Students at England's most prestigious universities are more than twice as likely to experience sexual harassment than those at institutions with lower entry requirements, new analysis reveals. Data from the Office for Students (OfS) shows that 35% of undergraduates at high-tariff universities reported sexual harassment, compared with 17% at low-tariff institutions and 26% at medium-tariff ones.
The analysis also identified hotspots in courses requiring high grades, such as medicine, dentistry, veterinary sciences, and languages. The OfS cautioned that it did not examine reasons for the variation and urged careful interpretation of the findings. High-tariff institutions include the Russell Group of research-intensive universities.
Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, expressed alarm that harassment is more prevalent at supposedly more prestigious universities, warning that perpetrators may go on to hold powerful jobs and perpetuate toxic cultures. Prof Libby Hackett, chief executive of the Russell Group, called the data 'very troubling' and reiterated universities' zero-tolerance policy on sexual misconduct, acknowledging more work is needed.
The survey of 50,000 final-year undergraduates also found that women face markedly higher rates of harassment and assault than men. For example, 20% of women on architecture, building, or planning courses experienced sexual assault or violence, compared with 3% of men. Students living away from home reported greater exposure to harassment than those living at home or studying remotely.
Amira Campbell, president of the National Union of Students, said she was 'extremely saddened' by the data and called for collective action to combat the culture enabling such misconduct. Experts suggested that higher proportions of young students living away from home at elite universities may contribute to the disparity.
