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| University sex abuse report fails to tackle staff attacks on UK students | University sex abuse report fails to tackle staff attacks on UK students |
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| A long-awaited report investigating sexual violence and harassment in UK universities has been criticised for failing fully to address the problem. | A long-awaited report investigating sexual violence and harassment in UK universities has been criticised for failing fully to address the problem. |
| An inquiry was begun last year due to growing alarm about harassment, sexual violence and hate crime on university campuses, and concerns about the way in which some institutions deal with the problem. | An inquiry was begun last year due to growing alarm about harassment, sexual violence and hate crime on university campuses, and concerns about the way in which some institutions deal with the problem. |
| The report calls for institution-wide action to tackle violence against women, harassment and hate crime by creating a zero-tolerance culture. It recommends a centralised reporting system supported by well-trained staff and an annual conference for the next three years to share good practice. | The report calls for institution-wide action to tackle violence against women, harassment and hate crime by creating a zero-tolerance culture. It recommends a centralised reporting system supported by well-trained staff and an annual conference for the next three years to share good practice. |
| The taskforce has also published guidance to universities about managing situations in which a student’s behaviour may constitute a criminal offence, replacing the so-called Zellick guidelines which date back to 1994. | The taskforce has also published guidance to universities about managing situations in which a student’s behaviour may constitute a criminal offence, replacing the so-called Zellick guidelines which date back to 1994. |
| Campaigners said the report, by the higher education representative body Universities UK (UUK), failed to tackle staff-student harassment adequately, focusing almost exclusively on incidents between students but also described it as a positive first step. | Campaigners said the report, by the higher education representative body Universities UK (UUK), failed to tackle staff-student harassment adequately, focusing almost exclusively on incidents between students but also described it as a positive first step. |
| Rebecca Nice, who was sexually harassed by a lecturer at Winchester University, said the guidance would not have prevented her ordeal. She added that it failed to address the specific challenges involved in students bringing a complaint against a member of staff. “I had to go to [my harasser’s] boss, the dean of the faculty,” said Nice. “There were too many loyalties and politics going on. There needs to be someone outside of that circle who can protect the student throughout the complaints procedure. It would help to erase that fear.” | Rebecca Nice, who was sexually harassed by a lecturer at Winchester University, said the guidance would not have prevented her ordeal. She added that it failed to address the specific challenges involved in students bringing a complaint against a member of staff. “I had to go to [my harasser’s] boss, the dean of the faculty,” said Nice. “There were too many loyalties and politics going on. There needs to be someone outside of that circle who can protect the student throughout the complaints procedure. It would help to erase that fear.” |
| While welcoming many of the recommendation, campaigners expressed frustration that there were no mechanisms to enforce the proposals, leaving institutions free to adopt – or ignore – them as they wish. | While welcoming many of the recommendation, campaigners expressed frustration that there were no mechanisms to enforce the proposals, leaving institutions free to adopt – or ignore – them as they wish. |
| Dr Rachel Fenton, associate professor of law at the University of the West of England, said it was obvious that no one with knowledge of sexual offences law had been involved in drawing up the legal guidance because it failed to grasp the complexities involved, for example, in determining consent. “You imagine being a university administrator in a disciplinary procedure where the girl says, ‘I was drunk and he raped me’ and he says, ‘It was purely consensual, she was giving me the come on’. | |
| “They have no training, no understanding of what that means, no way of understanding credibility, no guidance on how they are supposed to gather evidence, what evidence is appropriate [or] how they are supposed to make that decision. You are judging whether or not a rape occurred even if it is now called sexual misconduct. It’s the same thing. It’s sex without consent.” | “They have no training, no understanding of what that means, no way of understanding credibility, no guidance on how they are supposed to gather evidence, what evidence is appropriate [or] how they are supposed to make that decision. You are judging whether or not a rape occurred even if it is now called sexual misconduct. It’s the same thing. It’s sex without consent.” |
| The publication of the report, called Changing the Culture, occurred after a series of exclusive reports in the Guardian revealing the scale of sexual harassment and violence perpetrated by university staff on students and more junior colleagues. | The publication of the report, called Changing the Culture, occurred after a series of exclusive reports in the Guardian revealing the scale of sexual harassment and violence perpetrated by university staff on students and more junior colleagues. |
| The Guardian has received approximately 200 statements, mainly from women, detailing incidents of sexual harassment, assault and rape, carried out by staff often on postgraduate and PhD students at a wide range of UK universities, including those in the elite Russell Group. | The Guardian has received approximately 200 statements, mainly from women, detailing incidents of sexual harassment, assault and rape, carried out by staff often on postgraduate and PhD students at a wide range of UK universities, including those in the elite Russell Group. |
