Ambered Dreams

Recent News: http://db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll?BU=http://db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/exec/icswppro.dll&QF0=DocNo&QI0=181291&TN=Popline&AC=QBE_QUERY&MR=30%25DL=1&&RL=1&&RF=LongRecordDisplay&DF=LongRecordDisplay Title: Beyond victims and villains: addressing sexual violence in the education sector. Author: Mirsky J Source: London, England, Panos Institute, 2003. 56 p. (Panos Report No. 47) Abstract: In the last 10 years, the issue of gender violence has moved steadily up the world’s agenda. Sexual, physical and psychological violence causes as much of a burden of ill health and death among women aged 15 to 44 as cancer – and more than malaria and traffic accidents combined. But the fact that so many women are abused, mostly by men they know, is still something that most people don’t want to think about – and which legislation and policy are only slowly addressing. Sexual violence and harassment in schools, universities and higher education institutes, is even further from people’s minds. Educational institutions are supposed to be places of growth and learning for students. As such, they are regarded as “safe”. But this is not always the case. Recent research studies worldwide reveal that sexual violence in the education sector is an unaddressed problem. It ranges from groping female students in the cafeteria queue, to rape. Often it involves peers, but teachers and other staff are also perpetrators. Male and female students are both affected, but there is a significant gender gap, with girls and young women experiencing much higher levels of violence, reflecting broader gender inequalities in society. Sexual violence and harassment violates women’s and girls’ human rights and damages their physical and psychological health. It undermines the pursuit of internationally agreed public health goals to enable adolescents to deal in a positive way with their sexuality, and to reduce unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections including HIV infection. For girls and young women, it severely limits their ability to achieve their educational potential. For society, therefore, it undercuts the transformatory power of education. Female education has been shown not only to contribute to improved family health but to be a major driver of social and economic development. Increasingly, universities are drawing on the lessons of sexual violence research and activism and the experience of sexual harassment policies in the workplace to develop guidelines for students and staff. Addressing and preventing sexual violence in the secondary and primary educational sectors is complex, due to the age range of students and the professional responsibilities – and power – held by teachers. A wide range of strategies is required, from effective legislation and clear policy guidelines to age-appropriate educational initiatives incorporated in life skills, sexuality, HIV/AIDS education and the broader curricula. For younger students, issues need to be addressed in a way that is in keeping with their cognitive and emotional development. Concepts such as equality and rights can be raised within the context of promoting respectful, loving relationships, or within conflict resolution and anti-bullying strategies. (excerpt)