Whisper Network: Seven lessons from an investigation into sexual violence at McMaster
McMaster University is faced with a moment of truth for how it handles campus sexual violence.
In June, police arrested Scott Watter, a professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PNB), and charged him with sexual assault and sexual assault causing bodily harm - with the allegations involving a female student. A month later, after the university received more serious allegations" of sexual violence, it launched a climate review" of the PNB department. Probes led to sanctions for three other faculty members, two staff and one grad student.
The climate review, complete last week, uncovered systemic and cultural issues" within the department and a degree of complacency that has let inappropriate behaviours go unchecked." It also revealed the university dismissed concerns about sexual harassment, participants said.
Now, McMaster students are speaking out about the university's handling of their own sexual violence complaints. They say issues uncovered in the PNB review are not isolated to one department. They want the university to take action.
Will it?
The university learns from any such report and is always open to making changes that will lead to better policies and processes and will enhance the education and support available to all members of our community," said McMaster spokesperson Wade Hemsworth in a statement.
The Spectator's months-long investigation into McMaster's handling of sexual violence has revealed seven key steps the university must take to earn the trust of survivors, protect the community as a whole and ensure justice is not only done, but seen to be done.
Believe survivors: Advocates say believing survivors and validating their experiences has to be the starting point for any sexual violence investigation. When this doesn't happen, we see that this causes harm," said Miranda Jurilj, public education co-ordinator with SACHA, adding: the person who has been impacted by sexual violence will continue to live with that trauma." Furthermore, the survivor is the expert in what they've experienced.
Survivors who spoke with The Spec detailed similar experiences of feeling McMaster minimized or dismissed their concerns. PNB review participants told investigators they tried to raise concerns about sexual harassment but felt continually dismissed" by the department, which would sweep things under the rug," as one participant put it.
Guarantee fully-informed consent": To guarantee fully-informed consent," the survivor needs to be put in the driver's seat of the investigation - choosing how much of their story they tell, to whom and when. One example: giving survivors veto power on who investigates their case. When a survivor does not have a say in the investigative process, feelings of loss of control that may already exist can be further compounded. It can be re-traumatizing. One survivor, Steffi Arkilander, said talking about her investigation is almost more difficult than talking about the actual assault.
Improve efficiency: Arkilander's investigation lasted 10 months. She still dreads opening emails, reminded of the ever-flowing stream of messages she received that year informing her of yet another delay. The university says 10 months is not uncommon for complex cases and that it reviews lengthy cases at the six-month mark. But a drawn-out investigative process can delay a survivor's ability to heal, said Jurilj, of SACHA. Not only should investigations come to a close as soon as possible, they should strive to limit the number of times a survivor has to tell their story and the number of people they have to tell it to.
Eliminate gag orders": McMaster's policy asks survivors to refrain from speaking with anyone who may become a potential witness in the case. This can include friends and confidants. Survivors say this practice cuts them off from their support network; it silences them. Some call it a gag order." Advocates say universities need to better balance the need for confidentiality with the need for survivors to have a voice and a support system.
More transparency: When perpetrators are found to have violated McMaster's sexual violence policy, what discipline they face is kept private. Survivors are only told about sanctions that affect them directly, such as a no-contact order. Survivors argue they need to know this information for closure and to have confidence they got justice. The university says it can't release that information due to privacy legislation.
Combat rape culture": Maddie Brockbank, a McMaster PhD student who studies sexual violence policies at universities, said the PNB investigation was just the tip of the iceberg" when it comes to exposing a culture permissive of sexual violence on campus. This rape culture," she said, ranges from jokes about sexual violence to entrenched structures that allow people in positions of power to exploit students. It's present at McMaster as it is at universities across the country, she said. To disrupt it, better and ongoing universitywide education and training about consent, sexual violence and how to access resources needs to take place.
Pay those doing the work: Too often, survivor support networks rely on volunteers to function. The McMaster Students Union's Women and Gender Equity Network, for example, is staffed almost exclusively by a team of volunteers. Survivors rely on these services to help them navigate complex complaints processes and give them a safe space to disclose traumatic experiences. These volunteers deserve to be paid.
If you are a survivor of sexual violence and need support, please see the resources below:
SACHA Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area: 24-hour support line 905-525-4162; www.sacha.ca.
McMaster University Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office: svpro@mcmaster.ca; svpro.mcmaster.ca.
McMaster Students Union Women and Gender Equity Network (WGEN): wgen@msu.mcmaster.ca; msumcmaster.ca/service/wgen.
Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: katrinaclarke@thespec.com