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| Crime rates around London universities ranked worst in UK | Crime rates around London universities ranked worst in UK |
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| Universities have been urged to monitor offences, including sexual violence, against students, by an annual publication that ranks UK higher education institutions according to crime rates. | Universities have been urged to monitor offences, including sexual violence, against students, by an annual publication that ranks UK higher education institutions according to crime rates. |
| The Complete University Guide, published on Monday, uses official police figures to measure rates of violent and sexual crimes, burglary and robbery, within three miles of campuses to rank crime rates for almost 130 of Britain’s universities. | The Complete University Guide, published on Monday, uses official police figures to measure rates of violent and sexual crimes, burglary and robbery, within three miles of campuses to rank crime rates for almost 130 of Britain’s universities. |
| It shows that universities in the north-west and Yorkshire and Humberside had the highest cumulative crime rate among those in England and Wales, while the south-west and the south-east had the lowest crime rate outside London. | It shows that universities in the north-west and Yorkshire and Humberside had the highest cumulative crime rate among those in England and Wales, while the south-west and the south-east had the lowest crime rate outside London. |
| The capital’s universities, which ranked highest for crime overall, were ranked separately by the guide. Some of the UK’s leading universities – King’s College London, with 47.65 incidents per 1,000; the Courtauld Institute, at 47.28; and University College London, at 47.07, all of which are situated in the city centre – came top of the capital’s listing for crime, compared with a London average of 32.53. | The capital’s universities, which ranked highest for crime overall, were ranked separately by the guide. Some of the UK’s leading universities – King’s College London, with 47.65 incidents per 1,000; the Courtauld Institute, at 47.28; and University College London, at 47.07, all of which are situated in the city centre – came top of the capital’s listing for crime, compared with a London average of 32.53. |
| Kingston University, which is outside the city centre, was ranked the lowest of all the London universities for crime, based on incidents per 1,000 residents. The figures relate to all victims, not just students, so are a measure of the crime within the area surrounding universities. | Kingston University, which is outside the city centre, was ranked the lowest of all the London universities for crime, based on incidents per 1,000 residents. The figures relate to all victims, not just students, so are a measure of the crime within the area surrounding universities. |
| However, the report’s authors, Bernard Kingston and David Jobbins, said that in order for students to more precisely compare the risks, universities should monitor and record crimes. | However, the report’s authors, Bernard Kingston and David Jobbins, said that in order for students to more precisely compare the risks, universities should monitor and record crimes. |
| Their comments follow news of an inquiry ordered by Sajid Javid, the business secretary, into how to reduce sexual violence at universities. Javid has written to vice-chancellors, calling for taskforces to investigate “sexual and verbal assault” against women on campus. | Their comments follow news of an inquiry ordered by Sajid Javid, the business secretary, into how to reduce sexual violence at universities. Javid has written to vice-chancellors, calling for taskforces to investigate “sexual and verbal assault” against women on campus. |
| Related: Dialogue is key to tackling the rise of misogyny among young men | Zoe Williams | Related: Dialogue is key to tackling the rise of misogyny among young men | Zoe Williams |
| It is unclear whether the review will include getting universities to monitor and record such crimes. Universities UK, which is already working on the issue, has been asked to develop a code of practice “to bring about cultural change”. | It is unclear whether the review will include getting universities to monitor and record such crimes. Universities UK, which is already working on the issue, has been asked to develop a code of practice “to bring about cultural change”. |
| An investigation by the Guardian found fewer than half of Russell Group universities are monitoring the extent of sexual violence against students and one in six did not have guidelines on how to report such allegations. | An investigation by the Guardian found fewer than half of Russell Group universities are monitoring the extent of sexual violence against students and one in six did not have guidelines on how to report such allegations. |
| British universities have no legal duty to record crimes, unlike in the US, where the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to publish annual statistics on all crime, including sexual assault. | British universities have no legal duty to record crimes, unlike in the US, where the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to publish annual statistics on all crime, including sexual assault. |
