7 Dec 2017
New campaign encourages students to ‘Speak Out Now’ against sexual violence
The University and Students’ Union are running a new campaign that encourages students to talk about harassment and sexual assault.
The campaign, titled Speak Out Now, looks to prompt conversations and highlight the support options available to students.
The work is being led by the Sexual Violence Working (SVW) Group which comprises staff, Students’ Union President George Etherington, Welfare and Diversity Executive Officer Hannah Keating, Women’s Officer Kes Browne, Consent Workshop Coordinator Tara Nadi and Director of Student Services and Group Chair Dr Manuel Alonso.
Hannah Keating said: “Speak Out Now is an extremely important campaign to both Loughborough Students’ Union and Loughborough University, as is all of our work on sexual violence.
“The campaign was developed as a joint effort, which is very special and reflects our collaborative efforts to tackle sexual violence at Loughborough.”
In developing Speak Out Now, students were asked to create and submit graphic ideas. The competition not only encouraged students to talk about the issue, but offered them a way to get involved in the solution.
Members of the SVW Group selected their favourite designs and they have been incorporated into Speak Out Now campaign materials.
The SVW Group is launching ‘Consent Matters’ online training for students alongside Speak Out Now and has been involved in creating a dedicated Student Safety page that offers support to those who have experienced sexual violence.
The Consent Matters training - which is made up of four modules that look at consent, communication, skills and relationships, bystander intervention, and support - is optional but students are encouraged to get involved.
Student Services has also created a handout for all personal tutors, departmental staff, hall wardens, sub-wardens, and Students’ Union staff to ensure they are clear on what to do if a student discloses an incident.
The Speak Out Now campaign and Consent Matters online training have been soft-launched on social media. The big launch will take place during the University’s annual Consent Week in February.
For further information, email Hannah Keating at: welfareeo@lsu.co.uk