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African Male

You are not entitled to solve the problem

I think listening [is the most important part of supporting a friend who discloses]. I totally agree with participant number two, cause' at the end of the day, a person might, if they decided to come to you and talk, they feel a level of comfort with you to share a traumatic experience. What I disagree, problem solving. I don’t think it’s your… you don’t… you might have the power but I don’t think you should be in a position where you are solving the problem. You are just there to comfort them, support them, maybe show them the right channels that they have that enough power to solve the problem or give this person, for example the police will have enough power to do whatever they are allowed to do. School has enough power to either remove this person from class or remove them from the whole campus. So, I believe it’s always just knowing the right channels, you are not entitled to solve the whole problem 'cause you don’t have enough power in your hands.

Recommendations

  • Use approaches that are trauma informed and survivor-centred.

  • Deliver accessible education about Canadian sexual assault laws, including how they work, and the ways they tend to fail survivors in practice.

  • Describe possible legal and institutional consequences for respondents found to have engaged in sexual violence. Provide indication of the range of consequences likely to follow a range of policy violations.

  • Clarify the relationship between university policy and the criminal justice system.

  • Identify potential interim measures, provide an indication of how these measures are selected and implemented and establish a reasonable timeframe for implementation.