Sex assault warnings need to be more inclusive, detective says

Don't jog early in the morning. Stay visible. Walk with confidence.

Those are just a few of the personal safety tips being offered to women when it comes to sexual assault prevention.

And according to Lorimer Shenher, a police detective who spent many years working with sexual assault survivors, that advice isn't enough.

Shenher says the language in many police warnings are about telling women to change their behaviours, when it should be the offenders who have to change theirs.

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"It's so subtle, but it's in everything," he told The Early Edition's Elaine Chau.

Shenher recalls how the police responded to a recent spate of sucker-punch attacks in bars that targeted men.

"Nowhere in that conversation did you hear police telling people to stop going to bars, telling men to watch out for themselves, or, 'what were you doing at the bar? Why were you having a few drinks? How many drinks did you have?'" Shenher said.

"That kind of language is not either part of the investigation or the dialogue around that type of behaviour. So it really shouldn't be a double standard."

Only 12% of assaults reported

Lorimer worries that if this language continues, it might actually stop women from coming forward because they feel like they've done something wrong by being a victim of sexual assault.

The Ending Violence Association of B.C. says there are more than 60,000 physical or sexual assaults against women every year in B.C. And as it stands, only 12 percent of them are reported to police.

A Vancouver Police Department spokesperson said their messaging is, in fact, directed at offenders, and safety tips often come up because of questions from the media.

But Shenher says there are easy steps that police can take to be more conscientious about concerns around rape culture.

"Just as simple as they could go through their press briefings and correct grammar, I think they can correct grammar around this," he said.

"Even something as simple as a precursor saying we appreciate that the onus is on men to behave better and not be sexual predators sexual offenders, while we appreciate that, we do feel like there are some things that people can do [to avoid being victimized]."

Shenher says calls to be more vigilant need to be more inclusive.

It's the responsibility of everyone regardless of gender to look out for one another, he said.

With files from CBC Radio One'sThe Early Edition

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled:'Don't jog at night' and other advice sends wrong sex assault message, detective says