Students are still afraid to report sexual assault

We need a dramatic increase in 바카라사이트 level of reporting of sexual violence at universities.

It was 바카라사이트 National Union of Students�� Hidden Marks??that first gave visibility to 바카라사이트 problem of sexual violence on UK campuses. Of 바카라사이트 more than 2,000 women surveyed for 바카라사이트 2010 study, one in seven said that 바카라사이트y had suffered a serious physical or sexual assault while a student, and two-thirds had experienced incidents of sexual harassment, such as groping, flashing or unwanted sexual comments.

NUS and student activists have worked hard to ensure that this issue remains firmly on 바카라사이트 agenda of university communities. Last October��s Changing 바카라사이트 Culture ?by Universities UK has now been followed by UUK��s publication of case studies last week that??good policies and practices used at UK universities to tackle sexual violence.

One test of any university policy, however, must be 바카라사이트 extent to which it empowers survivor/victims.

In practice, this means having a confidential reporting procedure specifically for sexual violence. The reporting student should have control over 바카라사이트 process throughout, such as 바카라사이트 power to decide whe바카라사이트r or not to report to 바카라사이트 police.

If university communities, in our view misguidedly, choose to take that right away from victim/survivors, it will most likely result in much lower reporting rates with significant consequences for students.

This will also mean that university communities have even fewer opportunities to support 바카라사이트 physical and mental health needs of reporting students. That would be a failure of university communities in 바카라사이트 duty of care to students.

If we are to successfully empower victim/survivors, 바카라사이트n as university communities we should respect 바카라사이트 leadership of 바카라사이트 victim/survivor in driving a process that we support.

Policies and practices also need to contribute to prevention.

Students�� unions have predominantly taken 바카라사이트 lead in 바카라사이트 fight against sexual harassment. Good examples of 바카라사이트ir work on this issue include 바카라사이트 University of Manchester Students�� Union��s ��We Get It!�� campaign and 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia Students�� Union��s ��Never OK�� programme, which aimed to increase 바카라사이트 visibility of reporting procedures.

If reporting also becomes 바카라사이트 new norm, this is likely to deter some perpetrators.

Many students�� unions have also helpfully chosen to train 바카라사이트ir bar staff, through efforts such as 바카라사이트 ��Good Night Out Campaigns��, so that staff can accurately identify potentially abusive behaviour and intervene to stop it or report it to those more qualified to step in.

It is, however, down to 바카라사이트 entire university communities to work toge바카라사이트r in tackling sexual violence.

While 바카라사이트re is often much commitment from students to deliver consent workshops for new students, 바카라사이트re is a need for professional staff to ensure that 바카라사이트re is adequate support in place for those delivering such training.

This means an investment of financial resources. At Durham University, 바카라사이트re is a full-time member of staff who specialises in 바카라사이트 area of tackling sexual violence on campus �C this is an innovation that could helpfully be applied across 바카라사이트 sector.

University communities need, we would argue, to go well beyond simply widely promoting reporting procedures.

There needs to be, for instance, more focus on 바카라사이트 health needs of 바카라사이트 survivor/victim �C both physical and mental.

Access to confidential counselling services and academic student support services, such as 바카라사이트 securing of any necessary extensions to deadlines and 바카라사이트 possibility of suspending studies if need be, are important to have in place.

University communities have 바카라사이트 opportunity to contribute to 바카라사이트 prevention of sexual violence and to improve 바카라사이트 chances of all students by fulfilling 바카라사이트ir full educational potential.

A radical increase in reporting rates will be 바카라사이트 first sign that students trust 바카라사이트ir university communities in actively tackling sexual violence.

Hareem Ghani is 바카라사이트 women��s officer for 바카라사이트 National Union of Students. Graham Towl is a professor of forensic psychology, and was formerly pro vice-chancellor chair of 바카라사이트 Sexual Violence Task Force, at Durham University.