I’m sure we can all remember the “chat” we had with our loved ones before we left for uni. You know the one where we’re told about everything from staying safe on campus, responsible drinking, safe sex and how to avoid food poisoning?
Me and my mom talked about how to boil an egg. That’s the truth of it. We talked about how I should text them every time I arrived on campus safely to avoid my dad breaking the speed limit on the M6 to ‘rescue me’. We talked about all the information we found in the prospectus or on the website and how I should always leave home half an hour early to make sure I didn’t miss a lecture.
We talked about the small stuff; the inconsequential stuff that I could learn on my own or ask google. Don’t get me wrong, the small stuff matters. The small stuff is what keeps us close, and helps my parents feel like they’ve raised a successful young adult who was capable of looking after herself.
But we didn’t talk about everything. We didn’t talk about how, when I eventually moved into student accommodation, I might feel very homesick. We didn’t talk about how one of my landlord’s might sneak into my rented flat over the Christmas period and leave my heating on (I’m still haunted by that bill). We didn’t talk about the terribly embarrassing things I would watch my course mates endure as they tried to fit in. We didn’t talk about how the pressure of deadlines would be so intense, that I’d be staying up all night in the library surrounded by peers taking “study drugs”. We didn’t talk about how some students are forced to live up to impossible academic and professional standards. But perhaps worst of all, we didn’t talk about how I might experience sexism first hand, witness racism first hand, or have to support a friend that was going through something that I could only have previously imagined.
I wish I’d had these conversations. Or that my friends had had these conversations with their loved ones. I wish we’d been better prepared. Maybe we were. Maybe we just don’t remember these conversations taking place all those years ago. Maybe we had them and chose to ignore the advice of our parents. Maybe we simply didn’t listen.
We’re a stubborn bunch; fledgling adults entering into the world for the first time. We want to live and learn and make mistakes. We don’t need to be home by curfew, eat our vegetables or hide the low cut tops. It’s our right to explore the world. But it’s important we do it safely.
Five years later, in my second year as an elected sabbatical officer, with a degree and two thirds of a masters under my belt, I know things I didn’t know back when I started. I know that students will make mistakes and that those mistakes will define your university experience. Now for some of you they could lead to the most fantastic memories but as the Welfare and Internationalisation Officer I know this isn’t always the case.
There are some parts of university that we, as students, have come to accept as inevitable. Whether that be starting an essay the night before it’s due and staying late in the library or less palatable things like sexism, racism, homophobia or bullying.
One conversation I do remember having with my parents before leaving home in my second year was about how I should behave in order to avoid being attacked. And if there’s one thing I know now it’s that that conversation was wrong. Sure I could walk home with a buddy, or make sure my skirt was long enough (but who knows how long is long enough!), or make sure I had a drink of water before heading home. But it’s not about how I behave; it’s about how other people should treat me. That’s why I started Easy Tiger.
With 1 in 3 women experiencing some form of sexual harassment during their time at university and 1 in 7 students being subject to serious instances of sexual violence, it’s no surprise that our loved ones worry. We should be worried too.
I know I was when I read the hidden marks report from NUS and started doing my research before running for election to be a union officer. Especially when students are, in many cases, reluctant to come forward and report their experiences. Can we blame them? I don’t think so. Not when victim blaming and inadequate support was so prevalent on campuses. Something that we have worked hard to address here at Keele. At this time NUS also campaigned for the removal of the Zellick Report, which recommended how universities should respond to instances of sexual violence, saying “The Zellick Report is outdated, lacks guidance for universities and fails to give adequate support for student survivors of sexual assault within higher education institutions” (Read about their Stand By Me campaign here. http://www.nusconnect.org.uk/articles/5-reasons-why-we-should-scrap-the-zellick-report-standbyme). This great work alongside the work of others and examples of best practice coming out of the USA has informed the recommendations published by the Universities UK (UUK) Taskforce into sexual violence in higher education which is now being looked at for implementation across the sector. (The UUK report here: http://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/policy-and-analysis/reports/Pages/harassment-taskforce-report-1.aspx).
I didn’t live in a bubble, I knew harassment and sexism were a problem on campus’, I’d experienced it myself. Whether it’s having your bum grabbed in the union, being belittled in class because your contribution isn’t as important as your male counterparts or being followed back to halls of residence only to be forced to drink far more than you should and share a bed with a practical stranger. There’s a sense of entitlement that some students feel over others. I’ve seen it happen to my friends and I’ve had it happen to me.
