University staff to be trained in rape counselling

Fifteen universities across Europe will this spring be taking part in a training programme that aims to school university staff in counselling of victims of sexual violence.

The research project, named Universities Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence (USV), is led by Brunel University London. It has been designed based on the idea that bar staff, security personnel and staff in halls could be the first people notified of a sexual assault.

In a bid to make it easier for victims to tell the truth about their experience and seek help, 80 employees at each university will learn how to support these victims. The £1.1 million EU-funded research project coincides with a fresh report by the NUS, proving that UK campus rapes have increased with the rise of sexist “lad culture”. Over half of the women responding to the study said that they experienced harassment and sexist treatment at university. Dr. Pam Alldred at Brunel University will be heading the project, in cooperation with Dr. Ruth Caleb, Chair of Universities UKS mental wellbeing working group.

Head of Communications at Brunel University London, Keith Coles, explains that universities in England, as well as Greece, Spain and Italy will attend. “This has become such a big project, and it’s extremely important, so we’re very excited to get started,” he says. The training programme is expected to be wrapped up by the end of the summer, with research findings being presented this autumn.

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