Addressing Sexual Violence on Post-Secondary Campuses is a Collective Responsibility.

The purpose of this essay is to examine the relationship between sexual violence on campus and teaching and learning, and to argue that addressing sexual violence is a collective responsibility. Taking up sexual violence as a collective responsibility in a post-secondary setting means that everyone in the campus community is, at some level, engaged in anti-violence work including students, senior administration, faculty, staff, and even visitors to campus. This stance challenges the idea that eliminating sexual violence is a "women's issue", or an issue that is only of concern to those who experience that violence. However, the acknowledgment that everyone has a role to play must be balanced with the recognition that not everyone can, or should, do the same kind of work. Based on our collective experience of over 10 years of working on issues related to gender-based and sexual violence on campus and in the classroom, we provide insights into what we believe it means to practice collective responsibility and collective action within post-secondary institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]