Sexual violence is an umbrella term used to describe any "non-consensual, unwanted, forced and/or coerced sexual behaviours" (Humphreys and Towl, 2020). This includes but is not limited to:
Physical violence or assault
Sexual harassment
Image-based sexual abuse
Stalking
Domestic abuse/intimate partner abuse
Coercive and controlling behaviour
Sexual violence can happen in any setting - including at work, an educational setting, in public, and the home. It can also occur online via email, messages, and comments on social media or online forums.
Sexual violence can be instigated by anyone, regardless of their sex, sexuality, age, disability, race, or any other part of their identity. Sexual violence can be experienced by anyone regardless of their sex, sexuality, age, disability, race, or any other part of their identity. A common misconception is that sexual violence is instigated by strangers; however, it can be carried out by someone the recipient already knows well such as a friend, sexual partner, spouse, or family member.
Consent is the key consideration with sexual violence - as these acts are conducted without the informed consent of the survivor, as well as the reasonable belief of the perpetrator that consent has been given.
What should I do if I have experienced sexual violence since coming to University?
Our Survivor Support Service will provide free, safe, confidential support and guidance. We will meet with you one-to-one in a way that feels comfortable for you – online, in-person, or on the phone. First and foremost, we will listen. We will then offer support and guidance appropriate to your needs and what you would like help with. This may include but is not limited to:
Specialist counselling for survivors (we have provision for all genders)
Support to access a Sexual Assault Referral Centre
Information and support on pursuing a formal complaint (if you are reporting another student or colleague)
Referral to Independent Sexual Violence Advisors who can provide practical and emotional support
Support to inform your school of any support you might need with your studies because of what’s happened (if you consent to this – we will not automatically inform your school)
Referral to specialist advice and guidance on areas such as finances, housing, and disability
Experiencing sexual violence can be a distressing and confusing time, and you may experience a range of difficult emotions and side-effects. Our Survivor Support Service believe you, and we will support you and your choices.
We know that seeking support and guidance after experiencing sexual violence or harassment is not always an easy decision to make. There are all kinds of reasons why you may be worried about seeking help. We understand this and have a team of Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) who will support you as you begin to make decisions about your support and reporting options.
SVLOs are members of staff who have been specially trained to provide students with confidential, non-judgemental support; their work is always in confidence unless they believe someone is in danger.
SVLOs receive training in empathetic and active listening, signposting, and ensuring survivors have all appropriate support in place.
Our SVLO team supports all survivors, regardless of your gender, sexuality, race or ethnicity, disability, religious belief or faith, or any other part of your identity. Our SVLOs will approach your support and care holistically, and they will offer support and guidance that is appropriate for you as an individual.
They will provide a safe and confidential space where you can talk about what’s happened and its impact on you. They will guide you through the reporting, protection, and care options available from both the University and external organisations.
SVLOs will empower you to make informed decisions and support you whatever these decisions may be. Our SVLOs will never pressure you into making a report to the Police, or a formal report to the University.
Your SVLO will keep what you have told them confidential, unless they believe you or someone else is in danger. If you would like to ask about this in more detail, you can email survivorsupport@newcastle.ac.uk and one of our team will get back to you.
Your SVLO will work with you to help you access a range of support and reporting options appropriate to your needs and what you would like to do. These include but are not limited to:
Specialist counselling for survivors (we have provision for all genders)
Support to access a Sexual Assault Referral Centre
Information and support on pursuing a formal report (if you are reporting another student or colleague)
Referral to Independent Sexual Violence Advisors who can provide practical and emotional support
Support to inform your school of any support you might need with your studies because of what’s happened (if you consent to this – we will not automatically inform your school)
Referral to specialist advice and guidance on areas such as finances, housing, and disability
As you can see from the list above, sometimes we will ask you if you consent to being referred to an external service such as RCTN. Our SVLOs will ensure that your support is tailored to your individual needs so that you get the best possible support. Where we do suggest referral to an external organisation the decision to consent to this remains with you as the survivor.
You can communicate with your SVLO in a way that works for you – email, telephone, face-to-face, or video calls.
We aim to respond within two working days. Our working days are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, excluding Bank Holidays.
Making a disclosure to the Survivor Support Service does not mean that you are making a formal report to the University or the Police, and it does not trigger any automatic reporting or notification processes. Your report will be treated confidentially, unless we believe you or others are in immediate danger. You do not need to make a formal report to the Police or the University to receive support.
Our SVLOs are specially trained colleagues from across the University. We believe that sexual violence and sexual harassment is a whole of community issue which requires a whole of community response, which is why we use this approach.
Our SVLOs are passionate about providing safe- non-judgemental support for survivors and they volunteer for many reasons. We asked some of our SVLOs why they do this work.
“When the university launched a call for SVLOs, I was reading Laura Bates’ Everyday Sexism (2014) at the time and had just reached the chapter on sexual violence in Higher Education. I was dismayed by what I was reading and saw the opportunity to become one of Newcastle University’s SVLOs as a proactive way for me to help address the issue. Supporting individuals who have experienced sexual violence is demanding work but it is extremely empowering.”
"I became an SVLO as I wanted to have an active role in helping students on campus, by listening to students concerns and helping them decide which support is best for them. I understand, that at times situations can feel overwhelming and students may feel alone. As an SVLO I hope to alleviate some of these feelings by offering a listening ear and guidance."
“I’m often frustrated by the media’s lack of understanding of sexual violence as something that can affect anyone, not just White cis-gender women. I volunteered to become an SVLO because I wanted to use my knowledge of the complexity of sexual violence to make sure that survivors can seek support in a way that feels safe and welcoming for them. I hope that in speaking openly about the fact that this can affect anyone, more survivors are empowered to come forward for validation and support.”
We welcome expressions of interest to become an SVLO from colleagues who are currently employed at the University - you can email survivorsupport@newcastle.ac.uk for more information. If you hold a part-time role we may be able to adjust the role's time commitment to allow for this, please email using the above address to discuss in more detail.
We open calls for expressions of interest a few times a year, and there is a selection process during which we ask for approval from your line manager to take on the role. We ask SVLOs for an average commitment of three hours per week, and we ask for your commitment to being on the team for 2 years.
We are unable to consider expressions of interest from current undergraduate or postgraduate students wishing to be SVLOs. However, we always want to hear about how you think we can improve the SVLO service – email survivorsupport@newcastle.ac.uk to let us know what you think. (We will hold your feedback in confidence unless we believe you or others are in danger, or safeguarding is required).
If you are a student and you are passionate about eliminating sexual violence, and supporting fellow students, you may wish to consider the following societies:
It Happens Here - aims to support all survivors and allies of sexual violence on campus through campaigns, socials, self-defence, self-care and support groups,
Sexpression - advocates for good-quality relationships and sex education (RSE), delivered by university students across the country. Within the Newcastle branch we visit local schools and help them to deliver RSE by running lessons on topics such as puberty, consent, relationships, sexual health, sexuality and gender identity, and the media.
We appreciate that you may be looking for information on how to support a survivor of sexual violence. If this is the case, it is important that you take care of yourself, and support is available for you as well as the survivor:
Rape Crisis England and Wales have useful guidance on supporting survivors which can be found here.
Some key points from the guidance are:
Listen - try not to ask lots of questions or interrupt
Believe them - false reports are extremely rare
Don't judge - remember it's not the victim-survivor's fault
Ultimately, it is important for the survivor to get specialist support, and this may be best provided by either the Survivor Support Service, or another relevant external service. Click here for more resources.
