#NEVEROK

Creating a safe, inclusive campus where everyone feels supported, respected, and free from violence and discrimination

What Is #NeverOK?

#NeverOK is a comprehensive campaign that aims to end all forms of violence and discriminatory behaviour on our campus. This includes but is not limited to sexual violence, racism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia. Every member of our community has the right to live and study in a safe and supportive environment.

What we all love about Keele is our sense of community. We care about what happens on our campus, and we want to ensure that everyone, whoever they are, whatever they study or wherever they live, feels safe, supported and accepted.

We recognise that harmful behaviours can occur in any community. People can offend, take advantage, and cause harm through disrespectful actions, discriminatory jokes, bullying, or sexual assault. #NeverOK is about making a collective commitment to take a stand against these behaviours because they are never acceptable.

Behaviours That Are #NeverOK

Sexual Violence: An umbrella term covering sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape and sexual abuse. It is defined as any unwanted sexual act or activity, involving physical contact, words spoken or written, or photographs, that takes place without the other person's full and informed affirmative consent.

Hate Crime: A crime which is motivated by prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity.

Racism: Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism by an individual, community or institution against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group, typically one that is minoritised or marginalised.

Sexism: Prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.

Ableism: Discrimination in favour of able-bodied people.

Homophobia: Hostility to, prejudice or discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people.

Transphobia: Hostility to, prejudice or discrimination against transgender people.

Islamophobia: Hostility to, prejudice or discrimination against Islam or Muslims.

Anti-semitism: Hostility to, prejudice or discrimination against Jewish people.

Understanding Sexual Consent

Sexual consent means a person willingly agrees to have sex or engage in a sexual activity, and they are free and able to make their own decision. Sex without consent is rape or sexual assault, so understanding what consent means really matters. Consent should always be clear; if there is any doubt, you should always stop and ask.

When And How To Ask For Consent

Always ask for consent before you begin any sexual activity unless you have mutually agreed otherwise — even if your partner consented to that particular activity in the past.

Ask in a way that makes it clear it would be okay if they said "no" — otherwise, you might be pressuring them to do something they don't want to do.

Pay attention to your partner's body language. If they pull away, tense up, look uncomfortable, laugh nervously, or are quiet or not responding, you should check in.

Debunking Harmful Myths

Myth: "Some people are just asking for it based on how they dress" Reality: A person has the right to wear whatever they like - they cannot be blamed for suffering a sexual assault, regardless of their appearance. Rape or sexual assault is never a person's fault, it is a choice an abuser makes and it is against the law.

Myth: "People who get too drunk are asking for it" Reality: Deciding to drink does not mean that a person has also decided to have sex. Having sex with someone who is too intoxicated to give full consent is rape.

Myth: "Previous consent means ongoing consent" Reality: If a person is in a relationship with someone or has had sex with them before, this does not mean that they cannot be sexually assaulted or raped by that person. Consent must be given and received every time.

Myth: "No means maybe or playing hard to get" Reality: No means no! If someone says no, or indicates through their actions that they don't want to have sex, then they haven't consented.

Myth: "Men don't get raped and women don't commit sexual offences" Reality: Anyone can be a victim of sexual violence, and anyone can perpetrate it. Both men and women can be raped and abused in same-sex relationships too.

How To Be An Active Bystander

#NeverOK is about taking a stand against any form of violence and discriminatory behaviour. Instead of being a passive bystander, we're asking the Keele community to become active bystanders when it's safe to do so.

Direct: If it feels safe, speak to the perpetrator directly, explaining why you don't think their behaviour is acceptable.

Delegate: Look for the support of a bartender, security, the police, or any other authority figure who can help.

Distract: If you're able to, call the victim's phone or engage them in a conversation to remove them from the situation.

Always choose a safe and sensible way to intervene that feels natural to you.

We offer in-depth workshops on bystander intervention for societies and student groups. If you're interested, reach out to us at: su.voice@keele.ac.uk

Supporting Our Community During Global Events

During times of global tension, including events in Israel and Palestine, we recognise there may be a higher risk of antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli incidents. This is a moment to support all students and stand firm in tackling hate speech and abuse.

We encourage leadership through:

• Speaking and acting with compassion, sensitivity and humanity
• Being generous in spirit to people who are reacting from pain and fear
• Making sure Jewish, Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian students feel safe and welcome

Never:

• Justify, celebrate, or excuse violence, killing or suffering
• Target students with hate or abuse based on their identity
• Assume someone's political beliefs or demand that they take a stance
• Interrupt vigils or deface memorials

Report A Hate Crime or Incident

Keele University has developed a bespoke anonymous reporting tool for both staff and students to report hate crime, microaggressions, and discrimination. This tool provides a safe space for victims and witnesses to report incidents while maintaining anonymity unless you choose to share your contact details.

⚠️ This reporting tool is NOT for emergency situations. In an emergency, call 999 immediately.

Why Report?

It helps us help you: We can guide you to relevant support networks and put measures in place to ensure this experience doesn't jeopardise your education and wellbeing.

It helps others: Reporting helps us prevent future incidents, shows us where we need targeted improvements, and helps create a safer experience for the entire Keele community.

Additional Reporting Options

Emergency Services 📞 999 - Emergency police 📞 101 - Non-emergency police 📞 01782 733999 - Keele Out of Hours

Online Reporting 🌐 www.report-it.org.uk 🌐 KeeleSU.com/ask

Specialist Support 🏳️‍🌈 www.galop.org.uk - LGBT+ support 🕌 tellmamauk.org - Muslim support ✡️ cst.org.uk - Antisemitism support

Get Involved

The #NeverOK campaign is about all of us working together to create a campus where everyone feels safe, supported, and respected. Here's how you can get involved:

Attend our workshops: Learn about bystander intervention and consent education

Spread awareness: Share information about #NeverOK with your friends and societies

Report incidents: Use our anonymous reporting tool to help us understand and address issues

Support others: Be there for fellow students who may need help

Contact Us: su.voice@keele.ac.uk Report Anonymously: keelesu.com/neverok/