Getting students past ‘rape culture’

More than 6300 first-year students began their university career at Western this week. That’s a small fraction of the total number of freshman students on college and university campuses across the country.

For many there are plenty of things to worry about in their first year away from home — but personal safety, and the fear of rape, should not be one of them. A number of high-profile incidents across the country last year has focused more attention on the issue of “rape culture”.

It took a scandal to focus national attention, on the safety, and treatment of young women on campus here in Canada. The infamous engineer’s song book at McMaster University, and the revelation of chants encouraging rape at UBC and St. Mary’s University suddenly brought the issue of “rape culture” into sharp focus.

Mike Domitrz says it’s about time.

“None of those things are new. So now the difference is people are paying attention and saying ‘that is wrong, that is not OK, and it needs to change.'”

Domitrz has been touring North American schools for more than two decades with a program called Can I Kiss You?

In a lecture hall Domitrz asks students, “Where do hook-ups occur?” One says party. “What’s at the party that has such a huge influence? Oh listen to you, ‘alcohol!'”

It’s a lively and often funny interactive presentation — but there is nothing funny about the incident that inspired it:

“In 1989 I was a college student and I received a phone call that my sister had been raped.”

Devastated and angry – Domitrz vowed to change things. Challenging students to think differently on how they approach intimacy:

“Ask first or go for it?”
Students: “Go for it!”

“We have 3 main messages that we’ll share with the students. We’ll actually give them the skill sets to ask first for consent, and then when to intervene when you see somebody using alcohol to try to facilitate a sexually assault at a party, and then how to let your loved ones know you’ll be there for them if they ever are or every have been sexually assaulted.”

But is it the kind of message that students will be willing to absorb?

Natalie Garrison: “I think it will, I think it will really make people think differently about what they usually don’t question in their lives.”

Emma: “I do know someone in my life that was sexually assaulted so that really touched close to home for me. Knowing that I’m there for her and providing support for all my new friends here, it was really great, really touching.”

Has it modified Connor’s behaviour? “yeah it has, I saw that two years ago for the first time and it just greatly changed the way I look at that situation.”

Domitrz has taken his message to Guelph, and Laurier — and there are other programs such as “men in violence protection” and “A safer Brock”, working with students at Brock University. Domitrz says these are good signs but he won’t stop touring, just yet.

“We are heading in the right direction, but we have a long way to go.”

As for the university that found itself in the national spotlight last year, we asked McMaster what new programs will be running this year during frosh week to turn attitudes around on campus.

Late this afternoon, CHCH News received a single sentence reply:

“McMaster University’s Student Wellness Centre and Office of Human Rights and Equity Services office are developing a new campaign to educate students about dynamics of sexual assault and the importance of consent.”