English university sexual misconduct survey to launch next year

The Office for Students (OfS) has confirmed plans to launch a new survey that will measure the prevalence of sexual misconduct across English universities. 

The survey, which will run in 2025, will be open to students at English providers after they have completed the National Student Survey, and aims to paint a picture of sexual misconduct across the sector and how experiences might vary between students with different characteristics​.

It follows a pilot survey published in July which ran at a small number of volunteer universities, and was published alongside new guidance that heavily recommended universities introduce bans on staff-student relationships.

The pilot, which was completed by 5,000 students across 12 institutions, found that 13 per cent of women and 4 per cent of men said they had been victims of sexual assault or violence, with the majority of these cases involving someone connected with the university, or occurred in a university setting, or both. 

John Blake, director for fair access and participation at the OfS, said the survey would build on the work already completed by the sector regulator, and that tackling sexual misconduct was a “key priority” for the sector.

“We recognise these are sensitive and upsetting issues, and students will be able to opt out of the whole survey, or not answer individual questions. But by anonymously sharing their experiences, students will help universities and colleges to better understand the issues affecting them, and to tailor their approach accordingly,” he said.

The pilot survey further found that 27 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in the last year.

In recent years many universities, including the University of Oxford, have looked to tighten their rules on staff-student relations over concerns on student welfare, after it was revealed in 2020 that only six universities had explicit bans on such relationships. 

The suggested ban was welcomed by the sector, with supporters telling Times Higher Education that it signalled a “shift in approach”. 

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com