Gender-based violence prevention and response: Colleges and universities

The Equally Safe in Higher Education Toolkit supports institutions offering post-16 education. This includes:

The toolkit offers adaptable, practical guidance which can complement existing activities.

While intended for Scottish universities, the material may be useful for colleges too. You can use the resources as they are, or adapt them to meet the needs of your organisation.

The toolkit includes:

policy guidance and templates for developing a whole campus response to gender-based violence (GBV)
guidance on GBV intervention and incorporating a trauma-informed approach to campus support services
resources for GBV primary prevention programmes and campaigns on campus
examples of how to incorporate GBV into courses, curricula and knowledge exchange

Equally safe in colleges and universities elearning

Rape Crisis Scotland offers colleges and universities a free eLearning module for students. This short, interactive module introduces students to GBV issues, including:

facts and figures about GBV
consent and healthy relationships
impact of GBV and how to be a supportive friend
where to find support for those affected by GBV
a gendered analysis in line with Equally Safe policy
information on Scotland-specific support for survivors and their supporters
relevant Scottish legislation and legal definitions
links to the Equally Safe in Colleges and Universities (ESCU) project

Tertiary education and training bill

The Tertiary Education and Training Bill (parliament.scot ) includes a provision on GBV. The Bill requires post-16 bodies funded by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to:

prevent gender-based violence against staff and students
support students and staff who have experienced such violence
report to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) on an annual basis