Friday 03-02-2017 - 13:16

On Wednesday I released a joint statement with Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Stuart Corbridge, addressing all students in light of the recent press coverage about sexual violence at Durham. I wanted to take this opportunity to speak about this further, encourage everyone to get involved in this conversation and to use the current circumstances as a positive prompt for action. 

Lots of good work has been done here at Durham on sexual violence, and in many ways, the University is a sector leader. Since the establishment of the Durham Sexual Violence Taskforce, the University has doubled the level of specialist support offered for our students through Rape Crisis, increased staff and student training (which Durham SU has also been running), and appointed a full-time Student Support and Training Officer (Sexual Violence and Misconduct), the first role of its kind in the country. 

However sexual violence happens in Durham. It is a problem for students in Durham. The size of that problem relative to other institutions is just semantics to those affected, many of whom are women students and vulnerable individuals. Our challenge as a community is to make sure that good intentions and good policies make it off the page and into our day-to-day interactions with each other. 

Sexual violence is an uncomfortable topic of conversation. It is however, one that we need to talk about openly, honestly, and between ourselves as well as with our institution. I would encourage you all to come along to one of the conversation meetings with the University (dates and locations below) to ask questions, raise concerns and help us build the trust we need within our community to engage with this issue inclusively and regularly. Durham excels at developing leaders, within our Students’ Union, our Colleges, our courses, our student groups and our sports teams. We have the skills and connections to change attitudes and lead by example within our community. We all have the responsibility to do so.

I have heard many say that a zero tolerance approach to sexual violence is too harsh, or difficult to implement because it’s a cultural problem or a matter of attitudes. I do not agree.

So do attitudes need to change then? Does Durham have a ‘cultural’ problem as we’ve been reading in recent press? Yes, I think we do. As we all know and love, Durham is a unique place to study. But too often we accept casual sexual harassment both in words and behaviour, making it seem ‘normal’.  This is often magnified by the close-knit nature of our college, sporting, academic and social groups, where the fear of judgement or disbelief within these groups makes speaking up - to question or object to behaviour - incredibly uncomfortable.  Our Durham community presents an opportunity to question and change this culture. I hope that the Vice Chancellor’s commitment is matched by a student will to end sexual violence and misconduct here.

There is an extensive body of research about responding to this challenge. Our Community Officer, Joanna Gower, has conducted research into changing attitudes to sexual violence, and feedback from students showed how important it is that students question inappropriate and sexualised comments and behaviours. That is a change we can all take action to make happen. 

So this is a shout out to all those fantastic student leaders I mentioned earlier, and this powerful community we have here in Durham - how can we prompt these conversations and support them to happen? The obvious, initial action is to lead by example, and support others that do this. Start questioning behaviour and language that perpetuates casual disrespect - our own, that of our peers, that of our student leaders and of staff.  Start conversations. Find out more. Feel empowered. Come along to Monday’s meeting, and then chat about what you hear with others. 

Want to tell us your ideas or concerns on this issue? You can contact me here.

University Conversation Meetings: 
Durham:  Monday 6 February, 1.30pm-2.30pm, D110, Dawson Building
Queen’s Campus: Thursday 9 February, 9.30am-10.30am, D010, Ebsworth Building