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| Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students | Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students |
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| Fewer than half of elite universities in Britain are monitoring the extent of sexual violence against students. | Fewer than half of elite universities in Britain are monitoring the extent of sexual violence against students. |
| Seven of the 24 Russell Group universities said they do not systematically record allegations of rapes, sexual assaults and sexual harassment, while a further seven record only some according to a series of freedom of information requests. | Seven of the 24 Russell Group universities said they do not systematically record allegations of rapes, sexual assaults and sexual harassment, while a further seven record only some according to a series of freedom of information requests. |
| Related: Reporting sexual assault at universities: share your stories | Related: Reporting sexual assault at universities: share your stories |
| One in five of the Russell Group universities also admitted they do not have specific guidelines for students on how to report such allegations in confidence or as a formal complaint either to the institution or to the police. | One in five of the Russell Group universities also admitted they do not have specific guidelines for students on how to report such allegations in confidence or as a formal complaint either to the institution or to the police. |
| Leeds, Liverpool, Cardiff and Manchester universities and King’s College London told the Guardian they did not have such guidelines [see footnote]. | |
| The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks by two Oxford University students. Former student Elizabeth Ramey attempted to challenge the university in court for what she saw as its failure to properly investigate when she alleged she was raped by a fellow student in 2011. | The issue has been highlighted in recent weeks by two Oxford University students. Former student Elizabeth Ramey attempted to challenge the university in court for what she saw as its failure to properly investigate when she alleged she was raped by a fellow student in 2011. |
| Ione Wells wrote an open letter to the man who sexually assaulted her as she walked home in London and spearheaded the #NotGuilty campaign to give survivors a voice. | Ione Wells wrote an open letter to the man who sexually assaulted her as she walked home in London and spearheaded the #NotGuilty campaign to give survivors a voice. |
| Dianne Whitfield, chief policy officer at Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (Crasac), stressed the importance of recording allegations. | Dianne Whitfield, chief policy officer at Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (Crasac), stressed the importance of recording allegations. |
| “You have to start with knowing how big the problem is,” said Whitfield, who sees students from Warwick and Coventry universities. “If you are not recording it, how do you know? If you do not have trained staff and clear reporting routes, how do you know?” | “You have to start with knowing how big the problem is,” said Whitfield, who sees students from Warwick and Coventry universities. “If you are not recording it, how do you know? If you do not have trained staff and clear reporting routes, how do you know?” |
| The Guardian sought data going back five years to compare guidelines and strategies across institutions and to document the extent of sexual violence. | The Guardian sought data going back five years to compare guidelines and strategies across institutions and to document the extent of sexual violence. |
| Eighteen universities provided some data on the number of allegations recorded. However, there was no standard system of reporting. Some listed individual rapes, sexual assault and harassment, broken down by year; some listed merely “confidential conversations with harassment advisers where incidents of this nature were discussed”. | Eighteen universities provided some data on the number of allegations recorded. However, there was no standard system of reporting. Some listed individual rapes, sexual assault and harassment, broken down by year; some listed merely “confidential conversations with harassment advisers where incidents of this nature were discussed”. |
| The numbers cited ranged between two and 44 over the past five years. Unsurprisingly, those that recorded all allegations, as opposed to some, tended to record higher numbers, with double rather than single figures. | The numbers cited ranged between two and 44 over the past five years. Unsurprisingly, those that recorded all allegations, as opposed to some, tended to record higher numbers, with double rather than single figures. |
| Rape crisis groups from university towns said such figures were likely to be a “gross underestimate” of sexual violence on campus. | Rape crisis groups from university towns said such figures were likely to be a “gross underestimate” of sexual violence on campus. |
| Related: Former student fails in legal challenge over Oxford's handling of rape claims | Related: Former student fails in legal challenge over Oxford's handling of rape claims |
| Last year, the National Union of Students revealed one in four students have suffered unwelcome sexual advances, defined as inappropriate touching and groping, and that 60% of students were unaware of any university codes of conduct that prohibit or tackle such behaviour. | Last year, the National Union of Students revealed one in four students have suffered unwelcome sexual advances, defined as inappropriate touching and groping, and that 60% of students were unaware of any university codes of conduct that prohibit or tackle such behaviour. |
| The NUS 2010 Hidden Marks report found one in seven had experienced serious sexual or physical violence and 68% had been sexually harassed, while a survey by Cambridge University student union in April last year found almost a third of its students said they had been sexually assaulted. | The NUS 2010 Hidden Marks report found one in seven had experienced serious sexual or physical violence and 68% had been sexually harassed, while a survey by Cambridge University student union in April last year found almost a third of its students said they had been sexually assaulted. |
