Why this campaign?
Students have felt unsafe on and off campus
No one should ever have to feel unsafe, regardless of where they are, what they're wearing, or what time it is. At Warwick, we have a history of scandals and campaigns led by students to tackle sexism, harassment and rape culture on campus. This campaign combines multiple efforts that aim to make students feel safer, from lighting to sexual harassment and assault prevention.
We've surveyed 1,269 students through our “Safer @ Warwick” Survey in collaboration with the University as of November 2023 - we will repeat this survey every 3 years. It will coincide with the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence project we run annually.
You said:
93% of students felt safe on campus. That number drops to 69% at nighttime, with 13% feeling unsafe. Women, LGBTQUA+ and disabled students score lower across the board. Students said that better lighting, increased visibility of the community safety team and increased signposting would help them feel safer.
At night, over 95% of students felt safe in academic buildings and in their accommodation. Students relatively felt the least safe in pubs, bars and clubs in Coventry (49% felt unsafe) and Leamington Spa (27% felt unsafe). At the SU, 85% of students felt safe in the Copper Rooms and 90% felt safe in our Terrace Bar. Having read through each concern, a few themes emerged, such as the loud environment and drinking culture, security, and fears of sexual harassment and spiking.
See our joint update with the University here: https://warwick.ac.uk/students/news/newsevents/safer-at-warwick-thank-you/
We did:
With the University:
1. Fixed (and added) lights on campus
One of the main concerns highlighted by students in the survey was a lack of adequate lighting or broken lighting in areas on campus, particularly around accommodation blocks. Enaya Nihal, SU President, with the University’s Estates and Community Safety teams, have worked to fix and improve lighting around residential areas on campus, starting with the path between Claycroft and Tesco. We are now focusing on paths towards Westwood and Gibbet Hill. - There are currently around 2,100 lighting columns or bollards across campus, illuminating the wayfinding routes. - We have upgraded around 300 existing external lights to new LED lights around key pedestrian routes and building entrances. - Our Gardening teams have been checking all trees, hedges and large shrubs across the whole campus to identify areas where the lights are obstructed. - We are installing new lights in areas previously identified for improvement, moving towards LED lighting to improve reliability and ensure everyone feels safe when moving around campus.
2. Transport
Lighting was also a concern for students around some bus stops on campus, alongside overcrowding around the bus interchange. Students told us about their journeys to and from campus, for example, travelling home after a night out or after a late night studying. To improve transport safety on campus, we have: - Run additional lighting surveys to ensure that dark spots on roads or pathways identified as part of the survey have been investigated and fixed. - Estates will carry out further inspections as we are into the darker nights. - Had discussions with Matt Western MP, both National Express and Stagecoach to discuss the findings of the survey, and are working with them on how to better highlight what people can do on a bus if they are feeling unsafe. - We are independently monitoring the bus interchange following concerns around queuing management at peak hours to better understand the issues, and improvements that can be made.
With the Union:
1. Certified the Copper Rooms and Terrace Bar as Safe Places by the Egalitarian, ensuring that we have the latest training on tackling spiking, rape culture, sexual harassment, domestic abuse and more.
2. Received L.I.S.T.E.N. disclosure training from EmilyTest with the report + support team.
3. Delivered Welfare training to all social secretaries and presidents who circle in our venues.
4. Continued our free Women's Self Defence Classes with combat sports clubs and Warwick Sport.
Enaya Nihal (Women's Officer 2022/23, VP Welfare and Campaigns 2023/24, and President 2024/25) and Emma Birch (VP Sports 2022/23-2023/24) launched and made the Women's self-defence classes free and permanent! They are run by combat sports clubs and coaches each week.
5. Introduced sober events like That Friday Feeling! so all students felt welcome in our spaces.
6. Delivered signposting and disclosure training to hundreds of exec members.
7. Provided hundreds of free personal safety alarms out to students during outreach events, including SHaGFest, and
8. Relaunched the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence campaign in 2023.
The 16 Days Against GBV project that starts on the 25th of November and runs until the 10th of December! We planned a social media campaign alongside in-person events, including workshops on identifying red flags and how you can support friends you know are struggling.
9. Clarifying the training our door staff undertake:
- Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training, - Mental Health First Aid, - SIA Accreditation, - DBS Checked, - Report & Support Training, - Loop Drugs Use in the Night Time Economy Training, - Good Night Out Training, - First Aid at Work, - ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) Training, - Ask for Angela, - Warwick SU Induction, - Personal Licencing, - The Egalitarian Safe Space Project Training & Certification
Externally:
I worked with Warwickshire District Council to launch the Safe Space in Leamington! All members of the community can access the space at the entrance to Jephson Gardens every Friday from 10pm to 4am- we are trying to extend the offering to Saturday nights, too.
We've also been in conversations with Coventry City Council to discuss lighting, the Purple flag scheme, venue certifications and transport links at night, as that is where students feel most unsafe in the local area.
Please reach out to the following if you need support:
Our Sexpression Society have created this very useful infographic about Domestic Abuse & Sexual Violence Resources that are accessible both on campus and off campus. Find out more about the Sexpression Warwick Society here
How to get involved:
We're using surveys and focus groups to gauge our impact, and we'll collaborate with the SU and University for more focused safety assessments.
"As a woman who hasn't felt safe on a night out, the fears students have spoken about in this survey resonated with me, so I'm really glad we have been able to create so much change within the past two years, and I hope we can keep going! I am grateful to every member of staff and every student who contributed to this campaign- Warwick is becoming safer thanks to you!" - Enaya Nihal, President. Join us in making Warwick a safer place for everyone! No matter what your background or experiences have been, we can all work together to create a safer campus. Get in touch via email here: Enaya.Nihal@warwicksu.com
Other Safer Warwick projects