Should the LSESU implement mandatory consent workshops
This Union Notes
●That 1 in 4 women experience sexual assault or unwanted sexual advances at university[1]*
●Frequently these students do not feel comfortable coming forward until graduation or many years after, when a prosecution is even less likely.
●That an astonishing number of students do not have a good understanding of what sexual consent means.
●That there have been multiple reports of students feeling uncomfortable approaching LSE to inform them of recent and historic assaults.
This Union Believes
●That while there exists a framework for the reporting of sexual assault, this structure is far too bureaucratic, with survivors being forced to repeatedly relive their experience unnecessarily.
●Consent workshops can form a precautionary and preventive infrastructure to complement the pre-existing reporting framework. They will make students aware of the routes of recourse, should they become a victim of sexual assault, as well as preventing them from happening in the first place
●That there is a chronic problem of male sexual assault being underreported and stigmatised.
●That consent workshops facilitate an understanding of what consent entails, debunk the biggest myths and misconceptions surrounding consent and provide a medium for students to better engage in the discussion. This refutes the widespread unfounded belief that consent workshops are patronising and accusatory.
●That it is LSE’s responsibility to provide consent education. The sexual education students may have had before coming to university is asymmetric and consent is a core part of what is necessary for this education.
●That LSE is an international institution, and consent is universal. Consent instils a respect and mutual understanding between individuals who wish to partake in sexual activity.
●That the mandatory nature of the workshops will reinforces the LSESU’s zero-tolerancestance to sexual assault, and
●Students should feel comfortable coming to their school with accusations.
●That consent workshops can also help those who are third party to an assault, and give an understanding about how to approach the situation with sensitivity, how to help the victim and who to contact from the school.
This Union Resolves:
●To campaign for mandatory consent workshops for all incoming LSE students starting from September 2017 onwards.
●That the LSESU should make students aware of the workshops prior to arrival in the Student Union Welcome Packs
●To lobby the school to mention these workshops in their emails sent out to new students and the workshops to be implemented as part of the registration process.
●That the Community and Welfare officer, alongside the Liberation Officers, will liaise with the school and Residential Services team to negotiate the implementation of the workshops.
●To lobby LSE to introduce specific counselling services with trained volunteers for those students who have been affected by sexual assault or harassment.
●That the Community and Welfare Officer will work with the school’s counselling and reporting services to make the teams better equipped to deal with survivors. The Community and Welfare Officer to also widely publicise the existence of such services and routes of recourse.
●That the General Secretary will raise awareness that regardless of gender or sexuality, everyone is responsible for obtaining sexual consent
●That the Community and Welfare Officer will organise a team of volunteers to ensure that they have the appropriate sensitivity and training in order to approach the workshops appropriately.
●All things mentioned above must take place before the next academic year beginning September 2017, so as to ensure that the next Sabbatical Officer and SU team are able to implement the consent workshops fully. The current Sabbatical team should keep the student body informed of any progress up until their end of contract.
Notes
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[1]