Browsing by Author "Hill, Kimberley"
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Item Embargo Challenging Gender-Based Violence within the Campus Transition(2018-09) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, KimberleySexual assault, harassment and violence on university campuses is a prevalent and pressing concern. A recent Universities UK taskforce report recommended that urgent action in this area is needed and universities are significant sites for implementing a joined up approach. As a campus of Changemakers, inter-disciplinary researchers and support staff at University of Northampton decided to take action to address this significant and important issue. As one of only 60 institutions across the country to be awarded funding from HEFCE’s Catalyst fund, our ‘New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate’ cross collaborative project aimed to create vital partnerships in tackling sexual violence and hate crime on campus. The aims of the project were to evaluate existing policies and develop a student-led collaborative approach to identify what currently happens when disclosures are made; staff and student perceptions and experiences within the campus transition; as well as provide recommendations for new institutional policies, strategies and recommendations to support students in reporting harassment, sexual abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. As part of this work, a survey of the existing literature, as well as an evaluation of existing processes and policies at The University of Northampton were carried out. Additional data collection involved 2 Staff and 2 student focus groups, as well as 11 interviews with members of the senior management team. These were conducted to discuss the nature and extent of issues at the University of Northampton, what support was in place for disclosures and recommendations for future practice within the new campus space. One of the student focus groups utilised photo-elicitation methods to allow students to visually conceptualise and create a new, safe campus space for the campus transition. This paper will present findings from the report compiled from this research and some reflections on the research process. An overview of the potential impact this project has, as well as the impact of this data on institutional processes and support mechanisms will also be provided. Recommendations and implications for future work and the HE sector will be discussed.Item Embargo Consent on Campus - Challenging Gender based Violence(2018-03) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, KimberleyRising rates of gender-based violence, sexual assaults and victimisation have made on-campus consent an important topic of research. Research suggests that consent is often misunderstood, but limited research has focused specifically on the perceptions and attitudes of consent among university students. In 2014, the National Union of Students (NUS) in the UK initiated a campaigned called ‘I Heart Consent’, which aimed to raise awareness of consent and challenge myths around gender-based violence. The campaign followed research conducted by the NUS which found that sexism and ‘lad culture’ were pervasive on campuses. The University of Northampton (UoN) is a campus of change-makers and wanted to start its own conversations about consent on-campus. Inter-disciplinary researchers from Law and Psychology convened a local ‘I Heart Consent’ week of action, to raise awareness about consent at a local level. This week of action involved cross disciplinary sessions as well as involvement from local organisations, such as Rape Crisis and an LGBTQ group. During this week, students were surveyed about their perceptions and understanding of issues around sexual consent, as well as their knowledge of gender-based violence and support services. This paper will provide an overview of the UoN’s week of action, while outlining findings from this research. A focus will be on the direct and practical applications of this work. For example, these findings may inform local policy and practice, as well as systems within Higher Education which provide support for students disclosing incidents of sexual violence and sexism. This will also include implications that this work has for future research, including how these findings might inform existing campaigns and the development of new campaigns which seek to address perceptions of consent within Higher Education in the UK. The implications of this research impact on the wellbeing of staff and students and discusses the implications of inter disciplinary working and the role of legal education when it comes to raising awareness and running campaigns addressing sexual violence on campus.Item Metadata only Consent on Campus - Challenging Gender Based Violence(2017-07) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, KimberleyThe National Union of Students (NUS) in UK initiated a campaigned called ‘I Heart Consent’ in 2014 which aimed to raise awareness of consent and challenge myths around gender based violence. The campaign followed research conducted by the NUS which found that sexism and lad culture were pervasive on campuses. Using the NUS campaign slogan, the University of Northampton had a week of action to raise awareness at a local level. This involved cross disciplinary sessions as well as involvement form local organisations, such as Rape Crisis and an LGBTQ group. During the week, students were surveyed about their perceptions and understanding of issues around sexual