- Active Bystander Training: Rolling out to hundreds of society committee members and other student leaders, equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to identify harassment of all types – but especially sexual harassment – and Call It Out.
- Call It Out: You’ll be able to spot Call it Out branding across the Guild with resources information for you to access.
- Conversations on Campus: We are going to be appearing across campus to have conversations with students about their day to day experience of campus culture.
- Events: There’ll be a series of events for you to engage with around exploring how we can work together to end the culture of harassment on campus – keep your eyes on this page for more.
Did you know that 68% of women students across the UK have been the victim of sexual harassment at University?
Sexual harassment and assault can include unwanted groping, pinching or smacking of your body, uninvited kisses or bodily contact – but it isn’t just physical. Wolf-whistling and catcalling, inappropriate sexual comments, sexually-based insults, jokes, songs or taunts are also included – it’s any type of this behaviour which makes someone feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, it’s not just women who can experience this – and harassment isn’t only sexual or gendered. Work by Universities UK has found evidence of a serious culture of harassment on UK campuses. One in five LGB and one in three Trans students have reported being harassed at university.
Liverpool Guild of Students says enough is enough – which is why we’re launching our Call It Out campaign to draw attention to, and tackle, all forms of harassment and abuse on campus.
- If you haven’t received Active Bystander training but would like to, e-mail peter.gaffney@liverpool.ac.uk to register your interest for a session.
- Equip yourself with basic knowledge about how to deal with harassment when you see it.
- Keep your eye on this page and the Guild website to see the activity and events we’ll be running through the next few terms.
- The University wants students who have been the victim of harassment online to confidentially and anonymously share their experiences so we can better understand the problem. If you would like to take part please contact Dr Fiona O'Rourke on f.o-rourke@liverpool.ac.uk. All students who participate in an interview will receive a £10 gift voucher to cover their time.
The Guild’s Advice Service offers free and confidential advice to all University of Liverpool students. We are independent from the University and local authorities, and here to support you. Our advice is non-judgmental and aims to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about the options available. The advice service will support you through reporting of an incident – either to the University through Student Welfare and Guidance or to the local authorities. You can also contact a number of external organisationsif you’d feel more comfortable doing so including Safe Place, the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre and Rape Crisis for sexual misconduct, and Victim Care for all forms of harassment.
TOP TIPS FOR CALLING IT OUT
If you witness a situation that makes you feel uncomfortable; such as physical misconduct, inappropriate jokes, leering, staring or any inappropriate or offensive behaviour, you can intervene in different ways – either at the time of the event or afterwards.
Intervention is not limited to stopping the incident but also creating safer more welcoming cultures; if you chose to act after the event it does not make your actions any less impactful. Any intervention creates a positive impact and encourages and empowers others to become active bystanders.
Intervene directly to stop a situation; this could be confronting a perpetrator or checking if the person being harassed is ok.
You should only intervene once you have assessed the situation to ensure your personal safety
If you don’t feel comfortable in intervening directly, you can diffuse the situation through indirect action, for example distracting the perpetrator so the person being harassed can leave.
Don’t feel like you need to act alone, there are lot of people on campus trained to support and prevent harassment on campus.
You can delegate to Campus Security, Guild Staff – whether it is bar staff, a society coordinator or advisor.
You can delegate at the time or after the event.
If it isn’t possible to intervene at the time, or if intervention would compromise your safety, you can still act after the event, it does not make your actions any less impactful.
You can check if the individual involved is ok, question the perpetrator’s behaviour or report the incident.
