment. </p>
<p>People said they’d often been in shock or felt unable to process what had happened in the moment. It often wasn’t until hours after an incident they thought of the perfect retort. This could feel intensely frustrating.</p>
<p>While it’s tempting to offer people advice on what they “should” do in the moment, the reality is it is not always safe to “shout back”. It is also normal for people who have experienced sexual and other violence to experience automatic “fight, flight, freeze or fawn” <a href="https://www.gcasa.org.au/downloads/">responses</a>. </p>
<p>Focusing on how victims should respond reinforces the myth <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10612-005-2390-z">victims are responsible</a> for preventing and managing the violence of others. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1663961036095881237"}"></div></p>
<h2>What can we do?</h2>
<p>So, what can you do if you’re being or have been harassed? The short answer is: do whatever you feel safe and able to do in the moment. There is no “correct” response. </p>
<p>For some people, it’s helpful to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1077801218768709">talk to a trusted friend</a> or to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article-abstract/57/6/1482/2698882?redirectedFrom=fulltext">share experiences</a> through activist platforms like <a href="https://stories.righttobe.org/">Right to Be</a> (formally Hollaback!). This can help people recognise they are not alone in their experiences and street harassment is a <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/the-issue/">systemic issue</a> interconnected with other forms of gendered violence.</p>
<p><a href="https://fullstop.org.au/get-help/something-happened-to-me/coping-with-trauma-after-a-rape-or-sexual-assault">Self-care strategies</a> including deep breathing, “grounding”, exercising or resting can help. </p>
<p>And we need to shift the focus to how we, as a community, can best support people who’ve experienced harassment. This might include upskilling community members to <a href="https://www.plan.org.au/you-can-help/stand-up-against-street-harassment/">safely intervene as bystanders</a> and to <a href="https://safeandequal.org.au/working-in-family-violence/prevention/disclosures/">respond appropriately to disclosures</a>. If someone does share their experience of public harassment with you, it is important to express belief and validation – and to ask them what support they need. </p>
<p>We need to collectively challenge the idea street harassment is “normal” or “not a big deal”, ensuring this behaviour is addressed as part of our efforts to prevent gender-based (and other) violence. This places the focus where it belongs: on the actions of harassers and the <a href="https://www.ourwatch.org.au/the-issue/">structural drivers</a> of their behaviour.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207129/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Bianca Fileborn was formally a consultant for L'Oreal. They receive funding from the Australian Research Council, the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety, and ACON. </span></em></p>While it’s tempting to focus on what people can do to ‘stay safe’ or respond effectively to harassers, this is ultimately the wrong question to ask and puts responsibility victims.Bianca Fileborn, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010592023-04-28T12:26:13Z2023-04-28T12:26:13ZWhy we need to talk about porn when we talk about Andrew Tate<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/522772/original/file-20230425-2136-ld8wy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">AB WBT</span> </figcaption></figure><p>For decades, <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40239168">many feminists</a> have highlighted the <a href="https://www.culturereframed.org/the-porn-crisis/">harms</a> of pornography. They have argued that pornography incarnates male supremacy, and it not only constitutes male violence against women but it also constitutes <a href="https://www.feministes-radicales.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Andrea-DWORKIN-Pornography-Men-Possessing-Women-1981.pdf">the main conduit</a> for such violence.</p>
<p>Experts have long shown the <a href="https://www.appg-cse.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Inquiry-on-pornography.pdf">links</a> between pornography, misogyny and sexual violence against women. Research <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/217360/1/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_StaffGroupR%24_rogersjm_Desktop_Flood%2C%2BThe%2Bharms%2Bof%2Bpornography%2Bexposure%2B09.pdf">has found</a> that exposure to both violent pornography and non-violent pornography – depicting consensual sexual activity between adults – fosters attitudes supportive of sexual aggression and rape. And that in <a href="https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1073&context=dignity">normalising</a> sexual violence, pornography also fuels it. </p>
<p>Recently, Lucy Emmerson, the director of the Sex Education Forum has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/02/impact-porn-not-taught-schools-england-survey?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other">warned</a> that “seeing violent sexual acts in pornography is having a knock-on effect on [young people’s] behaviour”. Research has found <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/217360/1/__qut.edu.au_Documents_StaffHome_StaffGroupR%24_rogersjm_Desktop_Flood%2C%2BThe%2Bharms%2Bof%2Bpornography%2Bexposure%2B09.pdf">a correlation</a> among underage boys between frequent consumption of porn and the idea that forcing someone to have sex is ok. </p>
<p>Despite this, porn is only sporadically discussed in connection with violence against women, online and offline. A case in point is <a href="https://theconversation.com/andrew-tate-research-has-long-shown-how-feminist-progress-is-always-followed-by-a-misogynistic-backlash-197433?notice=Article+has+been+updated.">Andrew Tate</a>. </p>
