Violence has always been a prominent issue in every school, in every grade and any student can suffer from this. Every student has either witnessed or been victims of physical or sexual assault, although less than fifty percent of students have reported it according to CBC. Many different reasons why students do not denounce these assaults are tied to the reactions of both the school system and their peers. Often times, when these situations happen, the victims are afraid that nothing will be done for them and are afraid of the repercussions they will experience after telling their story. The fear comes from being called a “snitch” by their classmates, says Jayden Trudell, a victim of physical violence. Boys and girls experience a different type of violence that is not only restricted to physical violence but also sexual assault or harassment. High school students must depend on themselves and their parents most of the time to get through these circumstances.

The government’s lack of database on violence in schools encourages the education system to deny and reject any allegations made against a student for fear that it will tarnish the schools’ and/or the students’ reputation. There is no concrete number of how many violent incidents happen in school which leaves both the judicial and education system, with the idea that nothing is happening inside a space that is supposed to be safe. It is easier for schools and the administration to take no action when the reports on violent incidents are not accessible to the public, it gives them an advantage since no one has information on these incidents that can be used against them.

Without the parents’ knowledge of what is happening in their children’s schools, it also makes it difficult for the victims to speak on their experiences. The parents that are interviewed in the short CBC documentary are aware that the police is often at their children’s schools but have no further information explaining why they are there or if anyone in danger, including their own kids. The fact that schools withhold this information from the parents reveals that even the schools are not properly equipped or trained to track every violent incident in school. Regardless, even when a student comes forward and talks to an adult that is supposed to be a trustworthy person, the school does not take action to protect the victims or punish the people responsible for these assaults.

Girls in high school suffer mostly from sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact, and are called degrading names. High schools often claim that students are not adults but when a situation like rape happens, the girls are expected to deal with it on their own, find therapy and even act like nothing has happened. One in four girls in high school “face unwanted touching and grabbing” and three in five girls do not report the sexual violence experienced in school, and less than fifty percent of sexual violence incidents are reported. In comparison to boys, they use violence to portray their strength and assert their masculinity, “this contact becomes highly ritualized and sometimes aggressive” (Kimmel 167). Because of this idea that masculinity comes from strength, they are usually victims of physical assault and suffer at the hands of other boys, which may most likely be boys in their classroom. This leads us to assume that the teachers are not protecting their students within their classes, and once they leave those four walls, the victims are even more prone to bullying outside of class times, times where no adults are present and boys are the most vulnerable. Since the government nor the educational system keep track of the violence in schools, it leads the bullies to use weapons other than their fists: forty one percent of boys experience physical violence in school and one in five boys are threatened with weapons. Both boys and girls are left unprotected by the school system, the teachers, the administration and the judicial system.

In order to decrease the violence in schools and to start acting accordingly to every different situation, schools must first talk to their students before making any decisions. The parents should be notified of any incident in school, whether it is about lice, sexual assault or physical violence. The parents have the right to know if they are sending their children to a safe place. By acknowledging the victims and keeping track of the violence present in schools, the boards would take better actions to support the victims and penalize the person inflicting harm. Safety plans and supporting movements like the “SlutWalk” would improve the students’ trust in their administration and decrease the number of assault cases.

References:

Kilmartin, Christopher. “No Man Is an Island: Men in Relationships.” The Masculine Self, Sloan Pub., 2010.

McGuire, Jennifer. “Why CBC Started Looking into Violence in Schools | CBC News.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 9 Nov. 2019, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/school-violence-editors-note-1.5331402.

“School Violence: How to Fight for Safer Schools.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, gem.cbc.ca/media/marketplace/season-47/episode-4/38e815a-011d8f47088.

This year’s International Women’s week covered topics like environmental justice, violence against women, Bill 21, Missing and Murdered Indigenous girls and women, and the government’s involvement in all these sectors. Women from different backgrounds and ethnicities had various examples of situations in which they found themselves being victims of violence and/or oppression. The women who spoke at the panels were discussing how they are treated on a daily basis, the microaggressions they encounter and how society refuses to acknowledge them (microaggressions and women).

In the panel “Climate Change, Pipelines, and Violence against Women”, Lucy Everett and Jen Gobby examine climate change and the government’s decision to build pipelines on Indigenous territory. They examine how different communities are impacted but are not all affected the same way. Being one of the biggest emitters, the speakers wanted to bring light on the responsibility the Canadian government has on emitting greenhouse gases and their engagement with pipeline construction companies. Lucy and Jen gave us insight on who suffers directly from the decisions the government makes, the jobs they make out of settler colonialism and how it creates an intergenerational trauma within the Indigenous community. Another issue that was brought up was violence against women, specifically Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada. They gave us statistics to give us a better idea of how many Indigenous women represent the population and how many are either missing or murdered. This panel was meant to inform people why it is important to Indigenous people to fight for their land and water, why pipelines are destructive and harmful for nature, wildlife and ecosystems. Lucy and Jen pointed out how we must be conscious of the consequences of colonialism as allies.

