Well said.
The UCD Students’ Union have promised to change ‘lad culture’ in the college following a revenge porn controversy that emerged over the weekend.
Late last week, UCD’s campus newspaper, The College Tribune, reported that a Facebook group with 200 male members had been sharing and rating stories and pictures of women they had slept with.
A full investigation into the findings of The College Tribune report was promised and this morning, the UCD Students’ Union have released a statement committing to changing ‘lad culture’ in the university.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, Rape Crisis Network Ireland researchers, UCD academics, NUIG researchers and outspoken author & advocate for reform and sexual violence survivors, Louise O’Neill, will all work with the UCD Students’ Union as part of a consent campaign.
The UCD Students’ Union have called on university management to help fund badly-needed policy changes and have outlined four key areas of policy that they wish to change, all of which can be read in the full statement below.
UCD Student’s Union Consent Campaign Statement
We’re not going to pass the buck. We will change “lad” culture in UCD as promised following our election to office.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, Rape Crisis Network Ireland researchers, UCD academics, NUIG researchers and outspoken author & advocate for reform and sexual violence survivors, Louise O’Neill are working with us to change “lad” culture in UCD.
University management must now come completely on board and help us fund badly needed policy changes including mandatory sexual consent workshops, clearly communicated procedures to report sexual harassment, assault, rape & revenge porn and a comprehensive survey of our population to better map student experience of sexual harassment, assault, rape & revenge porn.
University management must also work with us to ensure visible, adequate campus supports for survivors of sexual violence.
We communicated these issues to members of university management prior to launching our consent campaign last October. We were told that university management would support our campaign.
We marched on university management at the Tierney Building along with 200 UCD students during our protest against street harassment to remind them of this pledge of support.
Following the Tribune’s report of a revenge porn ring on campus, we have met with university management and have been assured by UCD President Andrew Deeks of their full support for our campaign.
We will ensure that UCD policy changes
1) Mandatory workshops on sexual consent must be incorporated into the academic programme for all students.
2) Funding must be increased to UCD counselling service and UCD should further commit to reviewing the need for a dedicated support service for survivors of sexual violence following a comprehensive survey of student experience.
3) As records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show a laxity in properly monitoring levels of sexual violence & harassment experienced by students, a comprehensive survey of student experience of sexual violence and understanding of consent must be carried out within this academic term.
Furthermore, this report should be given the power to make binding recommendations to university management.
4) The UCD Dignity & Respect Policy must be amended so formal complaints can be made online, are quickly addressed and this policy must be better communicated to all UCD students in such a manner that they are all aware of their rights and of potential penalties such as expulsion.
We are also asking university communications to relay an invitation to participate in our consent campaign to not only students but to all academic staff & university personnel.
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