Ninth Level Ireland

“Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael): To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of incidents of bullying, intimidation or harassment including sexual harassment reported in each of the past five years to date in third-level institutions; the extent to which such allegations were investigated; the action taken arising therefrom; and if he will make a statement on the matter …” (more)

[Dáil written answers, 17 September]

“All first year students in University College Dublin (UCD) must complete an online bystander intervention module as part of their orientation this September. Students will not be awarded academic credit upon successful completion of the module. The introduction of the Bystander Education programme forms part of a series of initiatives established in UCD to deal with the issue of sexual harassment and violence, both on campus and in the wider community …” (more)

[Nessa Collins, College Tribune, 14 August]

The full (draft) Programme is here; extracts related to third level are here.

“UCC are investigating after some online posts were made targeting a number of female students. A probe has been launched after over 20 women had their pictures posted on an Instagram account which appeared to run a competition where viewers could rate them based on their looks …” (more)

[Gavin O’Callaghan, CorkBeo, 3 April]

“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]

“This morning I came across a piece in the Guardian about a report from the UK Office for Students about hate crime and sexual harassment in Universities. One of the recommendations of the report is that that Universities should hire specialist staff to investigate sexual harassment …” (more)

[In the Dark, 12 June]

“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]

“University College Cork students will unveil a mural on Monday calling for an end to sexual violence and harassment in third-level institutions. It is part of a campaign by the National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) to create a culture of zero tolerance towards such behaviours …” (more)

[Barry Roche, Irish Times, 28 January]

“A culture of zero tolerance to verbal or physical sexual harrassment is to be encouraged at one of the country’s largest universities by the expansion of an intervention programme to all 22,000 students …” (more)

[Niall Murray, Irish Examiner, 28 January]

“As stories of harassment and bullying multiply in the media (social and otherwise), it is worth thinking about what it is in management and leadership that lets situations get out of hand. Too often I hear the phrase that someone is ‘on the spectrum’ provided as a rationale for why they aren’t too good at interpersonal relationships within a lab or team …” (more)

[Athene Donald’s Blog, 13 January]

“The economics profession is facing a mounting crisis of sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying that women in the field say has pushed many of them to the sidelines – or out of the field entirely. Those issues took center stage at the American Economic Association’s annual meeting …” (more)

[Ben Casselman and Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 10 January]

“The topic of harassment, and more particularly sexual harassment, has certainly risen up the agenda in the past year or so in many different sectors. In universities, too, the topic has gone from being unmentionable (if privately acknowledged) to something that urgently needs to be tackled …” (more)

[Athene Donald, University Times, 9 September]

“Some 70% of female students and 40% of male students experienced sexual hostility or crude gender harassment by the time they were finishing third-level education, a study by NUI Galway researchers has found. The same proportion of women (70%) and more than 60% of men surveyed also felt sex education at secondary school wasn’t satisfactory …” (more)

[Lorna Siggins, Irish Times, 7 August]

“I had looked forward to our association conference for months. I would be reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, visiting a new city, and hearing about exciting work in my field. In many respects, the event exceeded my expectations …” (more)

[Amber Pouliot, Guardian, 3 August]

“It’s a sad truth in the science world that hierarchical structures have permitted harassment to thrive. Inherent power imbalances between supervisor and PhD student or between professor and postdoc make an informal challenge to inappropriate behaviour terrifying. And it can feel career-threatening to the victim, since one’s research outputs and letters of reference are likely to be damaged …” (more)

[Athene Donald, Guardian, 27 July]

“An order staying an investigation into complaints of bullying and harassment made by a member of staff at NUI Galway against another staff member has been lifted by the Court of Appeal. In 2014, the complainant alleged bullying and harassment against nine members of NUIG staff …” (more)

[Irish Times, 21 March]

“The ever-growing list of prominent men accused of abuse of power, sexual harassment, assault and rape over the last number of weeks has proven that it is not an isolated or Hollywood-specific problem …” (more)

[University Times, 12 November]

“Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, Geoff Marcy. From entertainment to academia, accusations of these people’s abuses of power have helped to create a sea change in the numbers of people willing to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace. Much of the conversation has concerned condemnation of harassers and praise for those who come forward to talk about what they have seen and experienced. This puts an interpersonal frame on a systemic problem. Attention must also be paid to systems that allow harassers to thrive …” (more)

[Laurel Issen, Nature, 1 November]

“Female students are more likely to experience sexual harassment as they progress through college, according to a survey. The Smart Consent Survey of approximately 400 students, conducted by PhD candidate Chiara Seery of NUI Galway, indicated that female students’ experiences of sexist hostility, sexual hostility, unwanted sexual attention, online sexual harassment, and sexual coercion increased each year as they passed from first year to third year …” (more)

[Noel Baker, Irish Examiner, 1 November]