Ninth Level Ireland

“Third-level colleges have been urged to provide funding for local Rape Crisis Centres to support more specialist counselling to student victims of sex assaults. The call from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) follows surveys on the extent of sexual violence and sexual harassment against students and staff in higher education …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 28 January]

“More than 1,100 female students have reported non-consensual vaginal penetration through coercion, incapacitation, force, or threat of force. It is among the disturbing findings of new surveys on sexual harassment and sexual violence experienced by college students and staff …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 27 January]

“Thousands of college students at third level say they have experienced sexual violence or harassment, according to a national study on sexual harassment in higher education. The figures are contained in a survey of almost 8,000 students and 3,500 staff across all third-level institutions last year which collected data from respondents on their experiences of sexual harassment and sexual violence …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 27 January]

[Student report is here, summary here; staff report is here, summary here.]

“Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, has today launched ‘Speak Out – the Anonymous Violence and Harassment Reporting Tool’ for higher education institutions …” (more)

[DFHERIS, 18 October]

“The topic of consent has been brought to the fore in recent years, particularly in the wake of the Me Too movement which sparked discussions about the prevalence of sexual misconduct in all echelons of society. College campuses are in no ways exempt from a culture of misogyny, sexual assault, or victim blaming. While a broad cultural shift is needed to take on such ingrained societal attitudes, the least universities can do with regards to sexual assault is to have a robust policy in place that enables victims to report assault in a way in which they feel comfortable, and can be assured that due process will be guaranteed …” (more)

[Grace Gageby, Trinity News, 5 May]

“Speaking today, Minister Harris said: ‘The preparation of the report was funded by my Department. In August 2020, I wrote to the Presidents of all publicly funded higher education institutions requesting that they develop and publish specific institutional action plans on tackling sexual violence and harassment …'” (more)

[MerrionStreet.ie, 15 March]

“Institutes of technology are seeking funding to create new posts dedicated to preventing and responding to sexual misconduct. It is recommended in a report from the Technological Higher Education Association (THEA) dealing with consent and the prevention of sexual violence in higher education institutions …” (more)

[Katherine Donnelly, Independent, 15 March]

“A students’ union welfare officer at University College Dublin (UCD) received some 350 disclosures of harassment and assault in one academic year at the university. Melissa Plunkett was welfare officer at UCD for the academic year 2018-2019. The 363 incidents disclosed to her by other students mostly took place during this time …” (more)

[Una Mullally, Irish Times, 3 October]

“The Sexual Violence Centre in Cork has reported a concerning rise in the number of third-level students seeking support at the centre last year, prompting calls by its CEO to put the issue of consent on primary and second-level education curricula …” (more)

[Maresa Fagan, Irish Examiner, 26 August]

“The number of sexual assaults on students at the University of Limerick and other third-level institutions are being grossly under-reported, according to a recent survey. Outgoing president of UL, Dr Des Fitzgerald, has said that the Sexual Experiences Survey, carried out by the Union of Students in Galway, ‘in no way reflects the reality or the frequency of sexual assault …'” (more)

[Bernie English, Limerick Post, 21 July]

“An anti-sexual abuse course developed in University College Cork is to be made mandatory for all new students at University College Dublin. The bystander intervention course, which focuses on how to help when you see someone at risk of predatory behaviour, was developed by UCC’s vice dean at the School of Law, Dr Louise Crowley …” (more)

[Shane Raymond, Irish Examiner, 25 February]

“A mandatory 90-minute lesson on how bystanders can intervene in cases of sexual harassment or assault will be taken by some 5,500 incoming first-years at University College Dublin in September. The aim of the lesson, which will be embedded into the orientation programme for first-year students, is to ‘equip students with the confidence to intervene in small ways in the event they do see something or experience it themselves’ …” (more)

[Jade Wilson, Irish Times, 25 February]

“Nine colleges across the country have signed up to an online system for students to report sexual assault. The new service will allow victims of assault and harassment to report their cases anonymously. The aim is to provide a space for people to feel comfortable in coming forward, and to collect accurate data …” (more)

[Irish Examiner, 18 February]

“Nine Irish Colleges have signed up to an €80,000 online system that allows students to anonymously report experiences of sexual assault. Some of Ireland’s largest colleges, including Trinity College Dublin, NUI Galway and Maynooth University, have signed up to the system, which is funded by the Department of Education …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 18 February]

“All third-level colleges should be obliged to provide classes on sexual consent for students or risk losing State funding, a Government-commissioned report has recommended. The report follows rising concern over the level of rape and sexual assault on college campuses …” (more)

[Carl O’Brien, Irish Times, 19 March]

“A new study launched by NUI Galway this week further cemented the fact that we are some ways away from solving the plague of sexual harassment that continues to blight our campuses. The results – 70% of women reported that they had experienced sexual hostility – offered yet another stark reminder that there is much left to be done …” (more)

[University Times, 12 August]

“Five sexual assaults were reported to UCD campus security between 2014 and 2016. Eleven students have also reported instances of harassment to campus services since 2014. An internal campus services report into student’s personal safety on campus, obtained by the Tribune, show a marked rise in reports of sexual assault and harassment on campus …” (more)

[College Tribune, 28 March]

“A student from University College Dublin has spoken out about student safety after gardaí said they were investigating an alleged sexual assault on campus. The student, who is not the focus of this investigation, said she was sexually assaulted in October 2015 …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 6 December]

“Two high-profile assault cases on students made the national news recently, one an alleged sexual assault on a University College Dublin (UCD) student on the campus of the university, the other a seemingly random attack on a first year studying at NUI Maynooth. While wildly different in many respects, the two have frightened students across the country …” (more)

[University Times, 4 December]

“UCD Students’ Union and UCD now face criticism over their handling of an alleged rape on campus in the early hours of last Friday morning. The union have confirmed that they were made aware of the case on Monday 28th November …” (more)

[Roisin Guyett-Nicholson, University Observer, 30 November]