Our Valentine’s Consent campaign last year proved so popular that we are running it again this year.
Very simply describing situations where people actively consent to romance or recognise feeling manipulated or coerced, this messaging is an easy and fun way to think about a serious topic. This campaign was part of our work with Active* Consent.
Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment
This year, we are expanding our messaging, because all relationships - not just romantic ones - should be safe from sexual violence and harassment. We should be able to work together, teach and learn together, study and socialise together in a mutually respectful environment. In pursuing this culture of zero tolerance for bullying, coercion and abuse of power, NCI launched our Framework for Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in 2022 – this is a living document, that we contribute to and emend as experience and situations change and evolve.
The Problem Must be Seen to be Solved
To address sexual violence and harassment, we need to understand how, where, when and how often it is happening. However, we must accept that a person may not wish to make a formal report for many reasons – they may feel they dealt with their individual adequately themselves; the perpetrator might be someone they don’t regularly deal with, so they may not want to give the incident more time or space in their lives; they may worry that making a report will influence their friends’ or colleagues’ opinion of them, or be discouraged by other experiences of reporting where no action was taken.
Speak Out
Even as we build trust to break down some of these barriers to reporting, we want to provide a safe space for people to anonymously report their experiences. We are very glad to be part of Speak Out, a trusted platform used by many HEIs in Ireland. People reporting on this platform can be sure that no one will know who they are AND that the information they share will be used to inform policy at college-level and, indeed, nationally.
Reach Out
Speak Out allows you to report anonymously, however if you have experienced sexual violence or harassment at NCI, we encourage you – staff and students – to reach out to a Designated Contact Person (this link is available only to NCI staff and students), who will listen to you, help you understand your options, and support you no matter what you decide.
If you do not attend NCI, please make note of these support options.
More about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at National College of Ireland.