<p>Tate was arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking and rape and subsequently moved to house arrest in March 2023. The house arrest <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65351270">has been extended</a> as public prosecutors reportedly continue to investigate him and his brother, Tristan, for crimes including sexually exploiting women and, in the case of Tristan Tate, <a href="https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/romanian-prosecutors-add-charge-against-105022461.html">inciting others</a> to violence. </p>
<p>This has seen the influencer receive an incredible amount of <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001jg1t/the-dangerous-rise-of-andrew-tate">media coverage</a>. This has revolved, primarily, around his “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star">deviant</a>” personality, while <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64125045">ignoring</a> the cultural context he operates in: a patriarchal society in which <a href="https://files.libcom.org/files/Theorizing%20Patriarchy%20-%20Sylvia%20Walby.pdf">misogynistic violence</a> is routinely encouraged by mainstream pornography. While Tate arguably promotes the same violence, the two are rarely connected in popular discourse.</p>
<p>Tate’s case it not unique. My research <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/9783031093524">shows</a> how representations of perpetrators of sexual violence, from <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-28243-1?source=shoppingads&amp;locale=en-gb&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiA0oagBhDHARIsAI-Bbgf5WKRSOcRQe6eFiisBta-5clzT-jJaT0vjHXs31BskQ_sKl3nPVB0aAv2zEALw_wcB">Harvey Weinstein to Jimmy Saville</a>, routinely focus on individual “deviancy”. They fail to make the connection between misogyny and wider social problems, like pornography. The “villain” is typically identified and singled out as an abnormal man. The details of his abuse are discussed ad nauseam in public discourse and every attempt is made to purge society of his presence and move on.</p>
<p>This is a problem. In ignoring the broader socio-cultural factors at play, this narrative fails to connect what appear to be the <a href="https://www.politybooks.com/search?s=surviving%20sexual%20violence">most severe</a> instances of misogyny with more “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801221996453">mundane</a>” forms, which have been normalised or appear less harmful. As a result, these are allowed to continue undisturbed.</p>
<h2>The mundane misogyny of social media</h2>
<p>It is <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14680777.2018.1447345">no secret</a> that social media platforms are littered with “mundane” misogyny, from rape apologists to neo-sexist videos which promote the idea that women have achieved equality with men and that men are the “real” victims now.</p>
<p>Men’s podcasts such as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@freshandfit_clips?lang=en">Fresh and Fit</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@moa.podcast">Men of Action</a> (MOA), <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theviralwaypodcast">The Viral Way</a>, for example, are unfiltered repositories of sexism and misogyny. Yet, they are nowhere to be found in mainstream discussions on the topic. The recent, sustained focus on the “extreme” misogyny of Tate has effectively shielded other providers of “mundane” misogyny from media scrutiny.</p>
<p>This kind of tunnel-vision narrative also leaves out of the picture the ordinary misogyny of normalised, yet no less harmful, social practices like pornography. Pornographic websites like PornHub, RedTube, and YouPorn, which have been shown to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077801210382866?casa_token=7Jj-2itHNkQAAAAA:UOvzyEIm5IFBZfD9d6fZns9xd3cjlbMEKqMk8T5AQj1E87Rbrnw5GM8Vr8ancmoe8sMVq78m-XQ">promote violent and misogynistic content</a>, are accessible to anyone, everywhere. Until March 2023, these online platforms were all owned by the same company, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/deals/pornhub-owner-mindgeek-sold-canadas-ethical-capital-2023-03-16/">MindGeek</a>, and, in 2020, together they reportedly had approximately <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/06/20/the-fight-to-hold-pornhub-accountable">4.5 billion monthly visits</a> – that’s almost double that of Google and Facebook combined.</p>
<p>In the UK, the most prolific users of these porn sites are <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/220414/online-nation-2021-report.pdf">young adults aged 18-24</a>. News reports have highlighted that children <a href="https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/news/children-see-pornography-as-young-as-seven-new-report-finds">as young as seven</a> have been exposed to their content.</p>
<p>Compared to even a generation ago, mobile technology has made pornography widely available and easily accessible. This has caused a major <a href="http://www.beacon.org/Pornland-P891.aspx">cultural shift</a> whose consequences have not been fully explored or understood yet. Today anyone can watch violent porn with the same ease they can watch cat videos and we don’t fully know what this is doing to us.</p>
<p>If we look at the language of pornography, it is not fundamentally different from the language of Tate. Think, for example, of the similarities between Tate’s obsession with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star">grabbing women by the neck</a> and the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32661813/">popularity</a> of strangulation in online pornography.</p>
<p>Yet, while every second, online pornography broadcasts the same ideas expressed by Tate to millions of people, including children and teenagers, it does not generate the same level of public outrage. On the contrary, pornography is often defended as a <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/a40616209/sex-education-porn/">sex positive practice</a> and accepted as a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/feb/08/porn-not-real-sex-positive-educators-influencers-breaking-taboos">work of fiction</a>. </p>
