The Guardian has uncovered widespread sexual harassment and violence at universities. The universities must lead a change in the cultureA 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, and they are kept secret under non-disclosure agreements. The perpetrator can leave and fade 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, and 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 intention 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 terminate Violence Against Women coalition described harassment in schools as endemic; worse from 2012 to 2015, 600 rapes were reported to the police, or nearly one for every school day.
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Source: theguardian.com