Local Experts Educating Universities on Gender-Based Violence: Rape Crisis Scotland
- Camille Schloeffel
- Dec 3, 2024
- 3 min read
An interview with Niamh Kerr who at the time was the Training and Education Coordinator for Universities and Colleges at Rape Crisis Scotland. Kerr was kind enough to meet with me in the last few days of her working at Rape Crisis Scotland while I was in Glasgow.
Location: Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Prior to working at Rape Crisis Scotland, Kerr worked at another rape crisis centre as a prevention worker in schools, working with young people to deliver sexual violence prevention programs. When Kerr entered into her role in 2021 she saw how the university and college landscape in Scotland was very different to that in schools. Private sector partners are more prevalent than third sector partners (known as the 'community sector' in Australia) in the gender-based violence (GBV) space for universities. What this means is that universities were more likely to purchase products from for-profit organisations rather than engaging with local community organisations, like rape crisis centres. As a result, private sector influence is a massive barrier for programs like Kerr's to make headway in universities.
The Equally Safe in Higher Education (ESHE) Toolkit - a free resource for Scottish universities working to end GBV on their campuses - was launched in 2018 (I interviewed one of the authors which will be detailed in a blog coming soon). Rape Crisis Scotland was funded to deliver the GBV First Responder Training out of that Toolkit. This is a three level training program specific to universities on how to respond to GBV appropriately. This training is complementary to the EmilyTest L.I.S.T.E.N training, but universities usually only engage in one of the training programs rather than both.
“If you’re going to signpost local experts and rape crisis centres for support then you should access their expertise to provide solutions and prevention.”
The project was first piloted in 8 institutions in 2018 and has expanded since then to 28 institutions. The scale up and rollout has been very successful because local rape crisis centres across Scotland have been able to facilitate the training in their own communities. This model of facilitation is so important to the success of the training because local partnerships are built between the universities and local rape crisis centres - not only for their support services but also prevention initiatives.
However, a key barrier to further expansion is the limited capacity of workers because they are not dedicated training workers. If there was more funding for this project then rape crisis centres may have been able to hire dedicated training workers to deliver this and other prevention activities.
The Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities Core Leadership Group is a group chaired by the Scottish Government that decides on the strategic direction of tackling GBV in universities. Under the leadership of this group, funding has been consistently unstable, which has affected Rape Crisis Scotland and EmilyTest as the two national organisations working in this space.
“We take a partnership approach.”
Rape Crisis Scotland also has a program with the University of Glasgow - Let’s Talk About Sexual Violence. They train students over three days to be able to facilitate a two-hour peer education workshop on sexual violence and consent to their peers. The workshop includes an introduction to sexual violence and consent with a focus on skill-building and practical activities. These sorts of workshops are far better than the go-to tickbox exercises on consent that most universities implement.
“Find allies in the sector who value this work and can influence internally.”
Kerr spoke about finding allies in the GBV sector (like EmilyTest) and university teams responsible for addressing GBV. Universities are also hiring GBV experts from the sector more and more so the ability to work collaboratively with them to support their jobs on campus is important.
We must not forget how integral rape crisis centres are in our communities for prevention and support. If they were provided more funding and resources to better integrate with universities and colleges then I do believe that student victim-survivors would be better supported and GBV prevention education would be more holistic.
In solidarity,
Camille Schloeffel
References / Learn more:
The collaborative effort between local experts and universities to address gender-based violence, as highlighted by Rape Crisis Scotland, is a vital step toward creating safer campus environments. This initiative mirrors the importance of a clear and responsive easyjet organisational structure, where specialized departments work in tandem to ensure safety and accountability across the entire network. Just as a well-defined corporate framework allows for efficient communication and rapid response to issues, integrating expert external knowledge into university systems ensures that survivors receive the specialized support they need while institutions uphold a higher standard of care. This synergy between grassroots advocacy and large-scale institutional management is essential for driving meaningful, systemic change.
The initiative by Rape Crisis Scotland to educate universities on gender-based violence is a vital step toward creating safer, more informed campus environments through specialized local expertise. While the focus here is on academic institutions, the principles of providing comprehensive support and fostering a culture of safety are equally applicable to professional environments. For instance, prioritizing staff well-being and safety can significantly impact employee motivation in retail sector settings, as workers who feel protected and valued by their organizations are generally more engaged and committed to their roles. Integrating such expert-led education into diverse sectors ensures that whether in a classroom or a storefront, individuals have the resources and institutional support necessary to thrive.
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