A History of Sexual Violence

Cases of harassment and assault on campus have increasingly landed Canadian universities in the news

    Sexual harassment, both locally and internationally has become one of the biggest problems facing our society today. A lot of people have been either  forced out of their relationships or have developed a phobia for sex itself just because of their past experiences.

Today, we have put together several cases of harassment and assault on campus that have increasingly landed Canadian universities in the news.

St. Mary’s
Sept. 2013

A video of students chanting about preferring non-consensual sex with an underage girl goes viral. A panel recommends that the school develop a code of conduct and that students learn about consent.

Dalhousie
Dec. 2014

A female student at Dalhousie University blows the whistle on a group of dentistry students who participate in a misogynist Facebook group. After months of controversy, an external review raises questions about why the university did not pursue a formal investigation, which could have led to the expulsion of some of the students involved.

University of British Columbia
Nov. 2015

Multiple women go public with complaints about how the university handled their reports of sexual assault by a graduate student in the history department. An external report blames “human error” and a lack of clarity about informal complaints and formal investigations. The university has promised a new sexual assault and harassment policy will be released in June.

Brock University
March 2016

A female student says the school asked her not to talk about its investigation into her report that a male professor had tried to sexually assault her in his office. Tens of professors signed a letter in support of the student and asking the university to reassess its policies.

University of Victoria
March 2016

A student says the school kept from her the results of an investigation into her report of sexual assault. When she was provided a redacted copy, she discovered the university concluded she was not assaulted.