creating a better learning environment

In one course I taught a session on "blaming the victim." The class brainstormed all the different groups that get blamed in our society and then broke into small groups to focus on one area. Wife abuse was one of the topics. Groups were asked to discuss why women got blamed, how they got blamed and the consequences. One student came up afterwards and explained she was on cloud nine. This was the first time she found a professor who understood her life. Students are taught to believe that the world is a just place. When you teach material like blaming the victim, you help students understand systemic evil and they realize that if something bad happens to them, it is not their fault. They move from thinking of themselves as a victim to realizing they survived a trauma and an evil act. When this occurs, students gain tremendous energy, they become a social change agent. They also realize they have to take responsibility for their own healing work.

Another way this affects class content is that students decide they want to work through and make sense of what happened to them. They may take sociology or psychology as therapy. Whenever a student wants to write a paper on abuse, I always have a very serious discussion with them. The material may prove to be too emotional and the student will become drained and the assignment turns out problematic. I always ask: "are you ready to do it?" I suggest they start if they think they are ready, but if it is too much, they can switch to something else. Often survivors of abuse are trying to put pieces together from their lives so they can locate themselves.

Students can move from thinking of themselves as a victim to realizing they survived a trauma and an evil act.

I: How does the education system need to change to reflect this reality?

K: We know that abusers create more stress around exam time. Exams are real triggers and are a problem for survivors of violence. Universities need to be aware of class loads, especially for single parents. How much can a student manage in these situations? The question of security is also important. Students working late isolated areas may need protection.

Unfortunately, university campuses are major areas of sexual harassment. On our campus, we have had difficulty with the Engineering students. It is better now, but in the past, they used gross sexism in their student publication, and, during orientation, they had a naked woman ride a horse on an annual "Lady Godiva" ride. More recently, the engineering students simulated a gang rape in the centre of the university. These actions have left many students feeling terrified and unsafe.

Universities could do a better job of preparing students during orientation about issues related to sexual violence. Students often do not know how to complain about sexual harassment. Sexual harassment officers are often half-time and are not able to do all that is required. In order for heads of departments to act, they need a complaint and evidence. We had a situation with three mature graduate students who felt they could not follow through with a complaint for fear of retribution. A question we need to address is: "How can we make it easier for students to complain?"

I: What can individual teachers do?

K: It is better than it was 20 years ago. Professors are getting educated despite themselves, especially in social sciences and humanities. Things are difficult for women faculty. They are over-loaded; this makes it difficult to support the many female students who are working through violence issues. Women's centres are good things, although they suffer from sexist attitudes and are often under-funded. But women can find good support there.