Postcards and quizzes: How Russell Group unis are protecting Freshers from sexual assault

Freshers’ Week is an equally terrifying and thrilling event. You’re legally an adult— living away from your family for the first time, with cheap alcohol, takeaways, new friends, books and boys all around you. You should be worried about securing tickets for the Student Union’s shitty foam party. Wondering what going out top you’re going to wear tonight. Not about assault and rape.

But, depressingly, students report at least three alleged incidents of rape or sexual assault on uni premises to police every week. Campuses, which should be a safe refuge for young people, are struggling to create a culture free of sexual violence. The Tab is on a mission to raise awareness of sexual assault on campus. And, as part of our Do Better series, we’ll be chatting to students and calling out universities who don’t deliver on their promises around sexual assault.

So, we asked the 24 Russell Group universities what their plans are to prevent sexual assault on campus this Freshers’ Week, aside from the security measures they normally have in place. Helpfully, the majority of the Russell Group remained radio silent. Only half of the universities (Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, LSE, Manchester, Newcastle, Oxford, Queen Mary, Sheffield, UCL and Warwick) bothered to reply.

But for those with an action plan, here’s what they said they’re doing to help to prevent sexual violence:

Bristol

During their Welcome Week, Bristol is sending Freshers an online student induction, which includes information about consent, relationships, sexual harassment, violence, consent, healthy relationships and behaviours from The Consent Collective. They did not specify whether this training was mandatory or optional for incoming students.

Edinburgh

For the first year, Edinburgh has been “piloting” sending micro-learning courses on consent and active bystander training to all new students by text and email. They’ve also been running a #NoExcuse campaign to let students know how they can report assault, get support, “encourage behavioural change and create a culture that is supportive of survivors of sexual violence.” 

Leeds

Leeds adds a Healthy Relationships module to all students Minerva virtual learning accounts when term starts, which provides information on consent, being an active bystander and support. They didn’t specify whether this was mandatory to complete. Their Harassment and Misconduct team also hosts in-person student engagement events during the first week of teaching but this is to promote the support they have available for survivors, rather than prevention. Plus, they’re putting posters and postcards in the bathrooms. 

Liverpool

Liverpool’s Guild of Students deliver Bystander Intervention training, however they didn’t specify whether this was mandatory. They offer a wide range of support for survivors after the fact but didn’t specify whether any further action plans to act as a deterrent to assailants were being put into place for Freshers’ Week. 

LSE

LSE has developed a Consent.Ed educational programme, which explores issues around consent and aims to create a “positive respectful culture” on campus. Everyone at LSE is “expected” to complete the programme and it’s “required” for anyone who wants to be part of an SU, society or club committee or if you want to attend any of the Student Union events.

Manchester

Before Freshers’ Week starts, Manchester students are sent information on consent and related topics to make them start to think about boundaries/consent with a “common vocabulary”. When they arrive, students are “required” to complete an “extensive” online training module and pass a test at the end. In their first “Flat Chat” of the year, a member of staff will talk to Freshers in their accommodation about expected behaviour. The uni also hands out anti-spiking devices and offer advice during “start-of-year” events. 

Newcastle

During Freshers’ Week, Newcastle have stalls supervised by their “Freshers’ Crew” who can give students information about anti-spiking resources. The Freshers Crew themselves do sexual violence training with a Welfare & Equalities officer, club and society committees attend a Survivor Support Service training session, and Sabbatical Officers complete Beyond Equality leadership training. However, for standard students, no preventative training is given, apart from NUSU posters in toilets “fighting against sexual violence and toxic relationships”.

Oxford

Oxford send all students online consent programmes, which includes training they’re asked to complete at the start of the academic year. The uni’s Student Welfare and Support Services also offers an optional programme that trains students to run “peer-led and discussion-based consent workshops”. To “make students feel safe, supported, and able to access the dedicated services” Oxford also run a multi-channel Oxford Against Sexual Violence campaign on campus. 

Queen Mary

A spokesperson from Queen Mary said: “The health, wellbeing and safety of our students is our top priority. For this purpose, we have a comprehensive range of activities and services in place for Welcome Week and throughout the year, including those focused on sexual assault and harassment.”

They did not respond when asked what this range of activities and services would be.

Sheffield

Sheffield are running a Crime Reduction and Safety Campaign during the first two weeks of term, which includes sending multiple emails to students about crime – including sexual violence. They also have information stands across campus students can choose to visit hosted by the Welfare Committee and South Yorkshire police. So, if predators want to they can chat to an officer. 

UCL

During Freshers’ Week, UCL are hosting Student Safety Seminars on how to recognise and report sexual assault. There’ll be information tables on consent and women’s safety on campus during the week and the Student Union are handing out drink spiking kits. The uni also runs the UK’s largest Active Bystander training course and more than 8,000 new students have registered to take part.

Warwick

Warwick said they have “training and classes going on across campus focussing on consent, boundaries, online dating and safety,” but did not specify how they were delivered to students and whether they were mandatory.

So, are posters and learning modules actually effective for preventing assault and rape on campus?

Rose Stephenson, director of policy and advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute thinktank, says posters and consent classes can “set a tone” during Freshers’ Week but that education needs to continue long after the start of term in order for what’s learnt to remain “a normal part of life on campus”.

“Online consent classes can be a useful way to disseminate information quickly, but in person courses involving discussions are likely to be more impactful,” she adds. “Universities should also consider surveying students when they start university, and throughout their university careers, to analyse how effect their campaigns and consent classes are. This is tricky to do, but is important, and likely to be a requirement from the Office for Student (the regulator of universities in England) soon.”

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story contact Refuge on their free 24/7 helpline 0808 2000 247 or contact Rape Crisis online for a free confidential chat helpline.

The Tab’s Do Better campaign puts a focus on the rising student sexual assault problem. Universities need to do more to support students and the culture around sexual assault needs to change. If you have a story you think we should know about, please email [email protected]

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Students report three alleged incidents of rape or sexual assault on campus every week 

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• Students are three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than anyone else, new stats reveal