| Kingston, the principle author of the Complete University Guide, said: “Regrettably, universities are either unable or unwilling to disclose the rates of crime directly affecting their students on campus let alone off campus. | Kingston, the principle author of the Complete University Guide, said: “Regrettably, universities are either unable or unwilling to disclose the rates of crime directly affecting their students on campus let alone off campus. |
| “While this information is not forthcoming – and it is a matter of regret that universities do not seem to regard it as of significance – this survey offers the best available guide. But we urge vice-chancellors and the universities to tell prospective students what their chances of falling victim to crime are, on and off campus.” | “While this information is not forthcoming – and it is a matter of regret that universities do not seem to regard it as of significance – this survey offers the best available guide. But we urge vice-chancellors and the universities to tell prospective students what their chances of falling victim to crime are, on and off campus.” |
| Jobbins, a consultant on the guide, said universities have a particular responsibility towards teenagers away from home for the first time | Jobbins, a consultant on the guide, said universities have a particular responsibility towards teenagers away from home for the first time |
| “It occurred to us we really shouldn’t be doing this. There are no police statistics on crimes involving students. Universities should be putting more effort into recording crime both on and off campus. There is no effort to record crime off campus and we don’t know whether they record crime on campus. We imagine they are, because every time we publish this we are told that we are not painting a true picture of crime against students.” | “It occurred to us we really shouldn’t be doing this. There are no police statistics on crimes involving students. Universities should be putting more effort into recording crime both on and off campus. There is no effort to record crime off campus and we don’t know whether they record crime on campus. We imagine they are, because every time we publish this we are told that we are not painting a true picture of crime against students.” |
| A King’s College London spokesperson said: “The Complete University Guide’s annual ‘crime survey’ uses police data of crimes reported by all residents, not just students, living within three miles of each university. In the case of King’s, London’s most central university, this includes the major transport hubs of Waterloo and London Bridge and many popular tourist destinations, including Oxford Street, South Bank and the London Eye. | A King’s College London spokesperson said: “The Complete University Guide’s annual ‘crime survey’ uses police data of crimes reported by all residents, not just students, living within three miles of each university. In the case of King’s, London’s most central university, this includes the major transport hubs of Waterloo and London Bridge and many popular tourist destinations, including Oxford Street, South Bank and the London Eye. |
| Related: Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students | Related: Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students |
| “London faces similar challenges to many other major cities in dealing with crime. We regularly communicate the importance of personal safety to students, through our welcome and orientation sessions, which include student safety advice from the Metropolitan police, through leaflets and our website.” | “London faces similar challenges to many other major cities in dealing with crime. We regularly communicate the importance of personal safety to students, through our welcome and orientation sessions, which include student safety advice from the Metropolitan police, through leaflets and our website.” |
| The guide ranked the University of Buckingham, Falmouth University and Durham University as the institutions with the lowest cumulative crime rates in England and Wales. | The guide ranked the University of Buckingham, Falmouth University and Durham University as the institutions with the lowest cumulative crime rates in England and Wales. |
| Three Manchester institutions – the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Royal Northern College of Music, together with the University of Salford – had the highest crime rates in their neighbourhoods, averaging 39.43 incidents per 1,000 population. | Three Manchester institutions – the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Royal Northern College of Music, together with the University of Salford – had the highest crime rates in their neighbourhoods, averaging 39.43 incidents per 1,000 population. |
| The guide ranked institutions on the cumulative rate of all three crimes per 1,000 residents occurring over the 12 months from May 2014 to April 2015. | The guide ranked institutions on the cumulative rate of all three crimes per 1,000 residents occurring over the 12 months from May 2014 to April 2015. |
| • This article was amended on 8 September 2015 to correct a reference to “Humberside” to “Yorkshire and Humberside” in the third paragraph. |