60 per cent of Durham think consent classes should be compulsory

A Tab poll of 714 Durham students revealed over 60 per cent think consent classes should be compulsory for everyone at uni.

This poll followed on from the shocking statistics taken from a Tab sexual assault survey that revealed that almost half of girls at Durham uni have been sexually assaulted. This placed Durham highest out of all unis surveyed for sexual assault.

This response highlights the growing concern among students over laddish behaviour. Durham launched good lad workshops at the beginning of term in a big to tackle the issue.

In 2014 the NUS teamed up with Sexpression – a network of student groups focused on making informed choices about sexual health – to launch lad culture workshops, aimed at making students aware about the issues involving consent and sexual harassment.

They launched the ‘I Heart Consent’ campaign at 20 universities and colleges around the country, and unis like Nottingham, Warwick and Sussex were quick to implement these workshops, which aim to combat sexual assault and highlight sexual harassment and violence as being very much related to lad culture.

However the initiative has not been without backlash, as many students feel offended at the notion that they need to be taught how not to be a rapist. Some students have expressed opinions that these workshops could potentially be quite patronising and insulting by tarring everyone with the same brush.

Second year politics student and founder of Trevelyan College FemSocc Sadie Kempner said: “Done in the right way, I think compulsory consent classes could make a huge difference to the way students relate to each other.

Consent isn’t optional when it comes to sex and I think that the idea that consent is common sense so therefore classes aren’t needed isn’t a good enough reason.

When so many students on campus have experienced sexual harassment, the rules clearly need to be revisited”.

However a second year Law student who wishes to remain anonymous said “I think compulsory consent classes would be a good idea.

I would imagine that if they were voluntary, fewer people would attend as they would consider it possibly ‘embarrassing’ so it reduces the stigma.

Although the majority of people think that they understand the issue, lines can be blurred when alcohol is involved. If lessons on this help clarify the area of consent they can only be a good thing. If it prevents just one person from being sexually assaulted then surely it is worth it.”