Students take stand against rising number of sexual violence cases at Japan's universities

Aug 08, 2019 | News On Japan

Aug 08, 2019 (Japan Times) - With a rising number of sexual violence cases on and off campus in recent times, some university students have begun signature-collection campaigns to petition their schools to deliver safer learning environments.

However, the response from universities has mostly subdued â€” even amid reports of sexual harassment targeted at job seekers and assaults during club events and parties.

Experts have pointed to the need for young men to understand what â€œsexual consentâ€ is, so that instances of assaults can be reduced. They have urged universities to play an active role in educating students.

Although a number of students attending Keio University have been arrested in recent years for crimes that are sexual in nature, the prestigious universityâ€™s only response has been the release last November of a statement calling the arrests â€œvery regrettable.â€ No concrete solutions aimed at preventing further assaults have been put forward.

Koyo Tani, 22, a fourth-year student at the university, started a petition drive in May with the aim of persuading the institution to provide preventative education for students as well as other countermeasures. With the support of members of the school faculty, the effort garnered about 900 signatures.

In June, student volunteers organized a symposium to address sex crimes on campus, inviting a lawyer and activists as speakers. Following the move, the university announced that countermeasures were â€œcurrently being taken under consideration.â€

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