York University to offer gender-neutral sexual consent classes for all freshers and new postgraduates

YUSU president says classes are not about 'demonising' any particular group, but about 'opening dialogue'

The University of York, pictured (Matt Brown/flickr/CreativeCommons)

First-year students at one of Britain’s top universities are being offered the chance to take part in gender-neutral sexual consent classes for the first time from next year.

The move at the University of York comes after increasing pressure on institutions both in the UK and abroad to do more to tackle ‘lad culture’ and on-campus sexual assault incidents.

In a joint statement from the students’ union’s women’s officers, Mia Shantana Chaudhuri-Julyan and Lucy Elizabeth Robinson, the pair said that, from September, there would officially be a consent and respect talk which will be a segment that is part of the safety talk all freshers and new postgrads receive.

The officers added: “This is an amazingly positive step forward for York. We will be delivering the consent talk ourselves and we hope to make sure, every year after us, the women's officers will give the talk.”

The two also announced they’re working on delivering a new sexual assault reporting system, with a website version of their consent talk and resources being made available for students also.

Despite the officers describing the talk as “compulsory” which would be “enforced by a fine” in their original announcement, it has been clarified this is not the case for the consent talk and, in fact, applies only to a separate talk on fire safety which is taking place at the same time.

The university welcomed the students’ union’s initiative, and a spokesperson for the institution said: “The aim is to help raise awareness and to help reduce the likelihood of harassment.

“Many other universities have undertaken similar information sessions and we believe they will complement other initiatives across campus.”

President of the students’ union, Ben Leatham, told the Independent the talks are gender-neutral and cover a range of issues including personal safety, alcohol, and sexual health. He said: “This is not about demonising any particular group or individual; the focus is on highlighting support structures at the university and opening dialogue.

“Sex can be difficult to talk about, but this will help our students develop their understanding of consent, boundaries, and cultural awareness in a positive and informative environment.”

The National Union of Students’ (NUS) has been working to highlight the issue of lad culture, and its women’s campaign recently launched the I Heart Consent initiative which works with 20 students’ unions to pilot consent workshops to help prevent sexual harassment and assault on campuses.

One student at Warwick University, however, sparked controversy after opposing the workshop last year when he said being invited to the class was “the biggest insult I’ve received in a good few years.”

Politics and sociology student, George Lawlor, said: “I don’t have to be taught to not be a rapist. That much comes naturally to me, as I am sure it does to the overwhelming majority of people you and I know. Brand me a bigot, a misogynist, a rape apologist, I don’t care. I stand by that.”

Campaigners blasted his comments for being “offensive to women and an embarrassment to men.” However, further defending himself on BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme, Lawlor said being invited to the class was offensive to “the people who raised me, the upbringing I’ve had, and the education I’ve already had.”

He told Derbyshire: “There might be a need for them - and there definitely is a problem - but I took it as in, ‘I don’t need it’.”