Students who were sexually assaulted want more sexual violence training for Welsh uni staff

Students who have been sexually assaulted are calling for better sexual violence training for staff across Welsh universities.

The implementation of educational programmes like bystander training have been proposed by experts and activists to help university staff identify inappropriate behaviour and take safe action to prevent violence.

Over 1,000 cases of sexual assault across Welsh universities have been reported in the last six years, including one involving a female student at Swansea.

According to a BBC report, the 25-year-old was studying for her Master’s in 2020 when she felt isolated at university. She began dating a fellow student who harmed her emotionally and physically before he raped her.

She explained how he trashed her room and when she attempted to break up with him, he threatened suicide, which is behaviour that she believes should have prompted the accommodation security to act.

She believes that bystander training should be provided to security staff as this may have helped to end their relationship and prevented any assault.

When she told a lecturer about her experience, they were very understanding but did not direct her to any further resources. A police report was made; however, it was not pursued and instead she was referred to specialist support.

Swansea University told the BBC that it takes “all allegations of sexual assault seriously and has robust processes in place”.

It added that security personnel “are trained as bystanders and mental first aid trainers to be able to recognise signs of distress and provide appropriate support”.

The university has been reviewing its handling of sexual misconduct and is seeking to encourage change through the delivery of bystander intervention and consent training.

The BBC said that a female student studying at Aberystwyth University was dismissed by her academic tutor when she was also sexually assaulted by another student.

Despite being assaulted twice, she claimed that she was not offered an extension on her coursework or referred to the university reporting system, and only used this platform once another student recommended it.

Similar to the student in Swansea, she also emphasised the importance of greater training for staff on sexual assault.

Aberystwyth University told the BBC that a sexual violence advisor has been recruited to ensure “effective, swift and compassionate care” and encourages students to use the reporting system which is managed by a specialised team including sexual violence liaison officers.

BBC Wales enquired with 142 public UK universities on how many reports of sexual misconduct they had between 2013-2023. Notably 42 did not respond, 33 refused and 67 only provided partial data.

Rhian Bowen Davies, the Welsh government’s former national adviser for violence against women, believes there should be a “requirement on universities to regularly, consistently collate data”.

She adds that “without knowing the extent of the issue, how do we develop services and responses that best meet the needs of survivors and hold the perpetrators of these offences accountable?”.

23-year-old Emily Carr is a part of the student-led initiative Time To Act Cardiff and has previously spoken about her experience with sexual assault. She also believes that universities should be “mandated” to submit the total number of reports of sexual assault each year to “a national database which is controlled by an independent body”.

Jo Grady, University and College Union (UCU) general secretary, said one in 10 staff experienced sexual violence, in addition to students, “a shocking level of institutional failure”. She believes that for bystander training to work “it must be properly resourced and part of a wider systemic change”.

The Welsh Government added that it hopes for students to be able to pursue their studies free from harassment, discrimination or victimisation, but that such incidents were an focus for each university as they were independent from the government.

Universities Wales ha said that “while progress has been made”, “there is more to do” to ensure students and staff have the “experience they deserve”.

If you or someone you know has been affected by this story or any of the issues mentioned, contact Rape Crisis online here for a free confidential chat helpline.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Cardiff student says she was chased for uni fees and received no support after being raped
• Swansea healthcare student found guilty of raping women in a nightclub toilet
• Here’s how to access mental health support at Cardiff University

Featured image via Google Maps