Sexual Assault and You by L.C.di Marco Were you there? Is there a problem? If so, what cin we do? According to the panel present at the February 25, 1988 symposium: Sexual assault occurs in dif- . ferent forms. Although there are cases where men have been as- saulted, women still make up the larger number of those being as- saulted. Sexual assault is defined as a person being forced into a sexual situation against his/her will. Some Facts: a) One in 17 women will be as- saulted in her lifetime. b) One in four women will be raped at some time in her life, most often (80%) by someone she knows. c) One in four women and one in ten men are sexually assaulted - before 18 years of age. d) Ages of females are from 6 months to 90 years of age. e) Ninety per cent of working women felt they had been harrassed on the job at one point or another during their working career. f) College women are more vul- . nerable. Suggested solutions: 1. Be AWARE of yourself and your surroundings. 2. Improve security at the col- lege and workplace. 3. Take self-defense classes. 4. Be infornied of support sys- * tems such as WAVAW (Women Against Violence Against ~ Women). 5. Overall education (physical & mental). 6. Avoid walking alone in late _ evening and around parking lots. NOTE: More information and tips available at Douglas College’s Women’s Centre. Open-Question Period: At the end of the panel’s presen- tation, the audience had an oppor- tunity to comment and/or ask ques- tions to panel members. A fair number of students and staff who came to show their con- cerns at the forum hoping for resolutions and guidelines left the symposium upset. In all fairness to those con- cerned, the comments from various sources will be unidentified. "I feel.that it was worth coming because it shows that people are first. Does someone have to get raped first?!" "I was appauled, shocked and horrified by some of the panel members’ comments." "I went to the symposium with a positive attitude and I left angry and upset at the thought that that particular security system was to be our guards and protect us." "The police officer wasn’t reas- suring to me. He seemed to be there just for the sake of it." "The key players, administra- tion, should have been there. The whole issue is not really the security’s fault, but the fact that ad- ministration doesn’t think there’s a problem. I almost felt sorry for the security officer because he was being attacked on behalf of those who should have really been there in the first place." "I hope that administration will put more effort into strengthening the security system.” "I was offended by the two of- ficers in the manner in which they referred to women as "girls." "To Security Officer: Just be- cause a woman may take self- defense doesn’t mean she’s going to go out and attack at first sight!" "The security manager said there’s no point in getting more security guards for certain periods of the day because crimes are com- mitted behind their backs. Well, doesn’t it it follow then that if there were more security guards visible, this would reduce the opportunities for sexual assault to occur?" "I don’t believe that the security or police officer dealt with issue effectively. The WAVAW mem- bers were the only ones that were of help." Members of the panel have also been given the opportunity to respond after the symposium. Jazz Singh (Security Officer) "During the meeting I never referred to women as girls. I also feel that they should be respected as women. The constable did refer to women as girs and that was dis- turbing to to me too. We haven’t had any reports of harassment over a year. Harassment is serious in any form. There’s no such thing as minor/major harassment of any kind no matter what. I also think that the women’s centre should keep us informed of any harass- ment so that we can act on them ac- cordingly. We are willing to co- operate with any of the groups at the college because they all serve as a useful purpose. I can under- stand the women’s centre feeling uncomfortable in dealing with male security guards and if that’s a problem then they can refer problems to female security staff. As far as security goes, I think that if the college as whole can justify a need for extra security then they should make the proposal to the responsible person(s). Personally, I think that the women’s centre has excellent ideas as far as security for women and I hope that they’ll work with security and let us help. I have no objection as to women taking self-defense. Also, I have no ob- jection in women using it incase of © \ harassment. I don’t think it’s the only reliable resource available to them and you can’t expect every woman to take classes in self- defense. I think they should use the existing services available to them and I’m referring to security as one because this hasn’t been done in the past." Chris Dean (Manager of Building’s Services and Facilities) "We’ve