Freshers Week – a time packed with introductions and activities, but also the opportunity to address important issues like consent. Previously, consent workshops have faced criticism for their brevity and ineffectiveness, but Cambridge University’s Harassment and Violence Support Service (HVSS) is committed to improvement. They have launched a new pilot initiative, the ‘Revisiting Consent’ programme, which aims to inspire a deeper cultural shift. But what will the new scheme entail? I spoke to Cambridge students and staff to find out more.

Robinson College’s JCR Women and NB officer, Alex Defterios, described the consent session she attended in Freshers’ Week 2023 as largely ineffective. “To be candid,” she said, “it was futile.” She continued: “When delivered mechanically, sexual harassment prevention falls into a sea of administration” in Freshers’ Week, when ongoing resistance against the causes of sexual harassment is needed. Alex expressed her disappointment that consent talks hadn’t moved beyond the outdated ‘cup-of-tea’ metaphor delivered by students who lacked experience discussing sexual harassment. The consensus across colleges has been that most did not find the consent talks memorable, which Alex argues is the main issue.

“‘When delivered mechanically, sexual harassment prevention falls into a sea of administration’ in Freshers Week”

Building on the work of the 2017 Cambridge University initiative ‘Breaking the Silence’, the Harassment and Violence Support Service (HVSS) trialled a Consent workshop pilot last year at six colleges and has expanded to 11 colleges this year. Amy Thompson, Head of the HVSS, wanted to enhance Cambridge’s consent workshops and was inspired by other institutions’ initiatives, including Katrina Daoud’s work at Nottingham Trent University. Previously, colleges had the option to follow an SU-developed ‘train the trainer’ model where they would train J/MCR officers, often women’s officers, but, as Amy argues, “If we’re looking at institutional change and setting the culture, the responsibility of this work can’t just lie with a certain number of women,” nor one individual. In the new initiative, colleges recruit four sets of student-staff pairings to facilitate the workshops, who undergo a training day with the external organisation ‘Beyond Equality’.

Scott Annett, Senior Tutor of Robinson College (partaking in the workshops), feels students should not bear the sole responsibility of conducting these workshops, as it can put them in a difficult position. He emphasises the need for ‘meaningful senior college input’ and explains the importance of the talks being delivered by people within the college community rather than unknown external people. Scott believes that when students and tutors collaborate, it shows incoming students that the college takes consent seriously and are committed to creating a safe environment. This, in turn, helps to increase student confidence in accessing support.

“Amy hopes to move the workshops away from only ‘saying this is the definition of consent, because sexual violence doesn’t just happen because people don’t know’ what it means”.

Amy enlisted the specialist input of ‘Beyond Equality’ due to their good reputation, existing relationship with the University and focus on broader societal dynamics and politics. Amy hopes to move the workshops away from only “saying this is the definition of consent, because sexual violence doesn’t just happen because people don’t know” what it means. By focusing on deeper issues such as intersectionality, boundaries, privilege, and power, addressing the causes, the aim is to prompt longer-term cultural changes. Alex also stresses engaging in more complex debates around misogyny, masculinity, and the dialogue around sexual assault.

The workshops host a maximum of 20 students per session to enable space for discussion rather than feel like a lecture. Amy hopes this will help people to “understand the bigger picture, and why these things happen,” which “has a preventative or at least an awareness raising” effect. Amy is also considering whether the term ‘Consent workshops’ is outdated and puts people off them. Once this year’s workshops are complete, Amy will be conducting a review of the pilot so far and consider the impact, format, and whether to roll them out more widely.

Senior Tutor Scott also acknowledges the need for a cultural shift. He says, “I’m very conscious that workshops are never the solution to everything…we have to be talking and thinking about a broader culture.” These range from women’s safety at night to behaviour at social events like bops and parties. Yet he believes “if we can sharpen [the workshops] up and improve what we’re delivering, it will hopefully get the ball rolling and help us develop a bit of momentum.” The involvement of passionate staff and students is crucial due to the potential to inspire wider discussion. Within Robinson, the staff’s enthusiasm signals that discussions around consent and women’s safety are, in Scott’s words, “not something that kind of magically stops when you graduate.” He believes that “there’s more we can do as a college to make sure we’re being open about the kind of social challenges that exist.”

“I’m very conscious that workshops are never the solution to everything…we have to be talking and thinking about a broader culture”

Alex shares her keenness to bring the workshops to life, to tackle the “stubborn disinterest that students arrive with.” She wants to take inspiration from other more engaging talks she attended, delivered by people with personal experience or a genuine passion for the subject. It should not be “random Fresher’s committee members who were conscripted into doing it, but passionate feminists (of any gender identity)” who are credible advocates for the importance of talking about consent and sexual assault.

With this collaborative approach in place, how have the new workshops been received so far? A key takeaway for me in this year’s training was how targeting issues such as sexism, the normalisation of sexual violence, and victim blaming is crucial to tackling the foundation of the “rape-culture pyramid,” which sustains the permissiveness and enactment of sexual violence, assault and rape. Feedback from last year’s facilitators highlights other successes. They reported the training provided them with the skills to contribute effectively without bearing the full responsibility of formulating the content. One student facilitator commented that the staff-student pairing “made [them] feel more confident.” Reflection on aspects they found particularly impactful show that “thinking about boundaries in a broader way” was a segment students could “connect with” and it “generat[ed] good discussion.” Students also engaged well with myth busting – “as it is such a common daily life one.”

The 338 students who attended the sessions had an opportunity to give their feedback, rating statements on a scale of 1 to 5. The highest rated statements were 94.4%, and 95.9% of participants gave a 4 or 5, were for where to seek support, and avoiding victim blaming. This is a positive outcome since a sensitive and supportive environment that believes survivors can increase the likelihood that they will seek help. It also establishes sexual misconduct on all levels as less acceptable and more preventable. Another significant finding was that 75.1% rated a 4 or 5 on their increased self-reflection regarding their own behaviour. Personal accountability is key – it is not enough to understand consent in theory, students must also be encouraged to examine and change their behaviour and attitudes. A related issue is the confidence in communicating and asking about boundaries. 74.6% felt more confident in asking others about their boundaries, while 68% felt confident in communicating their own. These results show progress but also highlight areas for improvement – we need to build students’ confidence and empower them to recognise and communicate their boundaries.

Overall, the ‘Revisiting Consent’ pilot marks a promising step in fostering spaces open to discussion and action. However, it is only one piece of the puzzle, and the task is long-term. Feedback, adaptation, broader ongoing initiatives and dialogue are essential to transforming the culture around consent in Cambridge – and beyond.

*If you require support, Cambridge University offers a range of services for you to access, including the Harassment and Violence Support Service (HVSS), as well as within your college, such as Tutors, Porters, and Wellbeing staff.