This
report summarises the evidence considered by the Universities UK Taskforce
to examine violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting
university students, and makes a series of recommendations for universities and
UUK. These recommendations cover both prevention activities and how
universities can respond to these issues more effectively in future.
Universities UK established the Taskforce in 2015. It met four
times over a 12-month period and considered a vast range of evidence from
individual universities, the National Union of Students and other organisations
including Rape Crisis, Tell MAMA, the Union of Jewish Students and
Stonewall.
The report includes a number of case studies from individual
universities as well as links to key support agencies that can assist students
who have experienced violence, harassment or hate crime.
Separately, new guidelines have also been published offering
advice to universities on handling alleged student misconduct which may also
constitute a criminal offence.
These guidelines were drafted following evidence to suggest that
the existing guidance in this area was no longer wholly relevant.