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The Rise in the Sexual Assault Cases: A Concerning Trend

By: Nitya Kharidehal

In the past year, there has been a sudden in ux of sexual harassment cases across school boards. Or rather, victims have been more willing to report a case. is is a courageous move on the victims’ part, sharing their stories and helping bring justice to themselves and others. However, their e orts have been largely dismissed by school boards, such as the PDSB. Recently, there have been several protests and complaints regarding the school board’s treatment of sexual assault cases, and rightfully so. Several schools have mistreated the victims, o en asking for proof of assault. Instead of working towards creating a safer space for their students, schools have been focused on brushing the cases under the rug. is approach sets a dangerous and concerning precedent for the future.

Aside from their homes, schools are the places students spend most time in. erefore, it is imperative that students feel safe and comfortable in this setting. To do so, schools could o er services to support victims. For instance, conducting a support group where victims can share their experiences could help them cope with their emotions and trauma. However, this is not only limited to sexual assault victims. e general public could also bene t from some education on sexual assault, and how they can help stop it. It is extremely important to show victims that they are not alone. Awareness and education is a great rst step, as it shows the gravity behind it. Schools can also create infographics and conduct meetings to discuss sexual assault. In terms of academics, the curriculum could include material about sexual assault in the health course. As this course focuses on biological and sexual health, including it here ensures every student will learn about it.

e protests surrounding this issue have gained a lot of traction, both on social media and otherwise. Students are outraged at the blatant display of ignorance by the authorities. e sudden negative attention has, of course, pushed the PDSB to apologize and promise to take action regarding the same. e PDSB has contacted students from various schools, such as the Applewood Heights Secondary School, for their input. As far as their promises go, any major action is yet to be seen. Gioia Squillacioti, a student and activist from AHSS said, “ ere have been meetings between the board and students, but the implementation of our suggestions is minimal.” According to Gioia, who works with a group of students to educate the board, these students have helped create a website that is available on the BYOD page. While this is a good start, she hopes the PDSB improves further.

A huge part of helping students is knowing what not to do. When a case is reported, it is peoples’ responsibility to ensure they are saying and doing the right things. Listening patiently is one of the key things to follow. Rushing things or showing disinterest can discourage the victim from speaking up, which is much more harmful. Sta and students should concentrate on conducting meetings and being respectful. Some schools have started to conduct school-wide assemblies to address the issue, which opens up room for discussion. Most importantly, schools should prioritize starting a conversation about consent, and how they can help support the victims. A fairer system and a just investigation is a necessity in every school.

Students have also recommended some resources to help with these situations. Aside from the website on BYOD, looking at documents provided by the government was also suggested to recognize and learn more about sexual assault. Contacting a mental health service or helpline (such as Here 24/7) can also help students cope with their emotions. Seeking professional help, if available, is also always a good option.

Until drastic events take place, students are under the impression that their school is well equipped to deal with these issues. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the case in the PDSB so far. is issue is one of great importance, and we can only hope the PDSB pays more attention to it. In the meanwhile, we must continue educating ourselves and supporting the victims around us.

Photo: Romana Siddiqui

Community

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: An eye-opening exhibit that you don’t have to be an expert to appreciate

Photo: Qiang Guo

By: Victoria Gotcheva

Afew weeks ago, I went to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Receiving more than 50,490 photo submissions this year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is considered the world’s most prestigious nature photography competition, and it showcases the work of people from all around the globe. Since I had visited the exhibit ve years back, I had a vague idea of what to expect. However, given the fogginess of my memories from my 2017 visit, I had no strong predispositions going in. Despite my limited knowledge about wildlife and photography, I found the exhibit very insightful and captivating. I also thought that it was well-organised and that it achieved its goal in raising awareness about the importance of protecting the natural world. e exhibit featured 100 of the most highly-commended photographs from the competition, and the photographs were spaced out on the walls in such a way that ensured that I was never stuck behind a crowd of people in an attempt to view a photograph. e photographs were organised into categories that included behaviour, environments, aquatic worlds, and perspectives. Although there were stunning photos in each, one of my personal favourites was Young Photographers. e selections from the Young Photographers category were sorted based on the photographers’ ages, and it was incredibly upli ing to see that there are people even younger than 10 years old who care deeply about documenting the beauties of the world around them. Many of the photos showcased species that I had never heard of before, like Bohemian Waxwing birds, while featuring a brilliant array of bright colours. I also found it inspiring how much curiosity and attentiveness the photographers had displayed in order to capture rare moments in time. One young boy, for instance, was able to document three roseringed parakeet chicks’ rst peek outside their nest.

Overall, I thought that the exhibit did a great job including photos that would make people think about and remember signi cant issues involving the natural world. One photo that stood out to me in particular in this respect was “A Distressing Matter” by Michael Watson, which depicted a seal screaming in pain from being cut by a rope. It was heartbreaking to see the consequences of irresponsibly-discarded shing gear and even more devastating to read in the statement below the photo that the seal had gotten entangled when it was just a pup. However, there were also photos with a more optimistic mood depicting work currently being done to amend such issues too; Justin Gilligan’s “Rich Re ections”, for example, showed how careful human management helps preserve a vibrant seaweed jungle in Australia.

In addition to being able to appreciate the photographs because of their content and composition, the diagrams above certain photos explaining the techniques used to capture the shots allowed me to admire the photographers’ innovative approaches. I came away from the exhibit having learned about photo stacking, forced perspective, and camera traps. e diagrams also satis ed my curiosity about how a grizzly bear could be captured peering right into a camera lens, for example. e Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit opened my eyes to all the beauty that lies within the natural world, as well as the threats that animals and other living organisms are facing around the globe. I hope to visit the exhibit again next year and would highly recommend it to anyone, regardless of how much knowledge they have about wildlife and photography going into it.