| Jennifer Saul, professor of philosophy at Sheffield University and an expert in sexual harassment in higher education, welcomed the report’s call for commitment from the most senior leaders in universities and its recognition of the need for clear policies and procedures, and proper training for those implementing them. “Staff-student harassment needs to be much more fully addressed – as I hope it will be – in future work. It cannot be dealt with by simply extending the plans for dealing with student-student harassment. The power dynamics are fundamentally different from those in peer-to-peer harassment.” | Jennifer Saul, professor of philosophy at Sheffield University and an expert in sexual harassment in higher education, welcomed the report’s call for commitment from the most senior leaders in universities and its recognition of the need for clear policies and procedures, and proper training for those implementing them. “Staff-student harassment needs to be much more fully addressed – as I hope it will be – in future work. It cannot be dealt with by simply extending the plans for dealing with student-student harassment. The power dynamics are fundamentally different from those in peer-to-peer harassment.” |
| The UUK taskforce, which was set up following government intervention, acknowledged that staff-to-student sexual harassment needed to be further addressed, along with online harassment and hate crimes on the grounds of race. “Universities UK will consult with universities, students and interested groups to assess what more can be done in these areas and what further action is necessary,” a spokesperson said. | The UUK taskforce, which was set up following government intervention, acknowledged that staff-to-student sexual harassment needed to be further addressed, along with online harassment and hate crimes on the grounds of race. “Universities UK will consult with universities, students and interested groups to assess what more can be done in these areas and what further action is necessary,” a spokesperson said. |
| The report revealed a worrying lack of data within universities on how many UK students are affected by incidents of sexual violence. The taskforce, made up of university leaders, students and academic experts, also highlighted shortcomings in prevention and response in some institutions. | The report revealed a worrying lack of data within universities on how many UK students are affected by incidents of sexual violence. The taskforce, made up of university leaders, students and academic experts, also highlighted shortcomings in prevention and response in some institutions. |
| Nicola Dandridge, UUK chief executive and chair of the taskforce, said: “The university sector has been clear that there is no place for sexual violence, harassment or hate crime on a university campus, nor anywhere else. | Nicola Dandridge, UUK chief executive and chair of the taskforce, said: “The university sector has been clear that there is no place for sexual violence, harassment or hate crime on a university campus, nor anywhere else. |
| “The impact of any such incident on a student is so potentially serious that universities must be ready to respond effectively and proactively engage in prevention initiatives. | “The impact of any such incident on a student is so potentially serious that universities must be ready to respond effectively and proactively engage in prevention initiatives. |
| “The evidence showed that while many universities have already taken positive steps to address these issues, university responses are not always as joined up as they could be. There is more work that can be done to share effective practice across the sector. | “The evidence showed that while many universities have already taken positive steps to address these issues, university responses are not always as joined up as they could be. There is more work that can be done to share effective practice across the sector. |
| Universities minister Jo Johnson said: “We must now ensure that the work this taskforce has done goes on to make a real difference to students across the country. So I have asked UUK to survey progress in six months and make sure universities are doing all they can to protect the safety and security of their students.” | Universities minister Jo Johnson said: “We must now ensure that the work this taskforce has done goes on to make a real difference to students across the country. So I have asked UUK to survey progress in six months and make sure universities are doing all they can to protect the safety and security of their students.” |
| Green said universities should aim for a standard of protection on a par with safeguarding, which would require external regulation to ensure appropriate standards were met. She also expressed concern about the lack of attention to staff-student harassment. | Green said universities should aim for a standard of protection on a par with safeguarding, which would require external regulation to ensure appropriate standards were met. She also expressed concern about the lack of attention to staff-student harassment. |
| Referring to the Guardian’s coverage, she said: “Reports last week detailed the shocking experiences of some postgraduate students at the hands of senior staff, and we know staff-on-student abuse is part of the problem women face. We would like to see regulations put in place [to] prevent sexual relationships between staff and students.” | Referring to the Guardian’s coverage, she said: “Reports last week detailed the shocking experiences of some postgraduate students at the hands of senior staff, and we know staff-on-student abuse is part of the problem women face. We would like to see regulations put in place [to] prevent sexual relationships between staff and students.” |
| The report acknowledged that, in the absence of statistics from universities, it had relied on the National Union of Students (NUS) for data about sexual harassment and violence against women. | The report acknowledged that, in the absence of statistics from universities, it had relied on the National Union of Students (NUS) for data about sexual harassment and violence against women. |
| Hareem Ghani, the NUS’s women’s officer, said: “We know sexual harassment and violence is prevalent on our campuses and women are disproportionately affected by this. In our post-Brexit society we have become only too aware of the steep rise in hate crime. | Hareem Ghani, the NUS’s women’s officer, said: “We know sexual harassment and violence is prevalent on our campuses and women are disproportionately affected by this. In our post-Brexit society we have become only too aware of the steep rise in hate crime. |
| “No student should have to face this on their campus and we welcome the opportunity this guidance presents in offering clear recommendations to the leadership in education on the actions they need to take to challenge these issues.” | “No student should have to face this on their campus and we welcome the opportunity this guidance presents in offering clear recommendations to the leadership in education on the actions they need to take to challenge these issues.” |