<p>Its role in the spread of misogyny is notably absent from most mainstream discussions of violence against women, including those about Tate. Society is wondering <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/talk-children-andrew-tate-misogyny-online-safety-b1053749.html">how to talk to children about Tate</a>, yet pornography is still largely absent from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/02/impact-porn-not-taught-schools-england-survey?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other">sex education</a>.</p>
<h2>It’s about the money</h2>
<p>The question then is why Tate has been branded an <a href="https://hopenothate.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Andrew-Tate-Briefing-Final.pdf">extreme misogynist</a> but pornography is defended as a “sex-positive” practice. Why do we find it abhorrent for Tate to talk about violence against women, but believe that watching it is fine? </p>
<p>The answer lies largely in two factors: money and the patriarchy. </p>
<p>On the one hand, tunnel-vision narratives function as a patriarchal tool that distracts the attention from broader social factors like pornography and protects “ordinary” men. Hashtags such as <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-15213-0_18">#himtoo or #notallmen</a> speak precisely to this idea that violence against women is only perpetrated by a tiny minority of men. Most other men are simply being unfairly accused.</p>
<p>On the other hand, the focus on specific individuals distracts the attention from those who profit from pornography. Pornography is an <a href="https://qz.com/1309527/porn-could-have-a-bigger-economic-influence-on-the-us-than-netflix">extremely lucrative business</a>. The silence that surrounds it allows it to continue undisturbed. It makes it easier for individuals and companies to escape accountability and avoid public scrutiny. Many of us know, by now, what Andrew Tate looks like. Comparatively few, if any, will know exactly who owns Pornhub.</p>
<p>Pornography constitutes the socio-cultural context within which men like Tate operate. While it is important that we educate young people about Tate, it is also crucial to place his success within the patriarchal context in which his actions and words are normalised.</p>
<p>Any analysis of Tate, or whoever came before him or will come after him, that does not consider the broader pornification of society will never be complete. To join the dots between “mundane” and “extreme” misogyny and move away from the “tunnel-vision”, we need to talk about porn.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201059/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alessia Tranchese does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In focussing on individual “deviancy”, we fail to make the connection between misogyny and wider social problems, like pornography.Alessia Tranchese, Senior Lecturer in Communication and Applied Linguistics, University of PortsmouthLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2037912023-04-23T08:53:14Z2023-04-23T08:53:14ZGreen spaces are good for people – but in South Africa many cannot access them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521056/original/file-20230414-26-ynnjdo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fetching water is a chore, but some women also said it was a welcome opportunity to be in nature.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tony Dold</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10161/11477/Russell?sequence=1">benefits</a> of experiencing nature for <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-44097-3">physical</a>, <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature">psychological</a> and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286671347_Enhancing_spirituality_and_positive_well-being_through_nature">spiritual</a> well-being are widely documented. But much of the research on these benefits has been done in relatively affluent countries in the global North. There’s <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666049022000263?via%3Dihub">little research</a> that has been done in developing countries on the benefits of being in nature. </p>
<p>Development and urban planning approaches in developing countries <a href="https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/poorer-without-it-the-neglected-role-of-the-natural-environment-i">reflect this</a>. While they rightfully emphasise economic development, housing and sanitation, they commonly treat access to green space as a luxury to enjoy once basic needs are met.</p>
<p>In an era of accelerating urbanisation, particularly in developing countries, nature experience is becoming increasingly rare. And as with many other types of amenities, access to nature and green spaces is highly <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/who-benefits-from-nature-in">skewed</a> along socio-economic lines. </p>
<p>In South Africa, there remains a stark contrast in access to nature and green spaces between areas that were divided along racial lines during apartheid. It includes highly uneven distribution of city trees and green spaces, a situation that has been dubbed “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/25148486221110438">green apartheid</a>”.</p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>We have been <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11205-023-03063-3">researching</a> for the past decade the relationships isiXhosa-speaking people in urban and rural settings in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province have with their natural environment. Our definition of “nature” includes anything from dense natural forest in rural areas, to patches of bush and communal grazing land around towns and villages.</p>
