Freshers’ Week and Beyond – Sexual Assault on Campus

University is a rite of passage. It is the first the experience many will have with their own independence; making new friends, new areas to explore, and finding out just how many different meals can be made with the 1kg bag of pasta you bought from Tesco.

It should be one of the most memorable periods of your life and act as a platform to build the foundations of your future upon. For some people, however, the once-in-a-lifetime dream can swiftly become a nightmare.

62% of students and graduates have experienced sexual violence at UK universities.

The Student Room.

In a similar study, conducted for the charity Brook and the student database Dig-In[ii], of 5,649 students questioned, only 8% of respondents said that they ended up reporting their incidents to the police or university. Of the students who were raped or forced into sexual acts, 75% chose not to report it.

49% of the women surveyed in the Brook and Dig-In study said that they had been touched inappropriately and nearly two-thirds of female respondents who reported that they did not feel comfortable in saying no to sex put this down to a fear that it may escalate into violence against them.[iii]

An Epidemic?

There are fears that a rape epidemic is starting to form at universities. Channel 4 found that the number of allegations of rape and sexual assault made to universities per year rose from 65 in 2014, to 626 in 2018[iv] – an increase of over 900% in just 4 years. While it is an obvious side note, it is important to point out the significant impact this is having on studies that a student is undergoing.

Students who fall victim to this epidemic may suffer a lack of self-confidence, severe mental health issues and a detrimental effect on their social life. They are also more likely to lose the determination and drive to continue with their education.

The Revolt Sexual Assault study found that 25% of respondents who experienced sexual violence skipped lectures or dropped modules to avoid perpetrators; 16% of them felt the need to suspend their studies or drop out of university completely.[v]

Things may slowly get better in time, but make no mistake, sexual assault is a life-changing event. It is something no women should go through and certainly not at a time when they are attempting to forge a path in their lives.

Many of the students who go through this experience will be miles from home, alone and have little to no clue about who they need to speak to or where to go for help. While this epidemic persists, these young women are being failed and more needs to be done to eliminate it as soon as possible.

The awareness as to the extent of this prevalent issue needs to be heightened. A survey carried out after the #MeToo campaign found that men in Great Britain believe 50% of women experienced sexual violence over the age of 15; the actual figure was 68%.[vi]

Sexual assault is also a ubiquitous worry for Freshers. Nearly half of first years are worried about being sexually assaulted during Freshers’ Week.[vii]

Freshers’ Week

Freshers’ Week present issues for young adults. There are thousands of individuals attempting to fit in and make friends; the worst possible thing a Fresher can do is come across as ‘unsociable’ or ‘boring’. The week is now synonymous with ‘lad culture’ as, over the years, it has slowly become associated with sex.

You end up with, on one side, the guys who will go along with the misogynistic and sexist culture and on the other, the girls who fall victim to the comments and harassment, having no alternative but to laugh it off. Not because either particularly wants to, but because they feel pressured into doing so. The alternative is being miles from home, friendless and cast out. One student explained:

“During freshers’ I was consistently regarded to be a bit of a party pooper. The boys in my halls just thought I was a killjoy because I didn’t drink very much, I didn’t want to sleep with any of them and I didn’t laugh at their gross misogynistic jokes. It’s hard arriving at Uni and wanting to make friends and be seen as a fun person but not wanting to compromise your principles.”[viii]

The Revolt Sexual Assault study found that of the people who did not report their incidents, 56% thought it ‘wasn’t serious enough’ and 29% didn’t know how to make a report.[ix] Both of these issues could, and should, be sorted out via compulsory sexual consent workshops.

They do not have to be sanctimonious, they can be informal discussions that underline consent, boundaries and clear up any grey areas that a young adult may have. Some universities[x] already roll these out however, for now, they are in the minority.

Students invest thousands of pounds into their education and the experience of a lifetime should come part and parcel with it. While the issues surrounding sexual violence continue to arise, there is always more that can be done.

University is where we discover who we are, who we want to be and what our future holds. The first lesson learnt should be one of adventure and exploration, not one of fear or violence.

If you’ve been sexually assaulted – report it. Call 999 and speak to the Police.

Article by Daryl Smith

[i] Womens Grid

[ii] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/feb/26/more-than-half-of-uk-students-say-they-have-faced-unwanted-sexual-behaviour

[iii] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/feb/26/more-than-half-of-uk-students-say-they-have-faced-unwanted-sexual-behaviour

[iv] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/rape-and-sexual-assault-reports-increase-tenfold-at-top-uk-universities-with-cambridge-university-in-a4192731.html

[v] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/02/universities-rape-epidemic-sexual-assault-students

[vi] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/06/men-underestimate-level-of-sexual-harassment-against-women-survey

[vii] https://thetab.com/uk/2017/09/05/nearly-half-of-freshers-are-worried-about-sexual-assault-during-freshers-47925

[viii] https://revoltsexualassault.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Report-Sexual-Violence-at-University-Revolt-Sexual-Assault-The-Student-Room-March-2018.pdf

[ix] https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/sep/19/new-cambridge-university-students-attend-compulsory-sexual-consent-workshops