Dec
SCA and SUSU launch Sexual Assault Survey
*Content Warning: Mention of sexual assault and rape*
The Sexual Consent Awareness (SCA) society alongside SUSU, have recently launched a university wide survey to better understand sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape at the University.
The anonymous questionnaire looks to explore the need for “more adequate policies against sexual assault for students, more accessible support systems for students to access, and a harder line on condemning all forms of sexual assault and harassment at University.”
President of SCA Laura, says “We want to ensure all students are safe at university. The survey is important to SCA in the fight against sexual assault and rape as it will ensure our voice is heard and our needs as survivors and supporters of the cause are being met.”
The Sexual Consent Awareness society’s ‘consent in sports’ survey over summer saw that of 126 responses, 62% said they said they had been sexually assaulted, raped or harassed, and 52% said they knew somebody else in their own sports team or another that had been sexually assaulted, raped or harassed.
“We want to ensure all students are safe at university”
The data collected in this survey will be supported by other data collected by SCA so as to identify key areas of focus, such as why students do not feel they can report, how we market support and reporting services to ensure students are aware of these, as well as if there are any communities who have extra barriers to support we need to look at such as BAME or LGBT+ students.
Laura says, “we are aiming for as close to one thousand students as much as possible, so that the University executives cannot ignore such a large number of students affected by this issue.”
This information will only be used to support our efforts to ensure all students are safe at university – it will not be used to identify you. You don’t need to be a survivor to take part in this survey. Please ensure you feel able to complete the survey before doing so, as it could be emotionally difficult for some people.
Please take the survey here.
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If you would like some support before or after completing this, then please contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre:
www.susu.org/support/report-harassment
SUSU Advice Centre – open 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday
Tel: 023 8059 2085
Email: advice@susu.org
The University Student Support Drop-in runs as follows:
Monday to Friday from 1pm – 3pm in the Student Services Building, Building 37, Highfield Campus (term-time).
You can also contact any of the following organisations:
www.angelou-centre.org.uk (BAME specific)
www.rapecrisis.org.uk
www.rasac.org.uk (Winchester)
www.samaritans.org
www.stophateuk.org (LGBT+ specific)
www.survivorsuk.org (male specific)
www.yellowdoor.org.uk
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For the Christmas and Consent period, SCA have created a ‘Write for Survivors’ project as a fun, positive way to support consent and support survivors. SCA are asking people to submit messages that will go inside Christmas cards for survivors and anyone else to look at. These will then go up in SUSU’s buildings. “Christmas can be a difficult and vulnerable time for many people and a 2 minute message can make someones day.”
Submit your message by clicking here.
Tags: SCA, students, support, university
