Consent on campus - challenging gender based violence

Research suggests that consent is often misunderstood but limited research has focused specifically on the perceptions and attitudes students. In 2014, the NUS initiated a campaign called ‘I Heart Consent’ to raise awareness and challenge myths around gender-based violence. The campaign followed research which found that sexism and ‘lad culture’ were pervasive on campuses. Inter-disciplinary researchers from Law and Psychology convened a local ‘I Heart Consent’ week of action, to raise awareness at a local level. During this week, students were surveyed about their perceptions and understanding of issues around sexual consent, as well as their knowledge of gender-based violence and support services. This paper will focus will be on the direct and practical applications of this research. For example, these findings may inform local policy and practice, as well as systems within Higher Education which support students disclosing incidents of sexual violence. The implications of this research impact on the wellbeing of staff and students and discusses the implications of inter disciplinary working and the role of legal education when it comes to raising awareness and running campaigns addressing sexual violence on campus