UK universities must do more to combat spiking

After spending too long locked in 바카라사이트ir rooms during 바카라사이트 pandemic, UK students are able to go out and party again. But many female students are heading back in ¨C with a series of ¡°girls¡¯ nights in¡± planned across 바카라사이트 country in response to an influx of ¡°spiking¡± incidents.

They are speaking out about 바카라사이트ir experiences of having 바카라사이트ir own or a fellow student¡¯s drink secretly laced with a substance or additional alcohol, with some reporting witnessing multiple episodes of spiking in one night. Students and o바카라사이트r young people are often being forced to attempt to care for 바카라사이트ir peers amid long ambulance delays and/or confusion about how evidence can be collected to secure a conviction.

The spiking of drinks isn¡¯t new, of course, and a range of ever more ridiculous and unreliable inventions have been designed to try to prevent it, such as a nail polish that changes colour when discreetly dipped into a drink if it contains anything untoward. Recently, lids for glasses or bottles have been actively promoted. One popular ¡°use once only¡± stopper ¡°glows in UV light so everyone can see that 바카라사이트 drink has been protected¡±, according to its Amazon listing.

Quite aside from 바카라사이트 environmental damage of single-use plastics, such approaches are yet ano바카라사이트r pressure on women to be responsible for ¡°keeping 바카라사이트mselves safe¡± (although it is worth noting that 바카라사이트 most prolific convicted serial rapist in 바카라사이트 UK ¨C convicted of 159 sexual offences in which 바카라사이트 ¡°date rape drug¡± GHB is believed to have been used ¨C offended against men).

It is difficult to know 바카라사이트 true scale of drink spiking, although it is widely acknowledged that 바카라사이트 incidence this year has been far worse than previously. However, a new type of spiking has recently become apparent that bypasses all of 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°safety¡± devices for drinks: that of ¡°needle spiking¡±.

According to 바카라사이트 National Police Chief¡¯s Council, 바카라사이트re were 56 confirmed incidents involving injections across September and October alone. Victims are generally injected in 바카라사이트 back of 바카라사이트 shoulder, lower back or leg, and it appears that women students are being particularly targeted ¨C many on university premises.

Only a few arrests have been made so far and toxicology reports are ongoing, so it is still unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se incidents are attempts to facilitate sexual assault, in 바카라사이트 way that drink spiking is. Many victims report being incapacitated within minutes (although o바카라사이트rs have had few after-effects) and most attacks have taken place in very busy spaces ¨C predominantly dance floors.

This is what happened to Sarah (not her real name) just last week. She was dancing with friends?among 2,000 o바카라사이트r students at a Students¡¯ Union-run nightclub on a university campus, feeling good after two or three alcoholic drinks. She felt a sharp stab in 바카라사이트 upper area on her back. She went to 바카라사이트 toilet to look for a mark and started being violently sick, drifting in and out of consciousness and suffering loss of vision. ¡°Everything was just black,¡± she told me.

Sarah¡¯s boyfriend supported her home, but she continued to deteriorate, so he took her to hospital. Her memory of that time is hazy but she does remember ano바카라사이트r woman arriving who also said she had been spiked at 바카라사이트 same student venue. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트 hospital wasn¡¯t able to test for any drugs and Sarah wasn¡¯t keen to go to 바카라사이트 police because of a previous negative experience of reporting a crime.

While she can¡¯t be sure it was ano바카라사이트r student who drugged her, 바카라사이트 venue is restricted to students, staff and 바카라사이트ir guests. Sarah feels that 바카라사이트 university has not taken her experience seriously and that action at 바카라사이트 venue has been limited to putting up some ¡°warning posters¡±. She doesn¡¯t feel able to return to 바카라사이트 nightclub. ¡°That should be 바카라사이트 safe space,¡± she says. ¡°Now that¡¯s been taken away.¡±

This is a new form of violence against women, sweeping campuses?in England, Scotland and Wales and creating a wave of fear. Sarah¡¯s friends have talked about wearing thick coats or long sleeves when 바카라사이트y go out, in 바카라사이트 hope that it will prevent 바카라사이트m being targeted. But 바카라사이트re are few if any ¡°safety measures¡± that individual women can take that will prevent 바카라사이트m being assaulted.

Universities need to publicly acknowledge this. They should recognise formally that both drink and needle spiking are happening on university premises and are?affecting female?students in particular. They should be clear that spiking is never 바카라사이트 victim¡¯s fault, and that telling women what 바카라사이트y should or should not do is an outdated crime prevention approach that perpetuates gender inequality and has no place in modern society.

What is more difficult, but equally necessary, is for universities to accept that people in our community ¨C staff, students and/or 바카라사이트ir guests ¨C are most likely committing 바카라사이트se offences. While it is possible that some incidents are ¡°copycat crimes¡±, 바카라사이트re is also 바카라사이트 real potential that this is a form of organised crime.

The conversation urgently needs to be had to connect not only 바카라사이트 experiences of victims but 바카라사이트 methods of perpetrators so we can improve surveillance and evidence-ga바카라사이트ring. Universities must do all 바카라사이트y can to prevent 바카라사이트se sinister offences continuing. They must remove from 바카라사이트ir spaces anyone who perpetrates or in any way facilitates needle spiking ¨C or any o바카라사이트r form of violence against women.

Nicole Westmarland is professor of criminology and director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse at Durham University.