| Whitfield estimates at least 10% of the 6,500 clients accessing Crasac’s services each year are students. That figure includes all contact, from phoning the helpline, to counselling and advocacy services, but it gives an indication of the scale of the problem. She said universities have a duty of care to their students and said age 18-24, which most students fall into, is the peak age range in which sexual assaults occur. | Whitfield estimates at least 10% of the 6,500 clients accessing Crasac’s services each year are students. That figure includes all contact, from phoning the helpline, to counselling and advocacy services, but it gives an indication of the scale of the problem. She said universities have a duty of care to their students and said age 18-24, which most students fall into, is the peak age range in which sexual assaults occur. |
| The response of universities to allegations of sexual violence was too “hit and miss”, Whitfield said. | The response of universities to allegations of sexual violence was too “hit and miss”, Whitfield said. |
| “We’ve had clients come to us who have said: ‘I’ve spoken to the university and nobody knew what to do, so I Googled rape and found you’, to those who say ‘I was led to believe that I had to go to the police and I’m not ready’, to those who have said ‘I’ve been referred by the university’,” she said. | “We’ve had clients come to us who have said: ‘I’ve spoken to the university and nobody knew what to do, so I Googled rape and found you’, to those who say ‘I was led to believe that I had to go to the police and I’m not ready’, to those who have said ‘I’ve been referred by the university’,” she said. |
| There’s no evidence of a specific strategy or joined-up work across all the universities | There’s no evidence of a specific strategy or joined-up work across all the universities |
| Susuana Antubam, the NUS women’s officer, said most universities are not doing enough to acknowledge and confront the problem, even when their students highlight the issues through their unions and NUS initiatives. Antubam said: “When 60% of students say they are not aware of any university codes of conduct that prohibit or tackle sexual comments, advances, intimidation or harassment it is clear that universities must face up to this issue.” | Susuana Antubam, the NUS women’s officer, said most universities are not doing enough to acknowledge and confront the problem, even when their students highlight the issues through their unions and NUS initiatives. Antubam said: “When 60% of students say they are not aware of any university codes of conduct that prohibit or tackle sexual comments, advances, intimidation or harassment it is clear that universities must face up to this issue.” |
| British universities have no legal duty to record sexual violence, unlike in the US, where the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to publish annual statistics on all crime, including sexual assault. US colleges have an additional legal duty to respond to sexual violence allegations. | British universities have no legal duty to record sexual violence, unlike in the US, where the Clery Act requires colleges and universities to publish annual statistics on all crime, including sexual assault. US colleges have an additional legal duty to respond to sexual violence allegations. |
| Commenting on the Guardian’s report, Fee Scott of Devon Rape Crisis Service said: “There’s no evidence of a specific strategy or joined-up work across all the universities. The low figures are unsurprising given there is no strategy that targets these specific issues, part of a very big and growing problem.” | Commenting on the Guardian’s report, Fee Scott of Devon Rape Crisis Service said: “There’s no evidence of a specific strategy or joined-up work across all the universities. The low figures are unsurprising given there is no strategy that targets these specific issues, part of a very big and growing problem.” |
| Scott, whose centre is based in Exeter, a university town, said her office was contacted by 1,200 clients a year, a third of whom are aged between 18-24. | Scott, whose centre is based in Exeter, a university town, said her office was contacted by 1,200 clients a year, a third of whom are aged between 18-24. |
| Related: Sexual harassment rife at UK universities, says NUS | Related: Sexual harassment rife at UK universities, says NUS |
| “In terms of money, time and resources, it is these big universities that should be taking the lead on this,” said Scott. “If a prestigious university put out a strong message that we don’t accept sexual violence, instead of leaving it to students, that would be very powerful.” | “In terms of money, time and resources, it is these big universities that should be taking the lead on this,” said Scott. “If a prestigious university put out a strong message that we don’t accept sexual violence, instead of leaving it to students, that would be very powerful.” |
| Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said: “Russell Group universities take the issue of any kind of harassment, abuse or violence against women extremely seriously indeed. Our institutions have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with these matters, because ensuring student safety and wellbeing is extremely important to us.” | Dr Wendy Piatt, director general of the Russell Group, said: “Russell Group universities take the issue of any kind of harassment, abuse or violence against women extremely seriously indeed. Our institutions have robust policies and procedures in place to deal with these matters, because ensuring student safety and wellbeing is extremely important to us.” |
| • This footnote was added on 2 June 2015. The data on elite universities and their policies on reporting sexual violence was based on the responses the Guardian received to FoI requests. Leeds University, when asked on two separate occasions for a copy of its guidelines, did not provide any and said it dealt with students on a “case by case” basis. However, following publication, we have been contacted by Leeds University to say that they do have such guidelines, as part of their policy on bullying, harassment and victimisation. |