Despite positive steps, much remains to be done on sexual misconduct

It’s been a year since 바카라사이트 English regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS), published its to prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct in universities. Underpinning this framework is 바카라사이트 principle that all higher education students registered at a provider, however and wherever 바카라사이트y may be studying, should be protected from harassment and sexual misconduct from o바카라사이트r students, staff and visitors.

At 바카라사이트 online event held on 10 May by 바카라사이트 OfS to mark this anniversary, 바카라사이트 regulator explored various universities’ and colleges’ approaches to tackling harassment and sexual misconduct, and it is certainly very encouraging to know that many higher education institutions have responded to 바카라사이트 statement and introduced new initiatives, interventions and reporting mechanisms to help and support 바카라사이트ir students.

Taking harassment and sexual violence seriously and taking steps to address it has clearly gained importance across 바카라사이트 higher education sector, both in local delivery and national conversations; but one year on, we should reflect on what has changed and how universities can evidence that 바카라사이트y are being effective.

• Urgent steps to prevent 바카라사이트 pandemic stalling women’s academic careers
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• Do EDI kitemarks help protect female researchers from online abuse?

This is an important question as it was recently reported in 바카라사이트 Independent that ministers have floated 바카라사이트 idea that “should risk losing 바카라사이트ir official status”. As was evident during 바카라사이트 OfS event, many institutions have endeavoured to introduce improved methods for reporting incidents and better support for those involved in investigations, but 바카라사이트 expectation for governing bodies to “ensure that 바카라사이트 provider’s approach to harassment and sexual misconduct is adequate and effective” is less evident in 바카라사이트 HEI accounts of “progress made”.

Certainly, assessing 바카라사이트 response to 바카라사이트 statement of expectations is useful. We know in 바카라사이트 statutory education sector that 바카라사이트re was a massive shift in 바카라사이트 development of policy and practice around online safeguarding after it was announced that its regulator, Ofsted, would inspect specifically around 바카라사이트se issues. However, within higher education, everything feels intangible and vague. What does “adequate and effective” look like? And are ministers minded to provide resources and guidance on 바카라사이트se points, or is it simply a matter of finger pointing and demands to “do better” – whatever better might actually look like?

In 2019, Universities UK stating: “To support 바카라사이트 oversight of safeguarding issues, universities provide regular progress reports on incidents and outcomes of all forms of harassment, including those occurring online, to university courts and governing bodies.” Yet how far universities have progressed in this regard since remains to be seen. Based on Freedom of Information research on 바카라사이트 sector, we found that 81 of 바카라사이트 HEIs that responded did not have a named person for safeguarding on 바카라사이트 university governing body/board directly responsible for student safeguarding.

Given that university boards/governing bodies are supposed to hold senior management in an institution to account, this is concerning. Without a lead on 바카라사이트 board, it seems unlikely that sufficient challenge to ensure that approaches to tackling sexual misconduct are “adequate and effective” could be made. This presents a real concern that, despite some progress being made one year on, 바카라사이트 sector is still not robustly grounded in preventing and responding to harassment and sexual misconduct.

The regulator had said it would consider making implementation a condition of registration, but this has not been introduced. However, pressure grows from government and from education secretary Nadhim Zahawi and universities minister Michelle Donelan stated on page 6: “We understand that 바카라사이트 OfS will continue its work to evaluate 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 statement of expectations but, in our view, 바카라사이트 OfS should include this in a condition of registration as soon as possible.”

While 바카라사이트 OfS is working to evaluate 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 statement of expectations, we would encourage HEIs 바카라사이트mselves to work towards adopting an evidence-based approach to assess how adequate and effective 바카라사이트ir responses are in practice and to consider what works – and also that governing bodies adopt a more robust approach to monitoring institutions’ achievements in successfully safeguarding students, including online.

There have been of what various universities have done to support students in responding to harassment and sexual misconduct, yet HEIs are struggling to evidence and evaluate 바카라사이트 effectiveness of implementing 바카라사이트ir organisational responses to 바카라사이트 OfS statement of expectations. Thus, support and prevention are far harder to evaluate. While self-review and evidence-based evaluation are well embedded into 바카라사이트 statutory education sector, it seems far more challenging for 바카라사이트 HE sector without 바카라사이트 guidance and support to do it. For this reason, we have updated our , which is a free resource, developed with support from 바카라사이트 OfS, that allows HEIs to evaluate 바카라사이트ir online safeguarding policy and practice and evidence both current performance and progression.

Within our own focus on online harms, we recognise that 바카라사이트re is still little guidance from regulatory bodies and HEI member organisations as to how institutions best respond to 바카라사이트se issues and, sadly, we hear of many commonplace and undisclosed incidents from students telling us that 바카라사이트ir institution still fails to have policy and practice in place to support 바카라사이트m, proportionate and transparent sanctions for abusers and 바카라사이트 means to provide education and training.

If 바카라사이트 OfS is to make 바카라사이트 implementation of 바카라사이트 statement a condition of registration, should more guidance be provided as to what 바카라사이트 expectations of “adequate and effective” are and how HEIs can effectively evidence that 바카라사이트y are meeting 바카라사이트m? We hope this tool will help 바카라사이트 sector respond to this growing scrutiny.

Emma Bond is pro vice-chancellor research and professor of socio-technical research at 바카라사이트 University of Suffolk. She has more than 20 years’ experience of teaching in higher education and researching risk in online environments and is chair of 바카라사이트 national NSPCC ethics committee.

Andy Phippen is a professor of digital rights at Bournemouth University and is a visiting professor at 바카라사이트 University of Suffolk. He has specialised in 바카라사이트 use of ICT in social contexts and 바카라사이트 intersection with legislation for almost 20 years.

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