The Student Room Group

Students stage a walkout in protest over consent classes

Students in York attending the university’s first ever sexual consent classes have staged a walkout, protesting they were being β€œpatronised” unfairly.

As part of a nationwide effort to combat sexual violence on campus, York University women’s officers spoke to 5000 new students on issues regarding sex, relationships and consent.

Although all new students were expected to attend, the consent classes were voluntary, the university said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/sexual-consent-classes-walkout-student-protest-york-university-workshops-a7338106.html?cmpid=facebook-post

Thoughts?

I can understand why consent classes might be patronising to the majority, but the fact is that rape and sexual assault do happen on campuses so there is still a small minority of students who either do not understand it fully or do not care. I firmly believe that consent classes should be taught at primary school as opposed to university, they should go hand in hand with sex ed classes. A lot of secondary school students are subject to peer pressure, combine that with their immaturity and it's a recipe for disaster.

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Reply 1
Good on them. Consent classes are absolutely ****ing ridiculous and I completely agree that anyone who doesn't know how to recognise consent wouldn't even be at university in the first place.

"Consent classes" simple enable 3rd wave braindead radfems to try and make it easier for women to claim a man raped them or sexually harassed them without such a thing actually happening. They should not exist at all and I hands down agree it's ****ing patronising; if I was asked to attend I'd tell them where they could shove it.
Original post by Inexorably
Good on them. Consent classes are absolutely ****ing ridiculous and I completely agree that anyone who doesn't know how to recognise consent wouldn't even be at university in the first place.

"Consent classes" simple enable 3rd wave braindead radfems to try and make it easier for women to claim a man raped them or sexually harassed them without such a thing actually happening. They should not exist at all and I hands down agree it's ****ing patronising; if I was asked to attend I'd tell them where they could shove it.


So how do you explain the rape epidemic at colleges?
****ing hell talk about sending a message, really conveys a point about something that doesn't matter (referring to the fact that they don't like these talks).
Reply 4
Original post by yudothis
So how do you explain the rape epidemic at colleges?


You mean the greatly over-exaggerated statistics on sexual harassment, especially those perpetuated by US colleges? The exaggeration has been going on for decades and decades; I can't quite remember the name of the female magazine, but they even cited "1 IN FOUR WOMEN! RAPED ON CAMPUS!" and when you looked closer into the study you found out that "a man buying a woman a drink" was classed as attempted rape. That's how ****ing laughable the 'stats' are.

There is no 'rape epidemic', I clearly see the radfems have deluded you into believing this.

And even if there were a 'rape' epidemic, do you really think a potential ****ing rapist is going to change her/his mind simply because they went to a ****ing consent class, no. They're not.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by WBZ144
http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/sexual-consent-classes-walkout-student-protest-york-university-workshops-a7338106.html?cmpid=facebook-post

Thoughts?

I can understand why consent classes might be patronising to the majority, but the fact is that rape and sexual assault do happen on campuses so there is still a small minority of students who either do not understand it fully or do not care. I firmly believe that consent classes should be taught at primary school as opposed to university, they should go hand in hand with sex ed classes. A lot of secondary school students are subject to peer pressure, combine that with their immaturity and it's a recipe for disaster.


weve had a thread on this when it was originally announced. Its simply a short talk There was a rcent survey showing how many students get sexually harassed.
Something similar to this
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-37370888

Talk was for everyone. Quicker just to listen and move past it imo.
Original post by Inexorably
Good on them. Consent classes are absolutely ****ing ridiculous and I completely agree that anyone who doesn't know how to recognise consent wouldn't even be at university in the first place.


It's "shouldn't", not "wouldn't", sadly. The likes of Brock Turner and these guys still end up at university:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/08/texas-tech-frat-no-means-yes_n_5953302.html

Most people have the brains and decency to recognise when someone is not consenting but there is still a minority who do not. This should be taught at school, however, not university.

"Consent classes" simple enable 3rd wave braindead radfems to try and make it easier for women to claim a man raped them or sexually harassed them without such a thing actually happening. They should not exist at all and I hands down agree it's ****ing patronising; if I was asked to attend I'd tell them where they could shove it.


I don't quite understand the bolded part.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Inexorably
You mean the greatly over-exaggerated statistics on sexual harassment, especially those perpetuated by US colleges? The exaggeration has been going on for decades and decades; I can't quite remember the name of the female magazine, but they even cited "1 IN FOUR WOMEN! RAPED ON CAMPUS!" and when you looked closer into the study you found out that "a man buying a woman a drink" was classed as attempted rape. That's how ****ing laughable the 'stats' are.

There is no 'rape epidemic', I clearly see the radfems have deluded you into believing this.

And even if there were a 'rape' epidemic, do you really think a potential ****ing rapist is going to change her/his mind simply because they went to a ****ing consent class, no. They're not.


I think you are confused about what a rapist is. You think it's the kind of predatory male raping for the domination aspect, that looks for victims that don't know him. Stranger rape is actually a really low proportion of rape cases. I suggest you read more about this topic before you continue to make biased, wrong statements.
If it wasnt compulsory then it makes them real drama queens for attending just to walk out.
Original post by 999tigger
If it wasnt compulsory then it makes them real drama queens for attending just to walk out.


True, I wonder why they're so against it. We were taught fire safety during Fresher's year and it was all common sense, nothing that I hadn't already been taught a gazillion times. I didn't mind.
Original post by WBZ144
True, I wonder why they're so against it. We were taught fire safety during Fresher's year and it was all common sense, nothing that I hadn't already been taught a gazillion times. I didn't mind.


