Research carried out by the University Newspaper reveals that 40 percent of Groningen students have experienced sexual harassment or violence.
Translation by Thomas Ansell
The UKrant surveyed 571 students and recent graduates from the University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences.
The research, undertaken by the newspaper with voluntary participants, has revealed that 38 percent of students surveyed had experienced sexually transgressive behaviour. Many encounters were classified as “unwanted touching”: 185 students indicated that they had been touched without their consent.
Of those surveyed, 24 percent had experienced sexually-oriented and inappropriate comments or had been faced with attempts to violate their personal space. In total, 98 respondents said that the abuse escalated further to threats to their safety (56 times), stalking (19 times), or rape (23 times).
According to the research, the perpetrators are likeliest to be acquaintances, such as associates, friends, fellow students, teachers or partners. Only a few students took action after an incident: in 11 cases, the police were called in, whilst the University or student association were informed four times.
If you have been a victim of sexual harassment or violence, help is available. The CSG (Centrum Seksueel Geweld) is a Netherlands-wide organisation and has a Groningen-Drenthe centre. The team consists of doctors, nurses, police officers; psychologist, social workers and sex therapists, and the centre is completely confidential (unless police assistance is requested by the victim). The emergency help line number is +31 (0) 800 0188.