consent. There has been very little in depth research looking specifically at the perceptions and attitudes of consent amongst students. This paper will therefore explore perceptions within a case study following extensive surveying of students. The research is interdisciplinary, involving both law and psychology, and the results will have practical applications and will be used to inform policy, practice and systems within Higher Education to provide support for students disclosing incidents of sexual violence and sexism. The results will also be used to improve existing campaigns and developing new ones which seek to address perceptions of consent within Higher Education.Item Open Access Creating Conversations about Consent through an on-Campus, Curriculum Embedded Week of Action(Taylor and Francis, 2020-04-20) Hill, Kimberley; Crofts, MelanieSexual violence is a widespread issue on university campuses. Although not a new concern, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) within the United Kingdom (UK) have only recently begun to implement specific on-campus prevention strategies. Many approaches focus on increasing knowledge of consent and related harms, but are often not evaluated, or sit outside of the curriculum. While research is increasing, UK students’ perceptions of such approaches, as well as their on-campus experiences, reporting preference and advice seeking behaviour remain unclear. This article presents a case study of an award-nominated, annual ‘Consent’ week of action involving a range of free, cross-campus, inter-disciplinary workshops and events taking place within existing programme curricula activities. 171 students and 10 staff participants completed a 25-item survey focusing on event feedback, sexual violence victimisation experiences, bystander intervention opportunities, reporting preferences, support service knowledge and perceptions of consent. Our findings suggest that sexual violence is prevalent, with many students witnessing incidents, but not knowing where to report or seek advice. Reasons included self-management, stigma, safety concerns, limited faith in existing reporting mechanisms and the normative nature of sexual violence within UK HEIs. Students appeared to find consent difficult to navigate, viewing it as one-sided and binary. Students and staff rated the cross-campus ‘Consent’ week of action as excellent, outlining a range of benefits, particularly in increasing knowledge around consent. Our work highlights the importance of embedding consent-related initiatives within programme curricula, while highlighting challenges and recommendations for future initiatives within UK HEIsItem Open Access "I'd be reluctant to... start putting a whole bunch of bureaucratic machinery in place for a problem that doesn't exist or is marginal." The Challenges of Addressing Gender Based Violence in a Campus Context(2018-09) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, Kimberley; Barrick, RebeccaThe issue of sexual assault, harassment and violence on university campuses has been reported over recent years and months. In 2014 (building on a report from 2010), the National Union of Students issued a report “That’s what she said” which explored the impact of lad culture, sexism and harassment on campuses. In October 2016, Universities UK published their Taskforce Report “Changing the Culture” which examined the issues of violence against women, hate crime and harassment against students. The report concluded that universities are significant sites for action in this area urgent action was needed. Following the UUK’s Taskforce Report, HEFCE released £2.45 million from the Catalyst Fund to fund projects to address some of the issues which were identified in the UUK report. The UUK Report identified that Universities often did not have joined up policies and strategies for addressing issues of hate crime and sexual violence on campuses (p4). As a campus of Changemakers, inter-disciplinary researchers and support staff at University of Northampton decided to take action to address this significant and important issue. As one of only 60 institutions across the country whose bid was accepted, our ‘New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate’ cross Faculty, collaborative project aimed to create vital partnerships in tackling sexual violence and hate crime on campus. The aims of the project were: • To develop existing and new institutional policies and strategies to support students in reporting harassment, sexual abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. • To develop a student led collaborative initiative to identify what currently happens when disclosures are made, what good practice exists and how existing practice can be enhanced. • To use the insights to produce a robust policy and recommendations for staff training for when disclosures take place. • To ensure that the frameworks and training packages developed are suitable for delivery at the university’s new urban campus. Staff and students were invited to attend focus groups to discuss the nature and extent of issues at the University of Northampton and what support was in place for students making disclosures. In addition, interviews were carried out with members of the senior management team at the University to elicit their perceptions of the extent of the problem and the nature of support services available. An additional stage of research used creative visual methods to allow students to create their own safe new campus space. The focus of this presentation will be on the