New findings have indicated that UK universities are failing to respond to ‘endemic’ levels of sexual harassment on campus.
A survey, conducted by website Hexjam and answered by female UK university students, has revealed that one in three respondents have experienced discrimination or sexual harassment. Over half of these incidents have taken place on universities campuses. However, the survey has also revealed that 93% of these women did not report the incidents.
The survey brought to light the experience of one female student who, after reporting a serious sexual assault, stopped attending lectures to avoid the male perpetrator, who the university had taken no action against.
NUS women’s officer Susana Antubam has criticised the approach that UK universities are taking in response to reports of sexual harassment.
‘Institutions are dealing with cases of sexual assault as they would an argument – putting victims and perpetrators in the same room, and telling them to work it out’
Antbum added that ‘we see institutions give students no support whatsoever and wanting the students to take it outside the campus rather than deal with it in the campus’.
In addition to the new findings, there have been increasing efforts in recent years to ensure that universities acknowledge sexual harassment and treat it accordingly.
In May this year, former Oxford University student Elizabeth Ramey’s effort to overturn the university’s policy on investigating complaints of rape and sexual assault was quashed in court. The high court in London ruled that she could not challenge the university, as she was no longer a student by the time the case reached court.
Yet Ramey, who was backed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, pointed out that, while the university made efforts to investigate other serious criminal offences such as drug possession, forgery and physical assault of another student, they were “drawing a distinction around sexual assault”.
Writing in The Telegraph in May this year, Ramey explained, “Through my case, it became clear that the university’s policy is not to investigate severe forms of sexual assault, except in extremely limited circumstances”.
Information on the Leeds University Union website clarifies that sexual harassment can be verbal, non-verbal and physical, and following the re-launch of their ‘We’ve Got Your Back’ campaign in November 2014, LUU have stated that they adopt a ‘zero tolerance approach to sexual harassment’.
Elli Pugh