The Bill 21 has caused a lot of controversy, the government believes that separating religion from government is an act of secularism. Speakers Nadia Naqvi and Laïty Fary Ndiaye were criticizing this law because it mostly targets Muslim women who wear the hijab and it interferes with their job or career. They introduced us to the different ways Muslim women are treated, whether they are visible minorities, whether it’s their skin or hairstyles. This law ostracizes and belittles Muslim women, and this notion makes these women feel like they do not have a place in society or individual rights (Kimmel 149). Both Nadia and Laity explained in this panel how they suffer microaggressions everyday because of their skin color, hairstyles and the use of the hijab. This panel was made to inform us that there are organizations that are developed for women to fight against structural oppression and to teach us about the inequalities between women.

The two panels informed us of the violence women must endure on a daily basis and how every microaggression and laws like Bill 21 that promote secularism is actually just a politically correct term for islamophobia. These symposiums were very inclusive and rejected white feminist ideologies, as it should be.

1. Do you show affection to your best friend in public? If yes, how?

“I do, yes. But with a handshake. Because it is something that no one else but us can do.” (Marc)

2. Why is Keven your best friend?

“I guess he is the most convenient person and also my cousin which strengthens our relationship.”

3. What do you like about Keven?

“His sense of humor, and the way he’s able to have logical thinking when it comes to making decisions.” 

4. Can you rely on him for emotional support? Can you show your emotions in front of him? 

“He’s not really good at comforting people so there no point of being sad in front of him, maybe not every kind of emotion. He’s not emotional or capable of comprehending other people’s emotions.”

5. Do you ever feel any competition between you both?

“I wouldn’t say there’s a competition but a desire to always be on the same level. I would say we’re out of sync.”

6. Do you love your best friend? Why? 

“Yeah, I love him. I guess we have so many memories together, and so many possibilities together that he means a lot to me.” 

7. Are you ever afraid that other men would consider you and your best friend’s relationship as “gay”?

“Yeah. I’m attracted to girls, in the past I’ve had comments like that, and it makes me 

question my identity.”

8. Do you ever hug your best friend? In public?

“Rarely. Because we are not touchy people. I prefer hugging the opposite sex unless I’m really emotional or optimistic, like happy, I wouldn’t hug any guy.” 

9. What kinds of things do you like to do together?

“Try new foods, try new restaurants together, we like first experiences together. Most of the time when going to an event, we like to go together to have each other’s back. We also are interested in clothing and like the same base of style and brands, we talk about materialistic things that interest us.”

10.  Have you ever told your friend how much he means to you? If so, what did you say and how did he react? If you have never told him how much he means to you, why not?

“Yeah, I told him a couple of times when I was super intoxicated. And he says it back too. He likes to reciprocate the love shown to him.”

11. Would you change anything about your relationship? 

“I wouldn’t change anything. It doesn’t matter the relationship I have with the person, I have my own method of being comfortable with people.”

(Marc and Keven)

1. Michael Kimmel writes “institutions accomplish the creation of gender difference and the reproduction of gender order through several gendered processes”. In this passage Kimmel refers to institutions such as the Church, the state, schools, and even workplaces whose existence depends on the maintenance of gender differences. For example, the Church promotes marriage and heterosexuality, concepts in which the power dynamic belongs to the man. This idea is synonymous to the conversations in the “Man Enough” episode since all of the men were from different backgrounds and had experienced different gender processes and yet, they perceived manliness and their relationship with it in very similar ways.

2. “Understanding how we do masculinities…opens up the unimaginable possibilities of social change.” The use of “masculinities” makes the term and the concept more inclusive of different personalities in the hopes to break the strict code around toxic masculinity. In the same way, the participants in “Man Enough” were discussing the various ways in which they are learning to be better people towards women in order to break the cycle of toxic masculinity.

The man who inspires me is Will Smith, he has had a successful career and built a family that loves and supports one another. Will Smith’s impact in Hollywood has allowed him to win four Grammy Awards and land many leading roles as well as making movies with his son. He is a talented actor and entrepreneur, Smith contributes to the music and film industries.

Will Smith and his friend DJ Jazzy Jeff were a hip hop duo and Smith was the MC in the group. At twenty five years old, Smith had a musical breakthrough that introduced him to Hollywood and the film industry. When he turned twenty two, he and DJ Jazzy Jeff were casted in a sitcom which turned out to be very successful and it opened new doors for new opportunities in the film industry. Smith is very close to his wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and their three children, Trey, Jaden and Willow Smith. 

The reason why he is an inspiration to me is because he is a hardworking and honest man who values and prioritizes providing for his family. In my opinion, he also raised two smart and conscious individuals who are on the same path as their dad, to live life fully and peacefully, which is important to me. 

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Hawaiian pizza