Students take stand against sexual violence at Japan's universities

Great for them! Change will eventually come, and for it to happen it MUST start with the younger generation, and they will lead the way!

Fight fight fight!!! Time to end the millennia long subjugation of Japanese women!!! Fight!!!

Although some Keio University students were arrested for crimes of a sexual nature in recent years, the prestigious university has responded only with a statement released last November calling the arrests "very regrettable" without putting forth any concrete solutions aimed at preventing further assaults.

I don’t condone sexual assault, but what exactly do the students want the universities to do? Sexual assault is already illegal.

Be pro-active.

Learn how to protect yourself,

defend yourself, and keep yourself out of situations

that could easily turn ugly, no matter if people understand "consent", or not.

Drink only with friends, near a wide open door.

blue in green - why would you suggest that women are able to avoid sexual assault? It's not possible - sexual assault happens even under circumstances that would be called "safe" - at home, with doors locked; out with close friends not even drinking alcohol; taking a walk in the park in the daytime; going into a public restroom; riding to work on a train; visiting with a friend or family member - these are all normal, every day activities that women and men both do, yet even then we are not completely safe!

Please, do not lecture women about "keeping out of situations" when we simply cannot know when, where, or who will assault us. We already take all kinds of precautions, and we do not need lectured on the topic. To do so is both condescending and presumptuous.

And putting consent into parenthesis, as if it is not a real thing? Just WOW.

Perhaps they should also stop sexualizing women with their ridiculous university Miss Competitions.

Perhaps there is something wrong with me, but I always thought sexual activity was suppose to be a two way street. Am I wrong? Isn't it suppose to be two people sharing with each other to satisfy the other in pleasurable ways?

I don’t condone sexual assault, but what exactly do the students want the universities to do? Sexual assault is already illegal.

@Bugle Boy of Company B

its not about the legality of it. It’s that programs or help centers for victims don’t really exist at most universities. Furthermore, these things tend to be ignored by universities when students are victims of such things.

Also, even though there are laws that make it illegal, even those laws are very shady. It’s only considered sexual assault when a person resists with all their being. When it comes to consent, that isn’t something that is clearly defined legally. So people that are brave enough to step up and report it still find that the law doesn’t necessarily help them.

I don’t condone sexual assault

Why would anybody do so?

Why assume sexual assault is only something that happens male to female? There are aggressive females out there too. Then there's homosexual rape.

Informing students about the right behavior is good, but an aggressive attacker isn't going to care about rules.

Why assume sexual assault is only something that happens male to female?

Um, no one said that. Are you assuming that we think it? In such a case, I refer you to the first two words of the quote above...

Japan is a pyramid structured society,no matter how students will protests the old boys at the top will always make the difference at the end.

We have to wait that this generation of oyaji will end and then with the next generation at the helm we can expect some real changes for women rights.

Still this is a country where in many companies women are forced to wear skirt and heels,and I don't see this to have a drastic change in the few years to come.

Me too move ?

Violence is violence. If you hurt someone even if psychologically, then it is wrong.

The thing is having sex is not done naturally by asking formally a consent...

How do you obtain a proof or absence of consent to show to others then ?

An action is either lawful or it is not.

It is just called respect to me, in any case any situation.

Paying respect to women is not common in Japan alas.

A person will follow first what he learned from their parents as a couple, mentally speaking. It starts herr

 why would you suggest that women are able to avoid sexual assault? It's not possible - sexual assault happens even under circumstances that would be called "safe" - at home, with doors locked; out with close friends not even drinking alcohol; taking a walk in the park in the daytime; going into a public restroom; riding to work on a train; visiting with a friend or family member - these are all normal, every day activities that women and men both do, yet even then we are not completely safe!

It's possible to learn how to defend oneself.

Please, do not lecture women about "keeping out of situations" when we simply cannot know when, where, or who will assault us. We already take all kinds of precautions, and we do not need lectured on the topic. To do so is both condescending and presumptuous.

How many women have been assaulted at karaoke bars during drinking parties?

And who is "we"?

If you mean women, I am a woman, and I'm lecturing no one.

I am not victim-blaming or doubting the plight of any victim.

And putting consent into parenthesis, as if it is not a real thing? Just WOW.

Wow?

Does a drunk person care about consent?

Does a rapist care about consent?

You are riding a high horse of feminism, with nothing but a victim banner.

Why is this problem left to the students to address? This is a society and moral education issue. The sexual discrimination and abuse of females in prevalent in every demographic of Japanese society. I admire these students for taking a stand, but they have a huge battle in front of them to make changes in the male dominated Japanese society.

I would be interested in seeing the parallels between the number of sexual assault cases and how many of the defendants watch pornographic movies.

The last survey that I read was in 2012 or something that said the majority of the university males who participated in the survey "used" pornographic material more than 4 hours in a week. When you also consider the "storyline" of most JAV are based on "sexual assault until the woman gives in", it could help with understanding why most of the men didn't feel it was a crime.

Good luck to them.

There is greater risk here because of sempai-kohai and, like the UK, lots of should-be-banned forced drinking rituals that place women at risk. In the current environment, the athletics club (for example) is allowed to force a new female member to down god-knows-how-many drinks and then society blames her when she wakes up in a strange place with no knickers.

