We spoke to the admin behind Lincs Anonymous

CW: Sexual Assault

An Instagram account has recently surfaced called Lincs Anonymous which has been sharing anonymous submissions from Lincoln students in order ‘to raise awareness of sexual violence and to empower survivors’. Since the page’s creation, they have posted many submissions from students.

The page currently has over 200 followers and has also shared support information for those who have been victims of sexual violence. The account is not affiliated with the University of Lincoln or the Students’ Union or any societies.

The Lincoln Tab spoke to the admin of the page to gain more information about the work the page plan on doing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMjtGHHrJy/

What made you decide to start up the account?

A few other universities have also been making similar accounts. We were inspired by this and decided to make one for Lincoln as it is a predominantly student city. As a survivor of sexual assault before and during my time at Lincoln, I wanted to make a space where survivors can feel safe and free from judgement to tell their story.

Our aim is to also spread awareness of the amount of sexual assault in Lincoln as this isn’t a topic that is discussed widely enough within the community (university and residential – but especially university).

What has the response been like from students?

We have had a really good response so far with a lot of people coming forward and sharing their stories. We’re hoping this will encourage more to do so too.

We have also had a lot of people share their support for our account on their social media. Considering we are only just starting out it is a really promising response and it is amazing that so many feel able to share their stories through our platform.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMkiVDnfcj/

What can we learn about consent and uni life in Lincoln from this account?

I think this account really shows there is a toxic university and ‘lad’ culture around sexual assault that needs to change. Spiking drinks is also common on university campuses and it is clear that there needs to be more awareness and protection for everyone.

For example, bars and clubs should start providing covers for drinks that stop them from being spiked. It also brings to light a wider conversation on consent when under the influence of alcohol on nights out.

It is clear that there isn’t enough education on consent and we hope to educate further on this through some upcoming posts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDN_QbjnPqs/

What are the main goals of this account and your plans moving forward?

Our main goals for moving forward within this account are to empower as many survivors as we can and spread awareness about the amount of sexual assault that happens in Lincoln. It really is something that isn’t discussed often enough so survivors feel alone.

Hopefully, with this space, it will create a community of people with similar experiences who then feel empowered to get the help they need moving forward. We also want to bring this account to the attention of others who may not be aware of the amount of sexual violence that takes place all the time.

We will also hopefully be taking on some new admins to help manage the account and additionally to be taking feedback from our followers.

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual assault/harassment:

Lincolnshire Rape Crisis: 0800 33 4 55 00/[email protected].

Lincoln Anonymous Support.