The campaign was created by the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner to help those who notice their friend is behaving inappropriately towards women, by giving them the confidence to call the behaviour out.
Whether it’s catcalling in a public space, insulting a woman on a night out when she’s turned down someone’s advances, or not leaving her alone when she’s said no, the chances are, members of our University community have all witnessed this, and many of our community will have been subjected to it too. This behaviour left unchallenged can cause serious harm over time and potentially escalate into something worse.
If you notice a friend is crossing the line, here’s how to have the conversation:
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Be Direct – if it’s safe to do so, call out their behaviour and say it’s not okay. This can be during or after the situation.
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Get Help – if you see something that’s not right, speak to your other mates and decide the best way to act.
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Distract – if you notice a mate about to act out of line, change the situation to stop it from happening. Change the conversation, suggest doing something else – just get them away. Then speak to them about their behaviour.
The dedicated website for the campaign has additional video resources to provide examples of how to approach each of the responses above, as well as clips of diverse groups and individuals discussing negative behaviour towards women and what needs to change.
Lisa Brooks-Lewis, Student Experience and Inclusivity Manager and Co-Chair of the Sexual Violence Working group at the University commented: “To end violence against women and girls, we need to be able to identify the harmful behaviour, understand the impact on our community and successfully intervene, and we believe this resource is a positive start to engaging in the identification.”
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Rani Mahal leads on the Violence Against Women and Girls agenda for the Police and Crime Commissioner. She said: “I’m really grateful to Loughborough University for supporting this important campaign and drawing attention to unacceptable attitudes and behaviour towards women.
“From the outset, this campaign has sought to challenge the misogynistic views and beliefs that lie at the root of gender violence and support a culture where men are not afraid to intervene when their friends or colleagues overstep the mark.
“Thanks to the support of organisations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, this campaign will continue to positively influence the way men behave towards and interact with women in the future and will contribute to wider work to create a society in which women are treated equally and with respect.”
The campaign is supported by other local organisations including the University of Leicester, De Montfort University, Leicester City in the Community, and Leicester City Council.
If you experience harmful behaviour, you can get help from the University’s Security Team, LSU Security, as well as your Hall and Community Warden.