findings of this first qualitative stage of the project, including the significance of safe spaces/places for those on campus. An overview of the potential impact this project will have on both staff and students when disclosures of sexual violence and harassment are made, as well as the impact of this data on institutional processes and support mechanisms will also be provided. Recommendations and implications for future work will also be provided.Item Metadata only Management Perceptions of Sexual Violence on Campus(2020-04) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, KimberleyThis paper uses a Critical Race Theory lens with which to consider the approach taken by university management in a case study institution to the problem of sexual violence. Sexual violence and harassment on university campuses are not a new concern, but a widespread issue. (Freeman and Klein 2012; Lewis, Marine and Kenney 2016; National Union of Students (NUS) 2015; Phipps and Smith 2012; Phipps and Young 2013). Universities are significant sites for action for tackling sexual violence because they have a duty to provide safe and positive university experiences during this time. In this paper it is contended that there is a ‘gap’ between the requirements of the law and the measures taken by the case study to address the problem. The implications of this gap will be discussed in this paper. Further, and significantly, the views expressed by some of the university management team appear racist and classist and the problem of sexual violence is located with a particular group of students, absolving the case study university of any obligation to take action. The findings of this research will be discussed and the implications of these views considered further in light of reports such as the recent one from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, ‘Racial harassment in higher education: our inquiry’.Item Metadata only Management Perceptions of Sexual Violence on Campus: Implications for the Implementation of Institutional Policy and Legal Requirements(2020-07) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, KimberleySexual violence and harassment on university campuses are not a new concern, but a widespread issue. Universities are significant sites for action for tackling sexual violence, not only because they have a duty to provide safe and positive university experiences during this time, but also because of the paucity of research focusing on campuses within the United Kingdom (Phipps and Smith 2012; Public Health England 2016; UUK Taskforce 2016). Much of the existing research in this area focuses on US colleges, where on-campus sexual violence, harassment and assault are major concerns (Lewis, Marine and Kenney 2016; Phipps and Smith 2012; Giraldi and Monk-Turner 2017; Ministry of Justice Home Office & Office for National Statistics 2013). The prevalence of on-campus sexual violence and assaults within UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) is only just becoming apparent in the last decade or so. This paper uses a Critical Race Theory lens with which to consider the approach taken by university management in a case study institution to the problem of sexual violence. It is contended that there is a ‘gap’ between the requirements of the law and the measures taken by the case study to address the problem. The impact of this gap is that there are inadequate policies, procedures and support mechanisms for victims of sexual violence and harassment and therefore the case study could be in breach of their equality and human rights obligations. Further, university management team narratives appear to locate the problem of sexual violence within particular groups of students, which appeared to absolve the university of obligation to take action. Such apparent classist and racist attitudes and racial discrimination is not only a concern, but could indicate why slow progress has been made to tackle these issues.Item Open Access Managers’ Perceptions of Sexual Violence on Campus and the Implications for Policy and Legal Requirements in Higher Education(2023-04) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, Kimberley; Naqvi, ZainabFollowing an in-depth exploration of one University’s responses to sexual violence on campus, in this paper we argue that there is a gap between the legally required measures that Universities must take in this area and the measures that are actually taken. Policies, procedures, and support mechanisms for survivors of sexual violence and harassment are inadequate and fail to meet equality obligations. Further, University management teams’ attitudes towards sexual violence are dismissive and underpinned by racism and classism which explains the lack of progress made to tackle these issues. It is likely that these attitudes are indicative of wider higher education approaches to sexual violence and harassment which means that institutions are not only neglecting but breaching their legal duties. Universities must work to change the normative beliefs of management teams towards sexual violence and develop rigorous monitoring and reporting mechanisms.Item Metadata only Managers’ Perceptions of Sexual Violence on Campus and the Implications for Policy and Legal Requirements in Higher Education(2023-01) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, Kimberley; Naqvi, ZainabFollowing an in-depth exploration of one University’s responses to sexual violence on campus, in this paper we argue that there is a gap between the legally required measures that