<p>We found that across a range of urban to rural locations, age and gender, most people we interviewed had a strong <a href="https://archive.sajs.co.za/index.php/SAJS/article/view/880/1195">appreciation</a> for nature. Even though many had limited access to natural spaces, and seldom visited them, they <a href="https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-ethnobiology/volume-36/issue-4/0278-0771-36.4.820/Ways-of-Belonging--Meanings-of-Nature-AMong-Xhosa-Speaking/10.2993/0278-0771-36.4.820.full">valued</a> such spaces for their contribution to a sense of well-being, identity and shared heritage. Many also <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/145055514.pdf">described</a> how visiting nature eased feelings of hardship, stress, and loneliness.</p>
<p>Employment, housing, water and sanitation remain urgent priorities for urban and rural development. Nevertheless, as our research shows, the contribution access to nature makes to people’s well-being is important. Growing <a href="https://natureplayqld.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/rbg260-nature-for-health-and-wellbeing-report-fa-r3-spreads.pdf">evidence</a> suggests that access to green space has the most pronounced benefits among the lowest socioeconomic groups.</p>
<p>Making access to nature a luxury that few can afford continues to reinforce existing patterns of deep inequality.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/growing-plants-on-buildings-can-reduce-heat-and-produce-healthy-food-in-african-cities-191190">Growing plants on buildings can reduce heat and produce healthy food in African cities</a>
</strong>
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<h2>Relationships with nature</h2>
<p>To test the generality of our qualitative findings, we conducted an in-depth, questionnaire-based survey of nearly 700 Eastern Cape rural and urban residents. This included questions about respondents’ feelings of attachment to nature, past and present nature access and resource use, cultural and religious beliefs and practices, and socio-economic indicators.</p>
<p>We also explored the contribution that being in nature made to the best and worst times respondents remembered experiencing during their life.</p>
<p>Religion and spirituality featured strongly in the lives of people we interviewed. Three quarters of respondents practised both Christian and African indigenous religions, including recognition of ancestral spirits. Only 1% neither belonged to a church nor held African indigenous religious beliefs. Ninety percent of respondents engaged in various rituals including male initiations, and many of these require time spent in natural settings and use of natural products. </p>
<p>Access to nature thus helps to ensure that spirituality remains a part of everyday reality, and vice versa.</p>
<p>We asked respondents to remember and describe the happiest period they had experienced in their lives, and whether being in nature featured and contributed. The most commonly reported best time was childhood or youth, often associated with rural life and being in nature. People reminisced about stick fighting and traditional parties for young people, safe spaces for teenage courtship in nature and swimming in rivers and dams.</p>
<p>Other times widely remembered as the best in people’s lives were associated with educational and related achievements, marriage and relationships, the birth of children, and men’s time spent in the bush as part of their traditional initiation into manhood. </p>
<p>Overall, best periods strongly related to social aspects of life, such as family relationships, community and personal achievements. Only 27% of respondents mentioned best times that reflected material domains such as work, money or housing.</p>
<p>Fifty-six percent of the respondents said they accessed nature during the best time in their life, and nearly all of those (94%) felt that accessing nature contributed to it being the best time in their life. The reasons for this included the contribution of being in nature to a sense of well-being and joy, and as a site for celebrations, recreation and ritual practices.</p>
<p>We also asked respondents to describe the worst time they had experienced in their life. The death of loved ones was overwhelmingly associated with the worst period. Other worst experiences included ill health or injury, and setbacks or failure in life. Thirty-six percent of respondents reported spending time in nature during this difficult time, and of these, 74 % felt that it helped them cope better. </p>
<p>Mourners found that experiencing peace and calm in nature assisted with the healing process. Some respondents said the peaceful surroundings were conducive to prayer. Others felt the presence of the ancestors when being in nature. </p>
<p>Of those who did not spend time in nature during their most difficult time, 30% thought that it might have helped them cope better. Overall, 45% of respondents felt that accessing nature either helped or could have helped them deal with the worst time in their lives. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of children swimming" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521628/original/file-20230418-14-gwlihx.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Access to nature benefits children’s mental and physical health but this is becoming more difficult in urban areas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tony Dold</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Nature access: a basic necessity or a luxury?</h2>
