Zero Tolerance

St Andrews’ Zero Tolerance Policy states that all kinds of harassment and discrimination are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated anywhere within the Students’ Association. The policy protects all members, visitors, and staff in Students’ Association venues.

The Students’ Representative Council adopted the Zero Tolerance Policy in September 2013, but that wasn’t the end of the fight. There is still much more that needs to be done to ensure there is zero tolerance of sexual harassment.

The campaign to get this passed was launched and led by Chloe Hill, the last President of the Student Union. She says ‘The zero tolerance policy we wrote last year was important because it stressed that all students should feel safe and able to take part in all aspects of the union.’

Sexual harassment can range from unwanted sexual comments or invitations, to being touched without consent. This is a serious problem within our society, particularly amongst university students. The National Union of Students found that at least one in four students experience unwelcome sexual advances.

In response to this the union now trains security guards and bar staff to prevent sexual assault within the Students’ Association, as well as how to recognize its precursory signs. One student told me her experience of this policy, ‘another student repeatedly harassed me in the Union. I spoke with a male security guard, who said he would intervene, but did not. Then, I spoke with a female security guard who immediately had him removed and asked me if I was satisfied with that, or wanted to pursue further punishment under the Zero-Tolerance policy. The latter scenario should occur in every incident with no exceptions, but it doesn’t.’

Men may feel pressured into acting in ways they feel uncomfortable with, because of the prevalence of ‘lad culture’ in our society. Walt Andrews remarks, ‘in a world where harassment is acceptable, men are forced to fall in line with sexism or they lose the power masculinity provides and risk being targeted themselves. Ending harassment means more safety for both men and women.’

However, it is important to remember that many men are also sexually harassed. More women may go through this, but that does not mean that harassment of men is less important. A major part of this campaign is encouraging all people to speak out, and giving them the confidence to know that they will be taken seriously. If you would like to report an incident of sexual harassment then email [email protected] or contact a member of staff. There should be no need to suffer in silence.

The Student Representative Committee is trying to ensure this policy is spread throughout the whole town, rather than just the Students Association. This began in April 2014 and was led by Annie Newman, the member for gender equality. She says ‘Special thanks have to go to Ali West and Chloe Hill, who worked on the specifics of the policy throughout last year, as well as Ondrej Hajda, who has taken a special interest in making sure its implemented as best as it can be.’

As one of her team of volunteers I have been encouraging town institutions to adopt the Zero Tolerance Policy. This effort continues throughout the academic year and your support would be invaluable. If you would like to get involved then please send an email to Annie Newman on [email protected]. Together we can spread the Zero Tolerance policy, and ensure that St Andrews is a safer and more enjoyable place to be at university.

The Feminist society has been backing the movement since its inception. The Coordinator, Stina Wasseen, says ‘sexual harassment is a serious issue. As The Hidden Marks report by the NUS Women’s Campaign shows 68% of female students have experienced sexual harassment. The Feminist society supports all people who stand together to end this issue.’ As the coordinator of the new Socialist Society, we have also been reaching out to the wider community and volunteering our time to ensure the success of this campaign. These are just a couple of examples but it would be fantastic if even more societies and individuals get behind this movement.

If you have been sexually harassed then speak out. If you see someone being sexually harassed, report it. We should all have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and together we can end it.

Image courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:No#mediaviewer/File:No-Symbol.svg