installed a duplicate of a printer in security that has an im- mediate printout if an alarm in any part of the building goes off as a good safety precaution. We’re trying to get a monitor system, but at the present time funds are un- available. It is on proposal though." WAVAW "Anytime a woman has a serious concern she should feel free to phone us. That’s what we’re here for: To Help. We also advise women to use the resources available to them such as Douglas College’s Women’s Centre." Police Officer--Unavailable for comment. FACTS EVERY WOMAN INTERESTED IN BIRTH CONTROL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT TE Eh In 1960 “The Pill” created a revolution. It is likely that no modern scientific development has had a more profound impact on society than the oral contraceptive. It is also likely that no other medical development has been more exhaustively studied, or more subject to controversy, confusion or misinformation. There have been enormously important advances in research and knowledge since 1960 and the most widely used oral contraceptives today are quite different from the one that started the revolution. If you are concerned about contraception you should understand the facts. Some important facts about today’s oral contraceptives 15 16 Ww 18 19 20 0-0-0 G-@ j ‘ - - % f= _ _ tj sae —_ SEN faa i -@-O-0-O 12 13 4 21 1. The oral contraceptive most often prescribed by doctors to- day contains less hormone in an entire month’s supply than the first product contained in a single tablet taken for one day. 2. Today there are nineteen different brands of oral contracep- tives available to Canadian women. They vary in hormone dosage and ingredients. Some are new. Others have been in use for many years. 8. Until recently, oral contraceptives involved taking the same strength of pill throughout the monthly cycle. The first ad- vanced triphasic oral contraceptive, introduced three years ago, varies the strength of both of the active ingredients in three stages. This permits a large reduction in hormone dosage resulting in fewer minor side effects. 4, Here is a comparison of the effectiveness of various methods of birth control! Pregnancies per 100 women per year 1 Combination oral contraceptives 2 “Mini-Pill” (progestogen only) i i-c Intrauterine device (IUD) «2-20 Diaphragm with spermicides 5. Most oral contraceptives are virtually 100% effective in preventing pregnancy when taken as directed. They are the most effective method of reversible contraception available. 6. As with any medication The Pill involves some degree of risk, although the low-dose products minimize this risk. 7. There are certain groups of women who should not use The Pill. Your doctor will advise you if you are in one of these groups. 8. Extensive studies show that women over 35 who smoke are at greater risk and should not use The Pill. 9. There is evidence that women who take The Pill may receive important beneficial effects including: (a) reduced incidence of endometrial and ovarian cancer, .. (b) reduced likelihood of developing benign breast disease, (c) reduced likelihood of developing ovarian cysts, (d) reduced incidence of pelvic inflammatory disease which can lead to infertility, (e) reduced anemia due to reduced menstrual blood loss, (f) reduced severity of menstrual cramps and premenstrual syndrome. 10. The health risk associated with the use of oral contracep- tives is less than the health risk of childbirth except for concerned." ; hatosol looina women over 35 who smoke. The. more noise we make, the condom | Remember, taking any medication involves a degree of risk. It is more meetings, the more the issue important to understand the facts so that you, with your doctor, will be taken seriously." Jellies and creams | can make an informed decision. “The WAVAW members were Periodic abstinence | Supplementary information for women considering the use of quite informative and I’m comfort- Nocontraception | Oral contraceptives is available at your doctor’s office or able knowing that someone some- HE 60-20 pharmacy. iL 1 . 4 1 1 1 ai. Jf. _ where cares for the safety of We ao se? 40 et eon 0 eo 800 women.” Sees ; The figures (except for oral contraceptives and the IUD) vary widely because "I didn’t like the security officer people differ in how veel they use each method. Very fitted users es 4 ; ‘ < various me may achieve pregnancy rates in the lower ranges. Other because according to his eae women may expect pregnancy rates more in the middle of these ranges. ments, he felt an increase in security was unnecessary unless there was an increase in assaults | This information is presented by Wyeth Ltd., the leader in oral contraception, serving the health needs of Canadians for over a century. 1 The Report on Oral Contraceptives, 1985, by the Special Advisory Committee on Reproductive Physiology to the Health Protection Branch, Health and Welfare Canada, September 1985.