<p>The rural areas and urban townships of the Eastern Cape are among the <a href="https://southafrica-info.com/people/mapping-poverty-in-south-africa/">least developed</a> in South Africa. They are characterised by high rates of <a href="https://journals.co.za/doi/full/10.10520/ejc-ajpa_v12_n1_a8">poverty</a>, dependence on social welfare, unemployment, poor access to quality schooling and medical care, and high rates of crime, including gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Within this context, we found that well-being and happiness are multidimensional and strongly enhanced by social and family relationships, religion and spirituality, and access to natural spaces for material, recreational and spiritual purposes. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, access to natural spaces is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous for many people, especially women and girls and in urban areas. For <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10745-015-9755-z">children</a>, and especially girls, fear of crime and competing expectations around the home are limiting opportunities to play outdoors in natural spaces. This means they miss out on the benefits that being in nature has for <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/72/10/958#T2">mental</a> and physical health in children.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203791/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Susanne Vetter receives funding from The South African National Research Foundation and Rhodes University.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Cocks receives funding from National Research Foundation (NRF) and South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD).</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Valerie Møller receives funding from South African National Research Foundation.</span></em></p>Experiencing nature helps people in times of joy and pain. However, inequity of access to green spaces means that South Africans cannot enjoy nature when they need to.Susanne Vetter, Associate Professor, Department of Botany, Rhodes UniversityMichelle Cocks, Associate Professor of Environmental Anthropology, Rhodes UniversityValerie Møller, Professor of Sociology, Rhodes UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1997142023-03-06T17:43:56Z2023-03-06T17:43:56ZAddressing campus sexual violence: New risk assessment tool can help administrators make difficult decisions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512767/original/file-20230228-194-67k43s.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=476%2C201%2C5178%2C2997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students organize a walkout to protest sexual violence on campuses and to support survivors of sexual assault, in Kingston, Ont., at Queen's University, in September 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>How do universities and colleges build safer campuses, and better respond to <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2019001/article/00017-eng.htm">incidents of sexual and gender-based violence</a>? There isn’t a simple answer to this question. </p>
<p>Whatever the response, any solution involves making difficult decisions based on valid tools. </p>
<p>We are part of a national collaborative initiative to <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/report">address and prevent sexual and gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions</a> in a survivor-centred, and <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/health-risks-safety/trauma-violence-informed-approaches-policy-practice.html">trauma- and violence-informed way</a>.</p>
<p>We have been co-leading a project to create an evidence-based community risk assessment tool for campus administrators and sexual violence support staff to use when formulating campus policy about sexual assault and gender-based violence, and when responding to incidents.</p>
<h2>Informed policy needed</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.vox.com/identities/2019/10/10/20885824/me-too-movement-sexual-assault-college-campus">Culture change movements</a>, <a href="http://www.ithappenedhere.org/press-release">documentaries</a> <a href="https://www.cnn.com/shows/the-hunting-ground">and media</a> reporting on sexual <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2023/01/20/this-campus-isnt-safe-following-a-string-of-sexual-assaults-inside-a-toronto-university-the-schools-response-is-under-fire.html?rf">assault on campuses</a> have brought to light the need to go beyond supporting victims and merely responding to incidents of sexual violence — and focus on the overall campus safety.</p>
<p>Such increased attention has obligated institutions to devote specialized campus resources to develop policies, increase survivor support and establish programming to address the multiple <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-covid-19-pandemic-has-made-the-impacts-of-gender-based-violence-worse-193197">forms of systemic oppression that intersect with gender-based violence</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen holding signs." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=472%2C383%2C4448%2C2788&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512753/original/file-20230228-26-cqr5t3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Student advocacy and culture change movements have called for more responsive and robust campus policies addressing sexual assault.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Kendall Warner/The News & Advance via AP)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Surveillance, security responses</h2>
<p>Campuses often respond to sexual or gender-based violence by choosing approaches involving surveillance, greater security measures and punishment — what might be called a carceral approach, reminiscent of prisons. </p>
<p>Some campus administrators believe that <a href="https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v50i2.188687">police presence</a> and other <a href="https://www.cijs.ca/_files/ugd/3ac972_52bbee798fbb4f9d99927a59bd9774b8.pdf">security measures</a> make campus a safer environment. </p>
<p>These mainstream approaches work only to safeguard the institution from scrutiny. They put the onus on the victim in most cases, rather than a preventive approach that keeps survivors safe. </p>
<p>These efforts may ultimately fail to instil trust in survivors, as reports show that victims of sexual assault, especially <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv176ktr9">women of colour</a>, are less likely to report sexual violence to police or submit a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X16683225">formal complaint to the university</a>.</p>
