TruthTheOnlyDefense
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It has been a momentous week for sexual assault and abuse survivors in this country.
There has been shock and outrage with the release of the results of the Human Rights Commission survey in relation to sexual assault and harassment. However, of all the emotions that have been expressed, surprise should not be one of them. What the report has done is confirm what universities, advocates, commentators and society at large have known for so long.
The findings into sexual assaults on campuses provide a frightening insight into the numbers and types of assaults present within this institution. But it's not only these institutions. It is our workplaces and our society as a whole.
Now the blame game is starting. It's the universities that have allowed this to fester, it's the colleges that have failed to enforce the harassment policies, etc etc.
Sexual assault support services:
Again, this should not come as a surprise, since in the past we've blamed sporting bodies, celebrities, corporate executives, the judiciary, churches, teachers and the ADF. I think we've probably all had a fair slog at most institutions.
But I think it's time we all realised there's not one specific institution to which we can lay the blame. Nor is there one set of high-and-mighty recommendations that can fix everything. There's no silver bullet. And there's not one right answer. The issues we face are widespread and cultural. Not only institutional.
So, isn't it time we all looked beyond the institution and inside the deeper, cultural problems which have allowed these issues to fester and multiply through society?
A double standard for female victims
The past few months have seen some pretty heinous sexual assault allegations across Australia. Invariably, the issue seems to be consistently centred on consent. There are often a lot of excuses put forward by those alleged to have committed the assaults. Generally, we hear things like, "I thought she wanted it", "She put her arm around me first", "She knew where it was heading". But when did we start seeing consent as something that was even possible when a woman was clearly intoxicated?
What happened to realising a woman had too much to drink so we just wanted to make sure she got home safe?
Last week, we saw the sentencing of three young men for raping their "friend" with a bottle. The men sought to defend the charges by saying it was just "pranking". Their conviction and sentencing was well received by the general public as people accepted there was no way a male could have "consented" to what occurred. I agree the punishment was fitting.
But that same month we heard about multiple instances of other young men being charged with assaulting and raping women who "consented". It seems as though we were very quick to rightly hold the three young men accountable for the rape of their male friend — but what about the young men who had group sex with an intoxicated young woman? Why do those same young women have to continue fighting about consent?
How has our country arrived at a place where these types of cases are hitting the news every week or so, and there isn't widespread public outcry?
It's all about consent
Cultural change goes way beyond the institutional change. It starts in our homes, in public spaces, on transport and in our workplaces. How we educate our children on what's right and what's wrong. What it actually means to consent and what non-consent looks like. Consent training is a very serious issue which seems to me to go to the heart of many of the cultural issues we face. Whether it's at a bar or on a campus, it's all about consent. And more specifically, it's about the ability to consent.
Now you don't have to be a rocket scientist to conclude the university findings indicate we have a real problem on campuses.
By widening the issue, I'm not saying we shouldn't take this incredibly seriously. Of course, many institutions have a duty of care to provide safe environments for those who put their trust in them.
This includes ensuring there are reasonable systems and procedures in place to protect people from harm. The universities certainly need to direct their immediate attention to their own cultural reform, and I think there couldn't be a better place than universities to lead the cultural change for our country. But, what I am saying today, is I think we all need to play a part in this reform.
Cultural change begins when we all stand together. It begins when we stop looking the other way. When we call out bad behaviour. When we each draw our own line in the sand and say, "Enough is enough".
This is our society and we all have to live in it. Together. If we want our children and grandchildren to grow up safe, we need to start creating that legacy — now.
Adair Donaldson is an ambassador for the Full Stop Foundation and director of Donaldson Law, where he has represented hundreds of survivors subjected to abuse within institutions such as the Australian Defence Force, religious and educational institutions.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-01/australia-has-a-sexual-assault-problem-we-cant-ignore/8764220
We are disgusting a people, but at least here in Australia, the police will take the matter very seriously, unlike some countries which proclaim to be the "safest country" in the universe for women and kids.
