Staff and students who have reported gender-based violence and harassment (GBVH) have valuable perspectives on how to tackle this issue as well as improve institutional reporting systems.
Systemically gathering and analysing data from those who’ve been through reporting processes should be part of a data-driven approach to tackling GBVH, particularly given incentives in policy and funding that have also required higher education institutions (HEIs) to include student and survivor voice in initiatives to tackle GBVH. But it is not. A 2019 evaluation of HEFCE Catalyst funding provided to over 60 HEIs across the UK found that “the involvement of students making reports or those responding to allegations in developing providers’ strategic response to the […] recommendations was low across all providers.”
More recently, the OfS, as part of their 2021 statement of expectations on how HEIs should be addressing harassment and sexual violence, require that “higher education providers should appropriately engage with students to develop and evaluate systems, policies and processes to address harassment and sexual misconduct” including “learning from the experience of students who have been involved in reports or investigations”.
