New regulations that came into effect on August 1 require universities in England to better protect their students from sexual harassment and assault. Registration with the Office for Students (OfS), an independent body that regulates higher education in the country, is now conditional on institutions presenting detailed information on strategies for preventing abuse of power in personal relationships between teachers, staff, and students, as well as simple and confidential complaints channels and victim support during investigations. Students must be consulted by academic leaders about policies for tackling sexual misconduct, and the effectiveness of these policies must be periodically evaluated.
Institutions must also offer training to students and staff on situations that constitute harassment and mandatory procedures for reporting incidents. They will also be prohibited from entering into confidentiality agreements used to mitigate reputational damage to people accused of sexual misconduct. According to the OfS guidelines, such agreements are “unacceptable as they prevent students from speaking about their experiences” and could allow perpetrators to continue inappropriate behavior at the same institution or others.
The rules were announced together with the results of a pilot study commissioned by the OfS into sexual misconduct in higher education in England during the 2022–2023 academic year. The survey found that 20% of students had been the target of some form of unwanted sexual behavior. Only 12% of students who experienced sexual harassment in 2023 made a formal complaint to their universities. Of those who did complain, 43% considered the university’s response to be poor. Only 10% of victims reported incidents to the police.
The likelihood of being harassed was twice as high among female students as among their male classmates, while the chance of suffering sexual assault or violence was three times higher for female students. “Students have told us clearly that they want to see more active regulation to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education. We’ve heard them, and our new regulation will help ensure they are better protected and better able to succeed on their courses,” OfS chief executive Susan Lapworth said, according to the Clarivate Analytics Research Professional News website.
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