The fundamental problem is the police's incapability to handle rape cases. However, universities could do more, instead of just hushing incidents up to save their reputations.

education about respecting rights of others must begin during childhood at home

With the large numbers of University students working in the redlight industries in Japan, maybe because of this the male students cannot see the difference.

I find it very depressing that in this day and age women are still being haressed at universities and in other environments making them veel uncomfortable

No means no and sexual innuendo is not something to be taken naturally in every situation.

The Japanese government must take a much harder stance against these practices and especially a hideous crime such as rape must be punished more severly.

Here's a tip girls - when you get invited to a party which has a 30:1 ratio of men to women and it's based on drinking alcohol, don't go.

It's not victim blaming, it's common sense as to the reason you or other ladies are being invited (especially when they've heard rumors, stories, etc before). Use some level of common sense. If you have none, you stand to learn the hard way.

The sexual discrimination and abuse of females in prevalent in every demographic of Japanese society.

Do you have hard evidence for this claim, particularly evidence that shows Japan to be worse than other highly developed countries?

With the large numbers of University students working in the redlight industries in Japan, maybe because of this the male students cannot see the difference.

Evidence for this claim?

Wonder how they feel about a sexist national media that runs articles about women's increasing breast size

This is a reference to British tabloids, right?

Here's a tip everyone - when you want to get intimate with someone make sure they are ok with it and if there is lot of drinking involved, don't go for it.

It's not blaming, it's common sense as to the reason you are wanting to is to have a good time (hopefully, and wishing for the other too) and a good memory (hopefully, and wishing for the other too). Use some level of common sense. If you have none, you stand to learn the hard way (by spending some nice time behind bar).

What about people stop telling "girls" (don't forget child, women, men, and so and so ...) to do or not do stuff so that they do not get sexually assaulted ? That never helped avoiding sexual assault only giving good excuse to perpetrator : V. was wearing suggestive clothes (skirt, leggins, trousers, pull over, burqua, ...), V. talked back, V. smiled, I helped V., V. is from ... and you know how people from ... are, V. was not a virgin, V. drank alcohol, V. had sex with me in the past, V. didn't fight back whole heartedly, V. was outside at ..:.. , the job of V. is ..., and so and so ...

@Henny Penny

This is a reference to British tabloids, right?

I do not think so.

https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/japanese-women's-breast-size-boasts-40-years-of-continued-growth

blue in greenAug. 8 02:16 pm JST

It's possible to learn how to defend oneself.

This might work for a very few women, but it's not feasible to expect all women to take courses in self-defense. Cost can be prohibitive, and age, aptitude and physical ability vary. It's also pretty ridiculous to suggest that courses in self-defense will stop sexual assault. The vast majority of sexual assault is someone the woman knows. The "stranger in the bushes who jumps out and attacks" scenario is far less common. And even then, not many women actually have the physical strength or skill to protect themselves.

The most common type of sexual assault here is groping - and If we are taking about preventive measures and not just revenge, learning judo isn't a solution. Besides, if a woman were groped on the train or street and then beat the man up, she would be arrested for assault - that is how the law works here.

How many women have been assaulted at karaoke bars during drinking parties?

What you seem to be suggesting is that women never, ever attend any social gatherings where there is alcohol and men. How is that fair or practical? If anything, men who can't handle their alcohol so that it causes them to sexually assault women should refrain from going out.

Also, how many women are assaulted when no one has been drinking at all? Women also get assaulted in their own homes, at work, and simply walking around in public places. Women staying away from men and never taking part in social occasions isn't a viable solution.

And who is "we"?

If you mean women, I am a woman, and I'm lecturing no one.

I am not victim-blaming or doubting the plight of any victim.

Then why does every suggestion you make focus on what women should do, and not on what men should not do?

When people solely focus on what women should do, they are suggesting women must take responsibility for protecting themselves. But we also know that these preventative measures don't always work - we can and do take all kinds of precautions, but sexual assault happens regardless. Does that then mean that women aren't doing enough? We should do more? And if our actions don't prevent us from being sexually assaulted, then our actions should be put under scrutiny? I'm sorry, but that it exactly what victim blaming means.

Wow?

Does a drunk person care about consent?

Does a rapist care about consent?

You are riding a high horse of feminism, with nothing but a victim banner.

Yes, "Wow". It's shocking that someone, especially a woman, would suggest that consent isn't a real thing, or that it is an impossible standard to live up to. That is what I assume you meant when you put it in quotes. Am I wrong?

I would also ask you a question in return - shouldn't someone who is drunk still care about consent? Does drinking give a man license to forget all about consent and commit sexual assault? Of course not. Consent still applies no matter what the situation is, drunk or sober.

Rape wouldn't happen if all men cared about consent, and sexual assault would be vigorously prosecuted if consent were the standard in the law. Unfortunately in Japan, consent is not the standard of law, and many men blithely ignore it. That's why these educational programs are so important. They actually work, as studies have shown. Look it up.

Do you actually think calling me a feminst is some kind of insult? Don't forget that you can vote, own land, get married and divorced, sue your boss if he sexually harasses you - all those rights you seem to take for granted all came from feminists taking action. You're welcome.