A permissive culture at Britain’s universities is flourishing because the institutions fail to challenge it. As we report on Saturday, victims of sexual harassment and violence believe the situation is as bad as the scandal of abuse by Jimmy Savile: people avoid taking action because preserving their institution’s reputation outweighs the harm done to the victim. It is impossible to estimate the extent of the problem: there are no public records, and victims are often reluctant to report harassment in case it risks their future academic career. Where cases are settled, they are kept secret under non-disclosure agreements. The perpetrator can leave and go to another job with a clean record; the victim is often left damaged and unsupported.
No one doubts that sexual harassment and sexual violence are a serious problem long before university. In August, MPs published a report on the situation in schools which concluded that, although it was hard to say if it was getting worse, the problem of harassment and violence in the era of social media was unquestionably being exacerbated by the greater access to pornography and online platforms. They proposed a plan of action: clear national guidance describing what was meant by sexual harassment; sex and relationship education that explicitly challenged some male attitudes; and a framework of assessment monitored by Ofsted. In September, the End Violence Against Women coalition described harassment in schools as endemic; worse from 2012 to 2015, 600 rapes were reported to the police, almost one for every school day.
Now the Guardian’s reporting suggests the problem extends on to universities. For undergraduates, the problem is mainly other students. But for postgraduate students it turns into an even more malign abuse of position where supervisors with power over a student’s future can exploit it to harass them.
Later this month, the universities’ umbrella group Universities UK will publish its own “robust” recommendations to tackle what it acknowledges as a serious problem. Campaigners want a consistent approach challenging the permissive culture on campus. They want more allegations pursued to a conclusion: universities should worry less about being sued by the alleged perpetrator and more about the experience of the victim. They are right. And this government, where women ministers run all the key departments, should challenge the universities to make it happen.