<h2>Decisions about victims, the accused</h2>
<p>Neglected in these resources, however, are processes that guide decisions about those who have been accused of sexual and gender-based violence. </p>
<p>Most policies prematurely outline potential consequences for the accused and rush to ask how the individual should be disciplined. Instead, these policies should first ask how a decision should be made about the person who has caused harm: For example, is the person at a high risk of perpetrating further harm? What should be done about the person’s access to the campus environment and other students? </p>
<p>In odd contrast, the <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/tcjs-tsjp/fr-rf/docs/fr.pdf">criminal justice</a> field gives less consideration to the victim and more time and resources to the perpetrator, asking how they are evaluated, what sentence they should get — and what intervention should be applied. </p>
<p>There is a need to balance resources that are focused on both victims and the perpetrators.</p>
<h2>New national framework</h2>
<p>A Canadian social change consultancy dedicated to gender justice and equity, <a href="https://www.possibilityseeds.ca/">Possibility Seeds</a>, collaborated with over 300 experts and advocates from across the country to outline a national framework to address and prevent sexual and gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions. </p>
<p>A report emerging from this work, <a href="https://www.couragetoact.ca/report">called Courage to Act</a>, identified the importance of a co-ordinated response to incidents of campus gender-based violence including policy responses. Our work to create an evidence-based risk assessment tool emerged from needs highlighted in this report.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bIVZXfgugKQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Possibility Seeds video about the Courage to Act report and a national framework to address and prevent gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions in Canada.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Need for formal, relevant tools</h2>
<p>It has been generally accepted by the criminal justice field that assessing risk on the basis of personal impressions — what’s known as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1016347320889">unstructured judgements</a> — does not yield risk assessments that are as accurate as when people use structured and validated tools. </p>
<p>A structured risk tool ensures that we avoid making decisions based on personal subjectivity and inaccurate beliefs. </p>
<p>In the end, a structured and valid tool would help ensure that fair and consistent decisions are made. This ultimately protects the rights of those involved and helps keep the whole campus community safe.</p>
<h2>Tailored to post-secondary communities</h2>
<p>Some may wonder: Why reinvent the wheel when the justice system already uses risk tools to make decisions about criminal offenders? </p>
<p>However, these tools were developed for use with justice-involved adults, tend to focus on antisocial behaviours and attitudes, and assess specific risks for partner abuse, sexual violence or general violence. </p>
<p>Research suggests that young adults studying in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29562-4">post-secondary communities</a> are less likely to have antisocial traits (such as having serious criminal records, illicit drug dependency or poor employment records). This said, it is true that sexual or gender-based violence on campus may be perpetrated by anyone, not necessarily by students, and also that university affiliation does not guarantee pro-social or non-violent behaviour.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Students seen at a rally in support of survivors of sexual assault." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/512768/original/file-20230228-5972-atkjkh.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Campus sexual and gender-based violence includes a broad spectrum of harmful behaviours.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Also, campus sexual and gender-based violence includes a broad spectrum of harmful behaviours that can’t be easily pigeon-holed into sexual violence or partner assault. </p>
<p>These behaviours can include coercively controlling, sexually harassing or trolling or abusing people online in ways that do not necessarily involve physical contact but can cause tremendous distress to victims.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/post-secondary-workplace-harassment-policies-need-to-adapt-to-digital-life-161325">Post-secondary workplace harassment policies need to adapt to digital life</a>
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</em>
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<h2>Four factors</h2>
<p>This risk assessment tool will be freely available in fall 2023 and is intended to be used by all support providers on campus. It is not intended for use to purely predict future behaviour, but rather, to help campus administrators make determinations regarding risk management. </p>
<p>The tool helps administrators and sexual violence support staff consider four factors related to:</p>
<ul>
<li>the survivor/victim;</li>
<li>the post-secondary community;</li>
<li>the incident of sexual violence;</li>
<li>the respondent, or the person who has caused harm. </li>
</ul>
<h2>Safely planning with victims</h2>
<p>In addition to the tool’s use to assess the respondent’s risk to commit further sexual or gender-based violence, the tool may help administrators and post-secondary support staff to create a safety plan with the victim.</p>
<p>Also, identifying a respondent’s specific risk factors can help campus administrators target the respondent’s problematic areas that likely led to their harmful behaviours. Administrators and support staff can conduct an institutional risk audit that would help evaluate where increased allocation of resources would make the most sense in order to have a positive impact on campus safety.</p>
