By Sydney Norrie & Aarian Bhakoo | May 12th, 2022
At 1:00 P.M on Wednesday, November 10, 2021, Woodlands students walked out to stand in solidarity with alleged sexual assault survivors at secondary schools in the Peel region. They were not alone. Students attending schools across the entire Peel District School Board walked out in support as well.
In a statement to CityNews, responding to the allegations, Peel District School Board stated that “During their investigations, the principals at [various] schools contacted Peel Regional Police. Our principals and school administrators make privacy and confidentiality a top priority in investigations. As a result, we will not provide any more information about these investigations.”
So how does The Woodlands fit into all of this? Well, sexual assault is an issue that spans much wider than just specific secondary schools in Peel. In fact, sexual assault and rape culture is a worldwide issue that affects millions of people around the world. As of 2018, 30% of Canadian women and 8% of Canadian men have been sexually assaulted since the age of 15. This is a staggering number, truly highlighting the vast scope of impact that the issue of sexual assault currently holds.
Students at The Woodlands exercised their right to advocate for causes that they care about. They brought awareness to this issue, encouraging the discussion to be brought to the forefront of the minds of students and staff alike. A difference made in systemic issues such as sexual assault can start with just one individual and grow from there, so it is important for students to continue to support causes that matter to them and help create change in their communities and around the world. It is important for Woodlands students to continue to fight for the causes that matter to them in the future, as taking action truly is the best way to make a difference!
ConsentCulture @ PDSB:
A new addition that some keen-eyed students may have noticed appearing on their Peel BYOD portals is ConsentCulture @ PDSB, a digital, Board-compiled resource in website form aimed at enhancing student education regarding sexual violence and consent. This resource was introduced on December 10, 2021, in response to the protests at secondary schools in Peel, including at The Woodlands. Within the resource, students can access information regarding violence, methods to report violence, and seek counseling through Peel-sponsored resources, advice on seeking wellness and support, and contact lists for crisis hotlines and community centers. Currently, the resource stands as one of the significant aspects of the Peel District School Board’s greater attempts to address the issues of sexual violence and harassment in schools.
The resource is split into four distinct hubs; “Home”, “Knowledge is Power”, “Reporting”, and “Be Well, PDSB”. “Home” serves an overview of major site components, including direct links to other tabs and embedded videos on responding to incidents of sexual violence and harassment. “Knowledge is Power” is split into two articles, one on defining sexual violence, and the other on defining consent. These articles cover definitions of terms related to their major subject area (i.e, defining “harassment”, “extortion”, and “discrimination” in relation to violence) and cover key questions as they relate to both topics.
“Reporting” begins with a page on the Peel Board’s obligation to students when dealing with reports of sexual violence, making it evident what the responsibilities of school administration are in relation to survivors. It covers how survivors can report an incident of violence or harassment to both the Peel District School Board and their school’s administration, how to follow up post-report, and the various bodies and procedures that will be engaged through the reporting process.
Defining sexual violence in the “Knowledge is Power” component of the ConsentCulture @ PDSB website.
Finally, “Be Well, PDSB'' covers general mental and physical wellness-related support for both survivors and the general student body. One of these supports is the Student ConsentCulture Toolkit, a comprehensive package of information on sexual violence, consent, and community support accessible through a QR code on ConsentCulture @ PDSB. There are also lists of community resources and free crisis telephone lines, as well as suggestions for student self-comfort and care. Another unique aspect of this hub is “Supports for Your Lived Experience”, a page that contains links to resource collections for students based on their unique cultural backgrounds and heritage. This includes resources for Indigenous, Muslim, Black, South Asian, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities. If nothing else, what the recent student walkouts have demonstrated is that students desire to become involved in the process of anti-violence education and policy, and the ConsentCulture @ PDSB resource is one of many ongoing responses to that desire. Moreover, it aims to provide a wide breadth of support for survivors and students through every step of their personal journeys. We highly encourage all students to take time and review this free resource, accessible through all students’ BYOD portals and through the following embedded link.
The Woodlands' Incident/Concern Disclosure Reporting Form:
In addition to this new resource, an initiative from the Peel District School Board, The Woodlands’ has implemented its own reporting form, available for use by all students. This form is used to report any harmful incidents that occur in a way that prioritizes the safety of students. This can include racism, bullying, and (sexual) harassment and assault. Confidentiality is the utmost priority, so only the school administration will have access to the submissions and it can be filled out anonymously.
At the beginning of this form, multiple policies from the Ontario Ministry of Education are linked, including bills that promote sentiments of anti-bullying and harassment, the Ontario Code of Conduct, and the Safe Schools Act. All a student has to do is answer a few questions including the date and time, amount of occurrences, a description, and whether the student would like to be further contacted to help solve the issue.
This form has been created to show the importance that The Woodlands places on these situations. If any of these incidents occur in the school, they can be dealt with in a way that emphasizes student safety and prevents them from occurring in the future as much as possible. If you have experienced harassment or assault, it is encouraged to fill out this form so the school can support you in the best possible way. Sharing this form as much as possible can help ensure that The Woodlands is a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for all.
The Woodlands’ Incident/Concern Disclosure Reporting Form is linked here.
Woodlands-Based Class Initiatives:
Finally, some courses have been amended to teach students material that puts their safety at the forefront of learning. All Grade 10 Civics classes will include lessons on consent, and all senior social science classes will have an added emphasis on conversations surrounding healthy relationships.
According to Ms. Martin, a social science teacher at The Woodlands, these changes aim to, “Create conversations and dialogue [and] empower students with the proper language and confidence.” As students who have taken social sciences courses at The Woodlands would know, these courses often dive into important issues in the news. Ms. Martin hopes that the social science department can continue to “...provide a place where students feel comfortable to do that”.
In all phys-ed classes, there will continue to be a focus on teaching communication styles and rights and responsibilities in relationships, growing the conversation from Grade Nine all the way to Grade 12. This is something being taught to all students across the province. According to Mr. Dellio, The Woodlands Phys-Ed Department Head, “The most important underlying theme is that consent goes beyond what you would see in the media. There is consent throughout our community and in relationships, it’s no different, and it should be treated as such.” This is the message that The Woodlands aims to enforce in all of its phys-ed classes.
Staff at The Woodlands feel that these changes will help to improve the safety of the entire Woodlands’ student body. “I think education is extremely important and having open dialogue in our health classes is a great way to get a message through to [students] and an understanding that these are life skills, not just [something] to earn a mark on a report card, [these] are things that can help them throughout their lives.” says Mr. Dellio.
In the wake of these protests, these changes were made, attempting to help the student body and prevent any further occurrences. However, it is important to recognize that sexual assault and rape culture are issues present not only in our school, or even our school board, but across the country, and around the world, and continue to significantly harm millions of people.
The following websites were used as sources of information for this article.
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