There has been shock and outrage with the release of the results of the Human Rights Commission survey in relation to sexual assault and harassment. However, of all the emotions that have been expressed, surprise should not be one of them. What the report has done is confirm what universities, advocates, commentators and society at large have known for so long.
The findings into sexual assaults on campuses provide a frightening insight into the numbers and types of assaults present within this institution. But it's not only these institutions. It is our workplaces and our society as a whole.
Now the blame game is starting. It's the universities that have allowed this to fester, it's the colleges that have failed to enforce the harassment policies, etc etc.
Sexual assault support services:
- ANU Counselling Centre: (02) 6125 2442(9:00am - 1:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:40pm)
- Canberra Rape Crisis Centre: (02) 6247 2525(7:00am - 11:00pm)
- National university support line: 1800 572 224(until November 30, 2017)
- 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
- Lifeline: 131 114
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Again, this should not come as a surprise, since in the past we've blamed sporting bodies, celebrities, corporate executives, the judiciary, churches, teachers and the ADF. I think we've probably all had a fair slog at most institutions.
But I think it's time we all realised there's not one specific institution to which we can lay the blame. Nor is there one set of high-and-mighty recommendations that can fix everything. There's no silver bullet. And there's not one right answer. The issues we face are widespread and cultural. Not only institutional.
So, isn't it time we all looked beyond the institution and inside the deeper, cultural problems which have allowed these issues to fester and multiply through society?
A double standard for female victims
The past few months have seen some pretty heinous sexual assault allegations across Australia. Invariably, the issue seems to be consistently centred on consent. There are often a lot of excuses put forward by those alleged to have committed the assaults. Generally, we hear things like, "I thought she wanted it", "She put her arm around me first", "She knew where it was heading". But when did we start seeing consent as something that was even possible when a woman was clearly intoxicated?
What happened to realising a woman had too much to drink so we just wanted to make sure she got home safe?
Last week, we saw the sentencing of three young men for raping their "friend" with a bottle. The men sought to defend the charges by saying it was just "pranking". Their conviction and sentencing was well received by the general public as people accepted there was no way a male could have "consented" to what occurred. I agree the punishment was fitting.
But that same month we heard about multiple instances of other young men being charged with assaulting and raping women who "consented". It seems as though we were very quick to rightly hold the three young men accountable for the rape of their male friend — but what about the young men who had group sex with an intoxicated young woman? Why do those same young women have to continue fighting about consent?
How has our country arrived at a place where these types of cases are hitting the news every week or so, and there isn't widespread public outcry?
It's all about consent
Cultural change goes way beyond the institutional change. It starts in our homes, in public spaces, on transport and in our workplaces. How we educate our children on what's right and what's wrong. What it actually means to consent and what non-consent looks like. Consent training is a very serious issue which seems to me to go to the heart of many of the cultural issues we face. Whether it's at a bar or on a campus, it's all about consent. And more specifically, it's about the ability to consent.
Now you don't have to be a rocket scientist to conclude the university findings indicate we have a real problem on campuses.
By widening the issue, I'm not saying we shouldn't take this incredibly seriously. Of course, many institutions have a duty of care to provide safe environments for those who put their trust in them.
This includes ensuring there are reasonable systems and procedures in place to protect people from harm. The universities certainly need to direct their immediate attention to their own cultural reform, and I think there couldn't be a better place than universities to lead the cultural change for our country. But, what I am saying today, is I think we all need to play a part in this reform.
Cultural change begins when we all stand together. It begins when we stop looking the other way. When we call out bad behaviour. When we each draw our own line in the sand and say, "Enough is enough".
This is our society and we all have to live in it. Together. If we want our children and grandchildren to grow up safe, we need to start creating that legacy — now.
Adair Donaldson is an ambassador for the Full Stop Foundation and director of Donaldson Law, where he has represented hundreds of survivors subjected to abuse within institutions such as the Australian Defence Force, religious and educational institutions.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-01/australia-has-a-sexual-assault-problem-we-cant-ignore/8764220
We are disgusting a people, but at least here in Australia, the police will take the matter very seriously, unlike some countries which proclaim to be the "safest country" in the universe for women and kids.
