{"id":139230,"date":"2022-04-22T13:49:11","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T11:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=139230"},"modified":"2026-01-19T13:47:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T12:47:03","slug":"its-time-for-awareness-and-fun-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/04\/22\/its-time-for-awareness-and-fun-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s time for awareness, and fun sex"},"content":{"rendered":"

It started with the idea of producing a special about students and love. Lots of pink, lots of red and a high heart-heart-kiss-kiss content, for publication around Valentine\u2019s Day. Based on the idea that love (and sex) is enjoyable and fun; something to explore and do, particularly as a student.<\/p>\n

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Editor-in-chief Wieneke Gunneweg<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure>

But five years after the start of the MeToo movement, the series of revelations about sexual harassment in the Dutch entertainment world and after two years of social distancing, a fluffy approach to this special didn\u2019t feel right. Because sexual misconduct is everywhere, also at universities and among students. The question arose: is<\/em> sex still fun?<\/p>\n

A year ago, after conducting a survey among students, Amnesty International concluded that one in ten women students was raped during her studies. The EM investigation now shows that two thirds of the respondents have experienced sexual harassment at some point.<\/p>\n

What happens at the university?<\/h2>

Is this something new? Is sexual harassment happening more often? Or is it just that can\u2019t you do and say anything these days? We wondered: what\u2019s the situation at Erasmus University? What are students experiencing and what do they feel should and shouldn\u2019t be allowed?<\/p>\n

We wanted answers to these questions, and we weren\u2019t the only ones. The confidential counsellors at the university have been lobbying for a similar survey for several years. Because, and that was another thing that emerged from our survey, many students don\u2019t report what has happened to them, even though they suffer the consequences, sometimes for years.<\/p>\n

The lack of reports doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s no problem<\/h2>

Now, I don\u2019t want to fall into the same trap as media magnate John de Mol, who, after the revelations about The Voice,<\/em> said that he couldn\u2019t do anything if no one reported anything. That\u2019s obviously not, or not totally, correct. Of course, confidential counsellors need a report to be able to act. But the lack of reports doesn\u2019t mean there\u2019s no problem.<\/p>\n

The reasons why victims don\u2019t report incidents are shame, a sense of guilt and making it less serious than it was. At the same time, it doesn\u2019t help that if<\/em> an incident is reported, the case is downplayed, or victims are asked if they couldn\u2019t have done something themselves. Victims regularly regret reporting something because they don\u2019t feel they are taken seriously, which only reinforces the trauma.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\tIt sometimes is awfully hard to establish what\u2019s a joke or a flirt and what certainly isn\u2019t\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Furthermore, reports, or at least figures like those from the Amnesty investigation and now from EM, are needed to instigate change. If 11 percent of respondents who have experienced verbal sexual harassment indicate that this behaviour took place on<\/em> campus by a fellow student or lecturer, as responsible board members you should certainly be scared out of your wits.<\/p>\n

Sticker in the bathroom<\/h2>

It\u2019s therefore good that there are already plans \u2013 and yes, it always sounds soft \u2013 to create awareness about the subject. Because it sometimes is awfully hard to establish what\u2019s a joke or a flirt and what certainly isn\u2019t. Everyone<\/em> needs to become more aware of this.<\/p>\n

As a child, there was a sticker on our bathroom at home (we\u2019re talking here about the 1980s) that said: \u201cIf a girl says no, she means no\u201d. The sticker was part of a public awareness campaign. But looking at what we now know about sexual harassment and the impact on those who experience it, I want to crack it up a notch: \u201cIf a girl \u2013 or whoever \u2013 does not <\/em>say yes, that\u2019s also<\/em> no\u201d. Time for new stickers. And fun sex.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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