Because they are gormless and wnat to be offended before they heard the talk. I cna 100% guarantee i'd have gone and if unimpressed said so afterwards, but its still a serious issue if people are being harassed and assaulted. The articles said there were leaflets being dished out to freshers telling them to walk out.
Seems largely pointless to me. Not because we dont need the education, but rather that university is far far to late to really change someone (in my eyes)

If a person is going to rape at university.. a short talk at university will not stop them... rather they need much much better sexual/moral education at a younger age, throughout school. By the time they are 18-21 the damage has largely already been done, and really throwing a volentary rape-prevention course is largely preaching to an already listening choir.

I can see why it sounds good though. Its typical university activism.. has good intentions, but ultimately ends up being nothing more then a controversial pointless exercise. (and I say this as someone who was largely involved in university politics/activism when at uni. At the time I thought that by doing things such as the above it was going to change everything and help all.. but looking back, we were just largely naive, and did not really know how to actively make positive change)
'York University' (my alma mater) is in Canada. Getting tired of the names being mixed up.

Anyhow, good. These consent classes are patronising. Pretty much everyone at university knows what consent is. Classes like this only serve to browbeat and condescend.

There is no campus rape epidemic. Most of these stats exaggerate matters by including things that aren't technically rape or sexual assault. A lot of them don't even ask people if they felt they were raped or assaulted (which would seem pretty important). Somehow we're supposed to believe that rates of rape on campus are higher than the friggin' Congo. It's a baloney moral panic pushed by feminists who want to talk down to people and be relevant.
Talk was only meant to be 20 minutes and covered a variety of issues. They do soemthing similar at other Unic including Oxford.
How do you know its patronising unless you know the consent of the talk? is it impossible to talk about consent without deciding you have been patronised? Clearly mindreaders

Consent doesnt just cover rape. the talk was meant to cover such things as harrassment, groping, being stranded and where to get help.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Dandaman1
'York University' (my alma mater) is in Canada. Getting tired of the names being mixed up.

Anyhow, good. These consent classes are patronising. Pretty much everyone at university knows what consent is. Classes like this only serve to browbeat and condescend.

There is no campus rape epidemic. Most of these stats exaggerate matters by including things that aren't technically rape or sexual assault. A lot of them don't even ask people if they felt they were raped or assaulted (which would seem pretty important). Somehow we're supposed to believe that rates of rape on campus are higher than the friggin' Congo. It's a baloney moral panic pushed by feminists who want to talk down to people and be relevant.


Would you say that fire safety workshops are patronising too? People learn about that at school from an early age, yet have no problem attending these workshops at university.

How do they gather the data if they don't ask people whether or not they were raped or sexually assaulted? Also, there is a small but significant minority of people who still don't know what rape or sexual assault is and imagine it to be merely cases of creepy guys lurking in dark alleyways, waiting to prey on the vulnerable and defenceless. They are not aware that consent can be revoked at any time, even if it was initially given, for an example.
Reply 15
Original post by Dandaman1
'York University' (my alma mater) is in Canada. Getting tired of the names being mixed up.

Anyhow, good. These consent classes are patronising. Pretty much everyone at university knows what consent is. Classes like this only serve to browbeat and condescend.

There is no campus rape epidemic. Most of these stats exaggerate matters by including things that aren't technically rape or sexual assault. A lot of them don't even ask people if they felt they were raped or assaulted (which would seem pretty important). Somehow we're supposed to believe that rates of rape on campus are higher than the friggin' Congo. It's a baloney moral panic pushed by feminists who want to talk down to people and be relevant.


My favourite one of these studies the BBC published it basically asked have you ever been looked at and classed that as sexual harassment.
Original post by 999tigger
Talk was only meant to be 20 minutes and covered a variety of issues. They do soemthing similar at other Unic including Oxford.
How do you know its patronising unless you know the consent of the talk? is it impossible to talk about consent without deciding you have been patronised? Clearly mindreaders

Consent doesnt just cover rape. the talk was meant to cover such things as harrassment, groping, being stranded and where to get help.


Yeah, people are just jumping to conclusions without knowing what the workshops consist of.
Original post by joecphillips
My favourite one of these studies the BBC published it basically asked have you ever been looked at and classed that as sexual harassment.


Which study was that?
Original post by WBZ144
Would you say that fire safety workshops are patronising too? People learn about that at school from an early age, yet have no problem attending these workshops at university.

How do they gather the data if they don't ask people whether or not they were raped or sexually assaulted? Also, there is a small but significant minority of people who still don't know what rape or sexual assault is and imagine it to be merely cases of creepy guys lurking in dark alleyways, waiting to prey on the vulnerable and defenceless. They are not aware that consent can be revoked at any time, even if it was initially given, for an example.


Not everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. Buildings and institutions have their own procedures, about which people need to be informed. But they don't teach us obvious things like: "Don't walk through fire or throw gasoline on it."

Consent and sex are rather clear. Are they willing? Then bump uglies. Are they unconscious or saying no? Don't bump uglies. 18 and 19-year-olds don't need classes and seminars to know this.

In the surveys they will ask things like: "Have you ever had sex while intoxicated?" Depending on the surveyor's criteria and definitions, they could call that rape. Sometimes they ask things like "Has someone ever tried to kiss you when you didnt want to?" Most people wouldn't regard some drunk guy leaning in to kiss you as 'sexual assault', but the surveyors might. So many of these things can be rather benign, legal interactions depending on the context, but the surveys dont often account for this, and it's all lumped together into the final figure.
Preaching to the choir. Anyone that needs this class won't attend it, they'll just find themselves in a jail cell in a few years. A more active approach is required if prevention is going to be a serious measure in tackling crime.

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