Universities must take in this area and the measures that are actually taken. Policies, procedures, and support mechanisms for survivors of sexual violence and harassment are inadequate and fail to meet equality obligations. Further, University management teams’ attitudes towards sexual violence are dismissive and underpinned by racism and classism which explains the lack of progress made to tackle these issues. It is likely that these attitudes are indicative of wider higher education approaches to sexual violence and harassment which means that institutions are not only neglecting but breaching their legal duties. Universities must work to change the normative beliefs of management teams towards sexual violence and develop rigorous monitoring and reporting mechanisms.Item Open Access New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate(Institute for Public Safety, Crime and Justice, University of Northampton, 2018-09) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, Kimberley; Barrick, Rebecca; Callaghan, Jane; Prokopiou, Evangelia; Armstrong-Hallam, SarahSexual assault, harassment, violence and hate crime on university campuses is a prevalent and pressing concern. A recent Universities UK taskforce report recommended that urgent action in this area is needed. Universities are significant sites for implementing a joined-up approach and tackling these issues. As a campus of Changemakers, students, inter-disciplinary researchers, professional and support staff at The University of Northampton decided to take action to address these significant and important issues, in particular within the context of a major campus move to a town centre location. As one of only 60 institutions across the country to be awarded funding from HEFCE’s Catalyst fund, this ‘New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate’ cross collaborative project aimed to create vital partnerships in tackling sexual violence and hate crime on campus. The aims of the project were to evaluate existing policies and develop a student-led collaborative approach to identify what currently happens when disclosures are made; staff and student perceptions, knowledge and experiences within the campus transition; as well as providing recommendations for new institutional policies, strategies and recommendations to support students in reporting harassment, sexual abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. This project also contributes to HEFCE’s wider work in creating guidelines and recommendations for HEIs for addressing these issues. A survey of the published literature, as well as an evaluation of existing processes and policies at The University of Northampton were carried out within this project. Data collection involved 2 Staff and 2 student focus groups, as well as 11 interviews with members of the university management team. These were conducted to discuss staff and student experiences, what support was in place for disclosures and recommendations for future practice within the transition to the new campus. One of the student focus groups utilised photo-elicitation methods to allow students to visually conceptualise and create a new, safe campus space. Recommendations are provided for understanding the prevalence of these issues within a campus context; tackle normative beliefs which may influence how they are perceived; increasing knowledge and awareness of sexual violence and hate crime; implementing mechanisms for disclosure and reporting; addressing issues related to security measures and procedures; enhancing partnership working within the local community. These recommendations have local impact and are being used to inform institutional policies and procedures at The University. Project findings are also being implemented into HEFCE’s wider work and national action around these issues. Internationally, the dissemination of these findings is contributing to the limited research in this area.Item Embargo Safe Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate(2017-07) Crofts, Melanie; Hill, Kimberley; Prokopiou, Evangelia; Armstrong-Hallam, Sarah; Callaghan, Jane; Barrick, RebeccaThe issue of sexual assault, harassment and violence on university campuses has been reported over recent years and months. In 2014 (building on a report from 2010), the National Union of Students issued a report “That’s what she said” which explored the impact of lad culture, sexism and harassment on campuses. In October 2016 Universities UK published their Taskforce Report “Changing the Culture” which examined the issues of violence against women, hate crime and harassment against students. Following the UUK’s Taskforce Report, HEFCE released £2.45 million from the Catalyst Fund to fund projects to address some of the issues which were identified in the UUK report. The UUK Report identified that Universities often did not have joined up policies and strategies for addressing issues of hate crime and sexual violence on campuses (p4). We decided that this was an issue which was significant and impacted the students at the University of Northampton and we were one of only 60 institutions across the country whose bid was accepted. ‘New Spaces: Safeguarding Students from Violence and Hate’ is a cross Faculty and collaborative project which has been created in partnership with outside organisations. The aims of the project are: • To develop existing and new institutional policies and strategies to support students in reporting harassment, sexual abuse, sexual violence and hate crime. • To develop a student led