education sector, with its community of 2.3 million students, is in prime position to change perceptions and culture and have a far-reaching and positive impact on wider society.
Violence against women and sexual harassment affecting students
23. University communities are made up of students of all ages, however, in 2014 – 15, 45 % of all students were under 21. 22 Institutions across the UK also have increasingly female populations – the latest figures for 2014 – 15 show that the higher education student population is 56 % female and 44 % male. In total, there are over one million female students enrolled in higher education. 23
24. The demographic profile of universities is important given that government analysis shows that females aged between 16 and 19 are most likely to be the target of a sexual offence( 8.2 %) compared to the prevalence rate across all females of 3 % and the prevalence rate across both males and females of 1.6 %. The same data also shows that female, full-time students have a high prevalence rate of 6.8 % 24. Similar trends were identified in Rape Crisis service user data for 2014 – 15, where roughly 28 % of service users were in the 18 – 25 age bracket. EVAW also found that 43 % of young women( aged 18 – 24) in London reported having experienced sexual harassment in public places over the previous year. 25 In a more recent EVAW poll, 85 % of women aged 18 – 24 said they had experienced unwanted sexual attention in public places and 45 % had experienced unwanted sexual touching. The results for women of all ages in the UK are similarly alarming with 64 % experiencing unwanted sexual attention and 35 % experiencing unwanted sexual touching. 26 In light of these trends, it is extremely important that universities are equipped to deal with such issues.
25. Men can also be victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. The institution-wide approach advocated by this report( chapter 5) will enable universities to take the necessary steps to respond irrespective of the gender of the victim / survivor.
26. The NUS has carried out a substantial amount of research and work on‘ lad culture’, sexual harassment and sexual assault, which is presented in Annexe C. This includes a 2010 survey 27 which found that 68 % of respondents had been subject to verbal or physical sexual harassment on campus and 14 % had experienced a serious physical or sexual assault( based on an online survey of 2,058 women students across the UK). Further research by the Centre for
22
Equality Challenge Unit, Equality in higher education: statistical report 2014, Part 2: students
23
HESA data – table HE student enrolments by mode of study, sex, level of study and domicile
24
https:// www. gov. uk / government / uploads / system / uploads / attachment _ data / file / 214970 / sexualoffending-overview-jan-2013. pdf. Based on analysis of survey data over three years from 2009 – 10 to 2011 – 12.
25
2012 survey
26 http:// www. endviolenceagainstwomen. org. uk / news / 234 / 85-of-younger-women-in-uk-have-beensexually-harassed-in-public
27
A national online survey of 2,058 women students’ experiences of harassment, financial control, control over their course and institution choices, stalking, violence and sexual assault. The findings are set out in the NUS report, Hidden Marks, available at: http:// www. nus. org. uk / Global / NUS _ hidden _ marks _ report _ 2nd _ edition _ web. pdf
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