Shock report shows student victims of serious sexual assault in NI too 'embarrassed' to report crimes

More than 100 students who were seriously sexually assaulted while at further or higher education institutions in Northern Ireland felt "too ashamed" to report it to police, a new survey has found.

Overall, 1 in 4 said they had experienced some form of unwanted sexual behaviour, be that groping, touching, assault or serious assault.

Only 5% of students who had experienced it and who had told someone about their experiences had formally reported it, with 76% believing it wasn’t serious enough to report.

More than 2,200 students took part in the survey across all 11 further and higher education institutions here.

Recent figures from the PSNI show nearly 3,500 cases of sexual assault and violence were reported to police.

Key findings from the NUS-USI include:

• 1 in 4 respondents (25%) had experienced unwanted touching or body exposure.

• Only 5% of students who had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour who had told someone about their experiences had formally reported it

• 1 in 10 respondents (10%) had another student confiding in them about being a victim of serious sexual assault

• 50% of respondents want to see campaigns raising awareness of creating a safe environment for students.

• 62% of survey respondents want to see better RSE to help create a safer environment.

President Olivia Potter-Hughes said the NUS-USI findings were 'appalling'.

She stated: “We believe that this report and the shocking findings contained within it provide a clear evidence base for the need for government to act immediately to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour.

"NUS-USI has put forward a number of recommendations following on from the findings contained within this report. For example, we want government and education institutions to deliver additional support and services for people who have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour.

"We believe government and schools should review their relationship and sex education (RSE) programmes to ensure that the information provided puts consent at the centre of provision and that all RSE delivered in schools is inclusive and comprehensive.

62% of survey respondents want to see better RSE to help create a safer environment.

She continued: "We want existing support services to be better promoted by government and education institutions, and 54% of survey respondents wished to see improved awareness of support services available.

“NUS-USI believes that additional resources should be delivered to promote consent in wider society and on campus.

"50% of respondents want to see campaigns raising awareness of creating a safe environment for students.

“We want training to be provided for FE and HE staff to help them address sexual violence at tertiary education institutions, and 48% of respondents to the survey want to see this delivered. We also believe that the legal definition of rape must be amended, as we believe that the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008 doesn’t accurately deliver a full definition of rape.

"Not only does this facilitate rapists being tried for lesser sentences, retraumatizing victims/survivors in the process, it is also not inclusive of gender or sexual orientation.

“We at NUS-USI would like to thank the students of Northern Ireland for their tremendous courage and initiative in driving for change within the area of sexual violence. These statistics are not just numbers. They are people’s lives, their experiences, and they must not be ignored."

Please do not hesitate to contact the organisations below if you feel distressed or want to talk to someone.

NEXUS NI - 028 9032 6803

24 hour Domestic & Sexual Violence Helpline: 0808 802 1414

ROWAN: 0800 389 4424

Lifeline: 0808 808 800

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