collaborative initiative to identify what currently happens when disclosures are made, what good practice exists and how existing practice can be enhanced. • To use the insights to produce a robust policy and training for staff for when disclosures take place. • To ensure that the frameworks and training packages developed are suitable for delivery at the university’s new urban campus. This presentation will therefore outline the aspects of the project and the significance of safe spaces/places as well as the potential impact that this project will have on both staff and students when disclosures of sexual violence and harassment are made.Item Metadata only Sexual Misconduct in Academia: Informing an Ethics of Care in the University(Routledge, 2023-03) Hill, Kimberley; Crofts, MelanieThis chapter provides an overview of our research that focusses on tackling sexual violence within UK universities. In this research, we consider sexual violence and misconduct as involving any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, where there is an absence of consent. For example, behaviours can include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour. This can be between students, staff and students, or between staff within universities. Our work provides an essential insight into areas such as experiences of sexual violence and harassment within UK universities, report and support- seeking behaviour, key recommendations for practice and an evaluation of how we have embedded consent conversations into university curricula. In 2016, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) released Catalyst funding for 63 projects and initiatives, to address sexual violence on UK campuses. As part of this, we conducted a mixed-method, cross-disciplinary body of research to review existing practices and policies in this area, developing student partnerships and providing an evidence base of these issues. The use of these approaches allowed us to innovatively triangulate the perceptions of sexual violence on UK campuses by university managers, staff and students, providing much-needed, in-depth and new insights into sexual violence perceptions, experiences, support-seeking knowledge and reporting preferences. In this chapter, we consider the prevalence of sexual violence within UK universities, as well as the legal implications and in-depth perceptions from students, staff and university managers, which is rarely the focus of work in this area. Based on these findings, we suggest that active, campus-wide campaigns increase awareness, but explain how changing the culture will not be possible if universities do not address barriers to disclosure or have inadequate policies and procedures in place. We also provide key recommendations for practice that should be adopted by decision makers in this area. We argue that sexual violence is a pressing, prevalent issue, but within under-resourced and changing Higher Education landscapes, this will remain a low priority without joined up, campus-wide approach, driven by university managers, to embed long-term, cultural change.Item Embargo Sexual Violence: Challenges in Changing Campus Culture(Routledge, 2022) Hill, Kimberley; Crofts, MelanieThis chapter provides an overview of our research which focuses on tackling sexual violence within UK Universities. In this research, we consider sexual violence and misconduct as involving any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, where there is an absence of consent. For example, behaviours can include rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, coercive and controlling behaviour. This can be between students, staff and students, or between staff within universities. Our work provides an essential insight into areas such as experiences of sexual violence and harassment within UK Universities, report and support seeking behaviour, key recommendations for practice and an evaluation of how we have embedded consent conversations into university curricula. In 2016, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) released Catalyst funding for 63 projects and initiatives, to address sexual violence on UK campuses. As part of this, we conducted a mixed-method, cross-disciplinary body of research to review existing practices and policies in this area, developing student partnerships and providing an evidence base of these issues. The use of these approaches allowed us to innovatively triangulate the perceptions of sexual violence on UK campuses by university managers, staff and students, providing much-needed, in-depth and new insights into sexual violence perceptions, experiences, support-seeking knowledge and reporting preferences. In this chapter, we consider the prevalence of sexual violence within UK Universities, as well as the legal implications and in-depth perceptions from students, staff and university managers, which is rarely the focus of work in this area. Based on these findings, we suggest that active, campus-wide campaigns increase awareness, but explain how changing the culture will not be possible if universities do not address barriers to disclosure or have inadequate policies and procedures in place. We also provide key recommendations for practice which we recommend should be adopted by decision makers in this area. We argue that sexual violence is a pressing, prevalent issue, but within under-resourced and changing Higher Education landscapes, will remain a low priority without joined up, campus-wide approach, driven by university managers, to embed long-term, cultural change.