<p>To build safer campuses, we can start by using a community risk assessment to make difficult decisions about a person who has caused harm, and where to allocate resources to prevent future incidents of sexual and gender-based violence.</p>
<p><em>Ruchika Gothoskar, Research Assistant with Possibility Seeds, co-authored this story.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199714/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sandy Jung receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She also provides consultation to Possibility Seeds.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jesmen Mendoza provides consultation to Possibility Seeds. </span></em></p>A national framework to address and prevent sexual and gender-based violence at post-secondary institutions includes a tool to guide responses to victims, alleged perpetrators and the community.Sandy Jung, Professor, Department of Psychology, MacEwan UniversityJesmen Mendoza, Psychologist and Faculty Member, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1987422023-03-01T13:35:41Z2023-03-01T13:35:41ZSex work in South Africa: why both buying and selling should be legal<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509181/original/file-20230209-24-3kfqso.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the African Christian Democratic Party protesting against the decriminalisation of sex work in South Africa.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>It is illegal to buy or sell sex in South Africa. But this may soon be a thing of the past if a recently published draft bill to decriminalise sex work is passed. Researchers and activists Marlise Richter and Monique Huysamen set out what’s in the new law, what’s good about it and what still needs work.</em></p>
<hr>
<h2>What’s envisaged under the proposed new law?</h2>
<p>If the <a href="https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/invitations/20221208-CriminalLawSexualOffences-%20AmendmentBill.pdf">Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill 2022</a> is passed, South Africa will become only the third country in the world to fully decriminalise sex work. It would no longer be illegal to buy or sell sex. New Zealand and <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2022/06/02/belgium-decriminalizes-sex-work_5985486_4.html">Belgium</a> are the other countries where this is the position.</p>
<p>The draft law proposes the removal of the criminalisation of buying and selling of sex. It also proposes to clear the criminal records of those who have been prosecuted for buying or selling sex.</p>
<p>Predictably, various groups have pushed back against the bill, mostly on moral grounds. Opponents of the bill recommend that either: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>the current law that fully criminalises all aspects of sex work remains in place; or</p></li>
<li><p>that sex workers are decriminalised but that clients remain criminalised.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>This last idea is drawn from what’s called the “Nordic model” – an approach followed by <a href="https://www.nswp.org/sex-work-laws-map?colour_value%5B0%5D=2">some Nordic countries</a>, including Sweden. </p>
<h2>Why is full decriminalisation in South Africa so important?</h2>
<p>Women in South Africa face very high levels of gender-based violence. Female sex workers are even more exposed than other women. A recent <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560321000128">study</a> showed that 70% of female sex workers had experienced violence in the past year. More than half had been raped by intimate partners, police, clients or other men. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/11/criminalisation-of-sex-work-normalises-violence-review-finds">Criminalisation normalises violence</a> in the sex work context.</p>
<p>Another argument for decriminalisation relates to health. HIV prevalence of between <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanhiv/PIIS2352-3018(22)00201-6.pdf">39% and 89%</a> has been documented among female sex workers across different areas of South Africa in the last decade. This is extremely high when compared to the country’s <a href="https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022021.pdf">national HIV prevalence rate of 13.7%</a>.</p>
<p>Sex workers are <a href="http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/77745/9789241504744_eng.pdf;jsessionid=3D4FC895B2108AE64D1EED482E817C23?sequence=1">particularly vulnerable to HIV</a> infection because of the many dangers associated with sex work in a criminalised context. Sex workers typically have many sexual partners. Their working conditions are precarious and unsafe. And the unequal power relationship between sex worker and client makes it very hard to consistently negotiate safer sex. </p>
<p>The social stigma attached to sex work also means that some healthcare providers hold <a href="https://ritshidze.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ritshidze-State-of-Healthcare-for-Key-Populations-2023.pdf">prejudiced and vindictive views against sex workers</a>. These views can drive sex workers away from health services, including HIV prevention, treatment and support.</p>
<p>The repeal of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19962126.2009.11865199">outdated apartheid-era laws</a> would have a far-reaching, positive impact on <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13178-022-00779-8">individual sex worker health and well-being</a> and therefore also public health. </p>
<p>If sex work was not a crime, clients <a href="http://www.sweat.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Policing-Report.pdf">and police</a> wouldn’t have the power to abuse sex workers. Sex workers would be able to regularly negotiate safe sex. Police would have to take their complaints seriously. Sex workers would also feel more confident to report discrimination and disrespectful healthcare workers. </p>
