Reporting unwanted sexual behavior at a post-secondary institution: an examination of campus policy

Abstract

The Ontario government has made recommendations and proposed legislation to mandate all universities and colleges in Ontario, Canada to create a sexual assault policy that involves student input. Using a small commuter university in southwestern Ontario as a case study, this thesis examines student perceptions of the policy. This research includes two parts. The first part consists of online qualitative research with seventeen students using an open-ended inductive exploratory instrument which asks students to read and define aspects of policy. The objective of this instrument was to verify if students adequately comprehended the language of the policy, knew how to report, who to report to, felt safe reporting, and found the reporting process supportive of their needs. The second part uses Allan’s (2008) policy discourse analysis to investigate replicated power and gender inequalities within the policy as well as policy silences and absences. Student recommendations to the policies are discussed.