A University of Windsor researcher says the intense attention surrounding sexual assault allegations at Cornell University is also forcing difficult conversations much closer to home. A former Cornell student, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by members of a fraternity in 2024. The allegations, which have not been proven in court, have prompted protests, renewed scrutiny of Cornell’s response and the appointment of a special prosecutor in New York. Catherine Vanner, an associate professor at the University of Windsor who studies gender-based violence and education, said stories like this can be especially difficult for survivors. “There are many, many, many other survivors whose own traumas and experiences are being also relived as they watch this story playing out,” Vanner said. She said sexual violence remains prevalent on Canadian campuses as well. “Canada’s not unique from that by any stretch,” she said. “There’s really high rates of sexual violence on university campuses.” Local numbers show demand for support The University of Windsor’s most recent publicly available sexual misconduct report says its Office of Sexual Violence Prevention, Resistance and Support opened 94 new client-support cases during the 2024-25 school year. Here’s the breakdown of statistics for 2024-25: And those are only the cases reported to the university’s support system. The year before, the office opened 78 cases, including 23 involving sexual assault or rape. Since the university’s sexual misconduct policy was implemented in 2016, its annual reports show hundreds of people have accessed support. Vanner’s research focuses largely on younger students and how educators in elementary and secondary schools respond when someone discloses sexual violence. “A trauma informed approach is about treating everybody as if they might have some kind of trauma in their past and being respectful of that,” Vanner said. ‘You have a really vital role’ Carol Branget, executive director of the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre of Windsor-Essex, said her organization typically sees between 700 and 900 people in a year, ranging from children to seniors. She said many survivors do not come forward because they fear they will not be believed. “The first thing is really important is that we believe survivors,” Branget said. “We join with them and that we sit with them and we let them have whatever emotions that they may be feeling.” That advice applies even when the first person told is simply a friend or family member. “I really do want to stress that if you’re the first person that they’re going to, you have a really vital role,” Branget said. “Because you could be that person that shapes if they take next steps or if they don’t.” Vanner said the broader goal should be preventing violence before a disclosure ever becomes necessary. “We can all take a moment here and commit to, in a sustained and long term way, looking at how can I intervene?” she said.
