Table Of Content“Sexual violence is a global crisis in institutions of higher education, and the
UK is far from immune. While many survivors have often been forced to carry
the weight of advocacy on their own, it has always been clear that the fight for
safer campuses must involve the entire university. Stopping Gender-based Violence
in Higher Education is a call to higher education professionals to understand the
causes of violence, and encourage them to see ending gender-based violence as
an occupational responsibility. Towl and Humphreys have done an excellent job
of assembling a collection of thoughts from experts across the UK, and send an
urgent message to educators: it’s time to follow the lead of survivors, and join
the fight to make our universities safer for all.”
Andrea L. Pino-Silva, co-author of We Believe You:
Survivors of Campus Sexual Assault Speak Out,
and co-founder of End Rape on Campus, USA
“Stopping Gender-based Violence in Higher Education is an essential handbook that
covers student–student, staff–student, and staff–staff violence. This collection
will educate experts even as it provides direction for those new to handling
complaints. Most importantly, the chapters centre in bold relief the experiences
of victim-survivors.”
Mara Keire, University of Oxford, UK
“This comprehensive exploration into the many facets, manifestations, and
intersections of gender-based violence in higher education is long overdue. The
insightful and well-researched contributions make this essential reading for all
those who work in the sector.”
Amatey Doku, former Vice President Higher Education,
National Union of Students (NUS) and Independent Board Member,
Guildhall School of Music and Drama, UK
“This volume is essential reading for anyone interested in tackling campus
violence. Drawing on diverse perspectives from across fields, it paints a
sophisticated tableau of the problems faced, root causes, and possible solutions.
Achieving a diverse and inclusive higher education sector requires the ambition
and inclusive approach that this volume reflects.”
Georgina Calvert-Lee, Senior Litigation Counsel,
McAllister Olivarius, UK
Stopping Gender-based Violence
in Higher Education
Stopping Gender-based Violence in Higher Education provides a unique insight into
how gender-based violence at universities is impacting students and staf and
outlines the path towards tangible changes that can prevent it. Bringing together
perspectives from academics, activists, practitioners, and university administrators,
the book presents a diverse range of voices to constructively critique the feld.
Structured in three parts, the book begins by addressing the context, theory, and
law that stipulates how universities can efectively respond to reports of gender-
based violence. It goes on to discuss the most pragmatic ways to address the issue
while contributing to prevention and supporting victim-survivors. Finally, the
book advocates for the development of benefcial working partnerships with
key external services available to university communities and also working with
students as partners in an ethical and safe way. Throughout the book, contributors
are invited to demonstrate a comprehensive institution-wide and trauma-informed
approach to centre the needs of the victim-survivor and prioritise resources to
undertake this vital work. Each chapter ends with a brief summary of key points
or recommendations and suggested further reading on the chapter topic. Although
the authors draw on research and policy from the UK Higher Education sector,
the insights will be a useful resource for those in universities around the world.
This book is an essential reference point and resource for professionals,
academics, and students in Higher Education, as well as indispensable reading
for activists, policymakers, police, rape crisis groups, and other organisations
supporting these universities who want to make meaningful change in reducing,
responding to, and preventing gender-based violence in Higher Education.
Clarissa J. Humphreys is a practitioner, trainer, and leading authority on
addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in Higher Education. She is currently
Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Manager at Durham University
and has clinical experience working with survivors and perpetrators of GBV and
with individuals with acute mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use issues.
Graham J. Towl is Professor of Forensic Psychology at Durham University
and a former chief psychologist at the Ministry of Justice. He was peer
(British Psychological Society) nominated as the most infuential UK forensic
psychologist. His publications on sexual violence at universities include two
co-authored books and numerous blogs and articles in Higher Education outlets.
Stopping Gender-based
Violence in Higher
Education
Policy, Practice, and Partnerships
Edited by Clarissa J. Humphreys
and Graham J. Towl
Cover image: © Getty Images
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 selection and editorial matter, Clarissa J. Humphreys and Graham
J. Towl; individual chapters, the contributors
The right of Clarissa J. Humphreys and Graham J. Towl to be identifed
as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their
individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and
78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other
means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and
recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifcation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-032-17249-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-17247-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-25247-4 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003252474
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
Contents
List of contributors xi
List of abbreviations xvi
List of tables xviii
List of fgures xix
1 Introduction: we still have work to do 1
CLARISSA J. HUMPHREYS AND GRAHAM J. TOWL
PART I
Context, theory, and law 9
2 The signifcance of culture in the prevention of
gender-based violence in universities 11
MELANIE MCCARRY, CASSANDRA JONES,
AND ANNI DONALDSON
3 Hidden Marks: the contribution of student leaders
to tackling gender-based violence on campus 28
JIM DICKINSON AND SUNDAY BLAKE
4 Intersectional approaches to gender-based violence
in universities: experiences and interventions 46
GEETANJALI GANGOLI AND CASSANDRA JONES
5 Violence and abuse, universities, and LGBTQ+ students 66
CATHERINE DONOVAN AND NICOLA ROBERTS
6 Perceptions of consent in UK Higher Education:
implications for policy and training 88
NGOZI ANYADIKE-DANES
viii Contents
7 Sexual violence in Higher Education: prevalence and
characteristics of perpetrators 109
SAMUEL T. HALES
8 The legal framework: limitations and opportunities 128
RACHEL FENTON AND JANET KELIHER
PART II
Practice 149
9 EmilyTest: from tragedy to change 151
FIONA DROUET AND POPPY GERRARD-ABBOTT
10 Comprehensive institution-wide approach:
what it means to be comprehensive 171
CLARISSA J. HUMPHREYS AND GRAHAM J. TOWL
11 Staf sexual misconduct in Higher Education:
impacts, responses, and challenges 196
ANNA BULL
12 Case management as a dedicated role responding
to gender-based violence in Higher Education 217
KELLY PRINCE AND PETA FRANKLIN-CORBEN
13 Investigation and interviewing: responding to formal
reports of sexual violence in Higher Education 239
CARL NORCLIFFE AND ANDREA PESCOD
14 Primary prevention in Higher Education:
progress and opportunity 262
KELSEY PASKE
15 Refections on accessing and reporting on employee
well-being data: implications for hybrid-working and
gender-based violence 283
ROSANNA BELLINI
16 We should do something (someday): identifying and
working through resistance to gender-based violence
prevention 302
CLARISSA J. HUMPHREYS AND GRAHAM J. TOWL
Contents ix
PART III
Partnerships 321
17 How to involve students in work on gender-based
violence 323
SUNDAY BLAKE AND JIM DICKINSON
18 Gender-based violence and HE partnerships with sexual
assault services 336
LIZ HUGHES AND TAMMI WALKER
19 Rape crisis: taking a partnership approach to addressing
gender-based violence with universities and colleges across
Scotland 350
NIAMH KERR AND KATHRYN DAWSON
20 The role of regulation in addressing gender-based
violence in Higher Education 370
AMY NORTON AND GRAHAM J. TOWL
21 Working with schools to tackle online harms and
gender-based violence 390
ANDY PHIPPEN AND EMMA BOND
22 Conclusion: future directions in addressing our problem
with gender-based violence in Higher Education 413
GRAHAM J. TOWL AND CLARISSA J. HUMPHREYS
Index 423