And this isn’t about being a feminist or what your politics are. It’s about wanting to be able to have the same experience as everyone else. Regardless of gender, race or sexuality. It’s about not having to worry about whether your outfit is ‘asking for it’ or if you’re being ‘too friendly’ at the bar or being worried about having too much to drink. Part of my preparations for a night out should never have to include checking my outfit with one of my guy mates who's firmly in the friend zone to see if my skirt's too short or if my B cups are giving the wrong impression. But sadly it's become just as important as the half a bottle of wine I drink as I do my makeup!
|
They say that sabbatical officers or student representatives focus on things, rightly or wrongly, that have affected them and I guess that’s what I did with this particular aspect of the ‘student experience’, it’s certainly something that I’m incredibly passionate about and have been since I chose to hone my Politics and International Relations degree into gendered politics and learnt that just because women can vote and some figures show us that the gender pay gap is gone doesn’t mean that gendered issues do not exist.
Easy Tiger, a sexual health and consent campaign, was the first campaign I’d ever really started, and I couldn’t have imagined then what it would become. As part of the campaign, I've given out 27,000 condoms (not personally) and delivered consent workshops talking about how consent isn’t sexy to anyone that would listen. If there is any question that I have one of the oddest jobs on campus delivering consent training to university staff surely gets me the award. Talking about consent isn’t easy, even for me, so I know it can’t be easy for anyone. There are perceptions of university life and pressures that come along with them. Certainly when it comes to sex. Social and societal norms don’t help here and that’s why it’s important that we talk about sex and consent on campus. Aside from work on campus I’ve also been able to talk about the work we’re doing here at a national level at NUS and have even been invited to speak alongside Ian Munton, (Head of Student Support and Development Services) at an AMOSSHE (The Student Services Organisation) National Conference on the subject of Sexual Violence in HE. . This is all really exciting but I must confess that no matter how many times I do it, public speaking is still super scary!
In many ways, I’m prouder of the work that has been done at institutional level than I am of the campaign. Working alongside Student Support and Development Services (SSDS), Keele University has spearheaded much of the work on sexual violence Policy and prevention across the sector. It’s wonderful to work alongside such passionate and dedicated staff and with leadership at institutional level from our Vice Chancellor supporting the work all the way. Developing an independent policy has, at times, seemed impossible as university staff grappled with discipline and student experience (two things that are rarely friends) and focussing unapologetically on support. But we now have something concrete that adequately responds to the needs of our students, aims to help reduce the prevalence of instances of sexual violence and takes on board the recommendations of the UUK Task Force.
|
Keele now has a Sexual Violence Prevention and Support Team that are on hand to provide knowledgeable and caring 'wrap around support' for survivors of sexual violence and are truly there to help the student. There are great resources too, they can be found here (keele.ac.uk/sexualviolence) with all the information you might need.
At the Student Union it was suggested by one of my good friends that we should have a team that can help too and provide a pathway into the great work that’s being done by the university. So another training session down we now have that team! It was overwhelming to have so many members of bar staff and the First Aid and steward team want to take this role at the SU and be there for students. You can find out who is on your team here (keelesu.com/easytiger).
All of this work has been informed by countless training sessions and Keele has even been a part of developing training for others. Working with Lime Culture, the UK’s leading sexual violence training company, to develop an accreditation package has been invaluable. The first round of this training is to be delivered in November and December and I’ve been lucky enough to be able to attend.
I came to Keele knowing that I was going to study Politics and even chose a Masters course in Human Rights, Globalisation and Justice never knowing if I would ever apply it again after I’d left. Now that I’ve been able to work on this project and with such passionate and dedicated people I know now exactly why I chose to study those things and hope that taking this path will allow me to apply them.
I’m really proud of what we have achieved at Keele but know that when one project comes to a close, others need to be started.
Universities are starting to look at the Intervention Initiative after Public Health England funded some remarkable research that has been done at the University of West England (UWE) into evidence-based bystander programming. The literature review can be found here (http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/bl/research/interventioninitiative/abouttheprogramme.aspx) and the paper outlining the statistical significance of this project will be released soon.
As with sexual violence passionate and dedicated staff at Keele are ready to take on the challenge and implement the work on our campus. Over the summer we’ve been working with Staffordshire University to launch an active by-stander programme. We say no to sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia or discrimination of any form and #NeverStandBy.
It’s Our Community
It’s Our Responsibility
We pride ourselves on being distinctly Keele and our community is perhaps the biggest factor in that. This campaign encourages students to shape their community to be welcoming, inclusive and tolerant of all it’s members. We should step in and say something or do something by removing someone from a situation. If we can pledge to do those simple things we can make a great difference to our community and to others. We launch the campaign this Wednesday in Anti-Bullying Awareness Week. Follow the campaign and pledge here (https://neverstandby.nationbuilder.com/)
I know this work will be exciting and has the potential to make a significant difference when it comes to social and societal norms. It’s only a shame that the Education Act means I can’t be an officer for another year to see the project grow!