Not when I was a first year student
How we have been brought up is entirely different and we won't be comfortable sharing it to any other people other than our culture. I don’t know, it’ll all depend on the individual though. I have seen many students finding it difficult to communicate to the authorities and yeah, the language barrier is also a problem for many. We don’t understand how we can break the barrier because we are all coming from this background and especially if I look back to my first year that I was here, I was really, you know, all naïve and I didn’t know anything, right? So at that point if something happens, I don’t think I’ll be comfortable going to anyone, because I don’t know anything. I was completely unaware and vulnerable at that point. I would want to break that barrier right now after two years, yes, I would definitely try that, but no, not when I was a first year student.
Recommendations
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Sign on with a service such as KeepMe.Safe, which connects students with mental health professionals from cultures around the world and promote this service as part of university SV/SA service provision.
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When responding to a disclosure or report of sexual violence involving racially or ethnically marginalized students, provide these students with the choice to work with someone who shares their cultural or racial identity or someone who does not.
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Offer interpretation services to victims/survivors and respondents who are more comfortable communicating in a language other than English and make it known to students that this service is available.
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Offer versions of policies presented in plain language and translated into languages commonly prefered by students. Ensure that these documents meet accessibility standards that consider the needs of students with disabilities and diverse learning styles.
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Display QR codes providing immediate access to on- and off-campus supports and policy information in high-traffic areas on campus.
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Use an app or other tool that allows students to anonymously ask questions about sexual violence and university policies against sexual violence.
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Deliver accessible education about Canadian sexual assault laws, including how they work, and the ways they tend to fail survivors in practice.