Sam gave the committee some useful background on the #SotonSpeaksUp campaign, which originally consisted of a pledge to understand what sexual harassment is and to challenge incidences of sexual harassment. This pledge could be signed by anyone, but was specifically targeted at Student Groups such as sports teams.
The #SotonSpeaksUp campaign was reviewed at the beginning of this academic year. Having met with Hampshire Police and Rape Crisis, Sam feels that the campaign should now focus on the issue of sexual consent specifically, as this can be seen as the root cause of many other problems related to sexual harassment.
Sam emphasised the need for the campaign to be student-led to avoid it becoming patronising. He suggested that the Union holds an open forum meeting to consult students on how best to approach the issue of consent, such as training sessions potentially targeted at freshers, online and physical resources or an awareness campaign.
Alison asked for clarification about the controversy surrounding making consent sessions compulsory, which has been in the news recently. Sam explained the feeling among some students that not only are they being told things which they already know, but also that sessions on serious issues can impact on the positive atmosphere of the freshers’ period. The advantage of making sessions compulsory is to ensure that all students have been delivered the same content. If the sessions are not compulsory, the only people who will sign up will be those that are already well informed about the issue. Sam pointed out that those who are not well informed ‘don’t know what they don’t know’. The disadvantage of making sessions compulsory is that some students may feel patronised.
Hannah emphasised the need for careful wording in the campaign materials, as she felt that the word ‘harassment’ is more accusatory than ‘consent’. The Committee agreed on the importance of ensuring that students do not feel like they are being personally attacked and do not respond by becoming defensive.
The Committee agreed on the effectiveness of using videos, GIFs and memes on social media to discuss this issue, such as the ‘Tea Consent’ video. The Committee also agreed on the importance of using accurate facts and statistics in order to show students that sexual consent really is a serious issue.
Mark drew a useful comparison between sessions on consent and sessions on Academic Integrity, stating that students complained that they already knew about Academic Integrity but that there was still heated discussion at the session.
Sam highlighted the link with sports teams and their reputation for ‘lad culture’. He emphasised the need for these groups to be involved in the campaign, as their participation would make it more acceptable for other students to talk about this issue and to engage in the campaign.