Vancouver police have a message for young men: sex without consent is sexual assault.
The police department re-launched the “Don’t Be That Guy” campaign Thursday in hopes of reducing the incidents of sexual violence in Vancouver.
The campaign is aimed at young men between the ages of 18 and 25, and involves hard-hitting posters with slogans such as, “Sex without consent = sexual assault,” and, “Just because you help her home doesn’t mean you get to help yourself.”
They will hang in nightclubs and bars in Vancouver’s entertainment district throughout July and August to force men to recognize the boundary between sex and a serious crime.
The police department’s sex crimes and child abuse unit also trained front line bar staff to identify and stop potentially dangerous situations.
In 2011, when the campaign was first launched, nearly 90 staff members received this training.
“And the results carry on,” Sgt. Richard Rabinovitch said to CTV News.
Police are also ramping up security in the entertainment district, with officers specifically focusing on predatory males who may be targeting women who are vulnerable.
Vancouver has hosted several other campaigns against gendered abuse.
During the 2013 Vancouver Fashion Week, Women Against Violence Against Women started a campaign with slogans like, “It’s Fashion. Not a Justification for Rape.” The campaign targeted myths that shame and blame women for sexual assault based on what they’re wearing.
And last month’s Man Up campaign by Battered Women’s Support Services worked to address the concept of masculinity and how in some cases it leads to violence against women and girls.
Rabinovich said that the numbers of reported sexual assaults have gone down since the 2011 Don’t Be That Guy campaign, but could not provide exact numbers.
BWSS, WAVAW, BC Women’s Hospital Sexual Assault Service, BarWatch, NEWAD Inc. and ZOOM Media are partners in the campaign.