<p>Under decriminalisation, sex work would be recognised as work. Occupational health and safety and fair labour principles would apply. Decriminalisation is particularly important for the dignity of poor black sex workers from working class backgrounds, who currently <a href="https://www.pins.org.za/pins/pins57/huysamen-boonzaier.pdf">bear the brunt of the stigma</a> associated with the criminalisation of sex work. </p>
<h2>What is the Nordic model?</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://nwac.ca/assets-knowledge-centre/CLES-What-We-Know-About-the-Nordic-Model.pdf">Nordic model</a> is a legal framework adopted by several Nordic countries, including Sweden and Norway.</p>
<p>According to this approach, selling sex should be decriminalised, but buying sex remains a crime. </p>
<p>The model <a href="https://www.versobooks.com/books/3039-revolting-prostitutes">assumes</a> that criminalising the clients of sex workers would dissuade people from buying sexual services, and thus end the demand for sex work. </p>
<p>Research in countries that have adopted this shows that it <a href="https://www.nswp.org/resource/nswp-publications/advocacy-toolkit-the-real-impact-the-swedish-model-sex-workers">has not made sex work safer for sex workers, nor has it eradicated sex work</a>. Evidence also shows that criminalisation of clients is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002680">bad for sex workers’ health</a>. </p>
<p>If buying sex is illegal, sex workers have less time <a href="https://bhekisisa.org/health-news-south-africa/2023-01-31-decriminalising-sex-work-can-protect-sex-workers-and-everybody-else-from-gbv/">to screen out dangerous clients</a> and clients can put pressure on sex workers to agree to risky transactions in compromising situations. </p>
<p>South Africans have had painful lessons about why the state has <a href="https://www.groundup.org.za/article/where-the-criminal-law-has-no-place-sex-work/">no business in people’s bedrooms</a>. The apartheid-era state prohibited sex across “colour” and “same-sex” configurations which South Africa subsequently strongly rejected under democracy. Yet this same law still survives for adult, consensual sex work.</p>
<h2>Why arguments against criminalising clients should be resisted</h2>
<p>Our research shows that while most of the <a href="https://www.routledge.com/A-Critical-Reflexive-Approach-to-Sex-Research-Interviews-with-Men-Who-Pay/Huysamen/p/book/9780367554477">clients of sex workers in South Africa</a> are men, they are a diverse group from all walks of life. Some are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22911711/">violent and abusive</a> towards sex workers. But many are not. Some sex workers report having <a href="https://genderjustice.org.za/publication/towards-harm-reduction-programmes-with-sex-worker-clients-in-south-africa/">mutually respectful interactions and contracts with clients</a>. </p>
<p>In our research, very few men self-reported perpetrating violence against sex workers. Most actively distanced themselves from the violence associated with men who pay for sex, making it clear that they <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00224499.2019.1645806">did not engage in or condone violence against sex workers</a>. </p>
<p>Based on our research and that of others, we <a href="https://genderjustice.org.za/publication/towards-harm-reduction-programmes-with-sex-worker-clients-in-south-africa/">believe</a> that the decriminalisation of clients would have positive spin-offs. </p>
<p>First, recruiting clients who have been identified by sex workers as non-violent and respectful as peer educators could instil and reinforce positive norms among clients.</p>
<p>Second, clients are well placed to serve as <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Paying-for-Sex-in-a-Digital-Age-US-and-UK-Perspectives/Sanders-Brents-Wakefield/p/book/9781138318731">whistle-blowers</a> when they notice human rights violations such as human trafficking or child exploitation in the sex industry. </p>
<p>Third, clients can be <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-south-africas-hiv-prevention-programmes-should-include-sex-worker-clients-157264">key to reducing HIV transmission</a>. Scaling up antiretroviral therapy among clients of sex workers would avert almost <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33533115/">one-fifth of new HIV infections</a> in South Africa over the next decade.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-south-africas-hiv-prevention-programmes-should-include-sex-worker-clients-157264">Why South Africa's HIV prevention programmes should include sex worker clients</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>The Nordic model is flawed and demonises clients. Putting sex work clients in jail punishes them for buying a service. This is ultimately bad for everyone’s health. </p>
<p>The draft bill should be passed as it is and as quickly as possible.<br>
It will make sex work less risky and dangerous, and our society safer.</p>
<p><em>This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Belgium decriminalised sex work in 2022.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198742/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marlise Richter works for the Health Justice Initiative and is an associate with the African Centre for Migration & Society, university of the Witwatersrand. She served on the Sisonke Sex Worker Movement Board from 2017-2022.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monique Huysamen is a Senior Research Associate at Manchester Metropolitan University and an Honorary Research Affiliate at University of Cape Town. Her research has been funded by The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), NRF, and Harry Crossley Research Foundation</span></em></p>The repeal of outdated apartheid-era laws would have a far-reaching, positive impact on individual sex workers’ health and well-being.Marlise Richter, Research fellow, African Centre for Migration & Society, University of the WitwatersrandMonique Huysamen, Senior Research Associate in Sexual and Reproductive health, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.