We are incredibly sad to hear ongoing reports of incidents taking place in venues and nightclubs that put students at risk.
We are incredibly sad to hear ongoing reports of incidents taking place in venues and nightclubs that put students at risk. We firmly believe no one should have to tolerate abuse or harassment of any kind and strongly condemn those who set out to harm or cause distress to others through drink spiking or other inexcusable behaviour.
We welcome the “Girls Night In” campaign which draws attention to the safety of those on nights out. We know it raises an important message that encourages wider discussion and seeks to make a lasting impact.
To see how you can support in this nation-wide movement and the boycott taking place this Wednesday, there is an Instagram page specific to Derby, @girlsnightinderby. We understand there may be many of you who wish to support this boycott and fully respect your decision to stay in this week. For those who do decide to go out, please be reassured by all of the practical steps the Union and our affiliate venues are taking to make your official student nights as safe as they can be.
But what else can we do...?
Supporting the victims
Being proactive in our approach to situations like this will create the first shift for change. We are actively working with local partners to provide a student safety event this Thursday at One Friar Gate Square. Remember that if you are on a night out the first point of support is through staff of the venue and/or the Police.
The Union Advice Team is well equipped to support you though your journey at university and we are actively working closely with some organisations that can provide more specific support around sexual violence and the mental health ramifications that can stem from these issues.
Accountability
Ultimately the act of spiking is illegal and holds its consequences. If found guilty of this offence it carries a maximum of 10 years prison sentence. We want to make sure more is done to hold those accountable during/following the act of spiking and will be lobbying local police and MPs to raise awareness of these issues.
We want to provide some reassurance to students that we hold good relationships with venues that we trust and recognise we have a duty ourselves to uphold high standards and take appropriate measures to ensure student safety on official nights out. Here is an earlier statement we made around what we are currently doing.
A Platform for Your Voice
If you have further ideas on how we can support a shift change in attitudes towards safety on nights out please use our Ideas Forum where you get to enact the change you want to see in your university experience.
We are here to support to you.