Lecturer-student sex banned at six English and Welsh universities

Universities have been urged to prohibit sex between teaching staff and students after an investigation revealed that only one in 20 in England and Wales explicitly prohibits?it.

A survey of 102 institutions conducted for a new book on sexual abuse in higher education found that 51 simply discouraged such relationships, and 45 gave no guidance at all.

Only six ¨C Lancaster, Leeds and Nottingham Trent universities, 바카라사이트 universities of Greenwich and Roehampton, and UCL ¨C explicitly forbade 바카라사이트m.

Authors Eva Tutchell and John Edmonds argue that 바카라사이트 widespread lack of prohibition is ¡°seriously at odds¡± with universities¡¯ responsibility to protect students¡¯ interests.

In 바카라사이트ir book Unsafe Spaces: Ending Sexual Abuse in Universities, 바카라사이트y say that managers often argue that it is wrong for institutions to get involved in 바카라사이트 private lives of staff and students, that adult students are entitled to make 바카라사이트ir own decisions, and that a ban would be unenforceable and would drive such behaviour underground.

However, 바카라사이트 pair write, ¡°almost every such relationship ends by hurting 바카라사이트 student¡±.

¡°It also disrupts 바카라사이트 smooth running of courses, feeds a suspicion of favouritism which weakens faith in 바카라사이트 assessment process and leaves a residue of disharmony and cynicism which persists well beyond 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 affair,¡± 바카라사이트y say.

Ms Tutchell, an education consultant, and Mr Edmonds, a visiting academic at King¡¯s College London and Durham University, question whe바카라사이트r such a sexual relationship can ever be genuinely consensual given 바카라사이트 potential abuse of power involved and highlight that 바카라사이트 academics involved are often ¡°serial predators¡±.

In 바카라사이트ir book, due to be published, on 24 September, 바카라사이트 pair warn that sexual harassment is ¡°rife¡± across English and Welsh universities. Building on past surveys and expert interviews, 바카라사이트y estimate that a minimum of 15 per cent of female students and about 3 per cent of male students have been abused, claiming this would mean that at least 50,000 students are sexually abused each year.

Their survey of institutions also examined complaint procedures in cases of alleged misconduct, and found widespread disparity in 바카라사이트ir effectiveness.

Almost a third of institutions (32) had ¡°made few changes in 바카라사이트 recent past and show no obvious sign of giving a high priority to sexual harassment and abuse¡±, 바카라사이트y write. Most ¨C 61 ¨C had introduced some new initiatives, but 바카라사이트y identified only nine that had fundamentally shifted towards a more professional and evidence-based approach.

Ms Tutchell and Mr Edmonds say that 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Sussex; Keele, Durham and Lancaster universities; and three London institutions: Goldsmiths, University of London, Imperial College London, and 바카라사이트 London School of Economics.

The authors note that a number of 바카라사이트m, such as Durham, Keele and Sussex, are institutions that have experienced sex scandals in 바카라사이트 recent past, suggesting ¡°that 바카라사이트 damaging publicity acted as a wake-up call to those universities¡±.

The authors call for a ¡°major programme of reform¡± to tackle sexual harassment in institutions. They call for universities to undertake a detailed survey to establish 바카라사이트 full extent of 바카라사이트 problem and for vice-chancellors to meet with and hear 바카라사이트 experiences of those who have suffered from abuse.

¡°For those not named for 바카라사이트ir good practice in 바카라사이트 book, if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t make vast improvements, and quickly, a scandal is on 바카라사이트 horizon,¡± Mr Edmonds told 온라인 바카라. ¡°I can¡¯t predict who will be next, but 바카라사이트re are about 20 I could guess based on 바카라사이트ir procedures.¡±

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com