Universities still need to do more to tackle sexual misconduct against students, watchdog says

‘Students are still not feeling appropriately supported by universities and colleges,’ chief executive of higher education regulator says

Progress has been ‘inconsistent and slow’ in improving sexual misconduct policies, Office for Students says (Chris Radburn/PA) (PA Wire)

Universities still need to do more to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct against students, the watchdog in England has said.

The Office for Students (OfS) issued recommendations to improve policies and systems last year, saying urgent action was needed to tackle sexual abuse on campus.

It told universities to have a process for victims to report incidents and to minimise barriers to reporting, among other recommendations.

Many have been partially implemented a year on, but progress has been “inconsistent and slow”, the watchdog found.

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Its chief executive, Susan Lapworth, said students were “still not feeling appropriately supported” in higher education.

She said an evaluation into how universities have responded to the recommendations suggested a different approach to improving sexual misconduct policies may be needed.

The OfS is set to launch a consultation on whether to make them a requirement for official university status, which previous education ministers have supported.

It asked all universities to review their policies for preventing and tackling sexual misconduct on campus last year, along with new recommendations which included fair investigations into incidents and effective pastoral care for victims.

Students from 100 universities and colleges have been surveyed for their thoughts on how their institutions responded.

The evaluation - run by the SUMS Consulting - found there had been improvements to policies and systems needed to tackle sexual misconduct on campus, as well as increased attention to tackling the issue, in the year since.

However, it said some universities and colleges have been slower than others to make progress, and there has been a lack of standardised practice across the sector.

It also suggested student-to-student sexual misconduct has been prioritised by higher education bodies, rather than harassment and abuse involving other parties.

Ms Lapworth from the OfS: “Every student should be able to participate in all aspects of their university experience without being subject to harassment or sexual misconduct.”

She added: “The evaluation reveals that, while progress is being made, self-regulation has not been sufficient to deliver consistent, effective approaches for students across the sector.

“Students are still not feeling appropriately supported by universities and colleges. This points to the need for a different approach to prevent and tackle harassment and sexual misconduct, which is why we will consult on a new condition of registration next year.”

A spokesperson for Universities UK, which represents 140 institutions, said: “Our members take tackling harassment and sexual misconduct extremely seriously, and have been working hard to meet their obligations in this area.”

They said it was “encouraging” to see the watchdog find progress had been made, but accepted there was “still a way to go”.

Robert Halfon, the higher education minister, said: “Sexual harassment and misconduct has no place in our world-class universities and, on behalf of every student, I welcome the drive and support from the OfS in tackling this issue.”

He said 74 universities have signed a pledge to stop the use of non-disclosure agreements to silence victims of sexual harassment and bullying and the department for education expected all remaining ones to put their names to it too.