Sexual Violence
The Student Health & Wellbeing Service - supporting students who have experienced sexual violence or harassment
Emergency and crisis support
Urgent and emergency care - ☎ 999
Papyrus Hopeline247 - ☎ 0800 068 4141
Wellbeing support
Our resources page offers support and advice
Request wellbeing supportImportant note: for emergency or crisis advice please visit our urgent help page.
Northumbria’s SARC offer free, confidential healthcare and support to people that have experienced sexual violence, call their telephone 0300 223 0099 (open 24 hours a day, every day of the year) or email Newcastle.SARC@nhs.net.
Our Student Health & Wellbeing Service is here for students who have experienced any form of sexual violence or sexual harassment at any point of their lives. Seek support and advice on your options by clicking here:
You can complete this online contact form if you are a student or a staff member on behalf of a consenting student. The form will allow you the option to tell us about what has happened either anonymously or with your contact details attached.
If you are the subject of a report of sexual violence or harassment, you can seek advice on relevant support by clicking here to contact Student Health and Wellbeing Services as well as guidance through the Student Advice Centre and the Student Progress Service.
Helpful information
Sexual violence is a broad term used to describe any unwanted, unconsented, or coerced sexual behaviours. This can include rape, sexual assault, intimate image abuse, coercive control within an intimate relationship, child sexual abuse, and so called “honour-based” sexual violence. Sexual harassment can occur through any formats including in person or online.
We offer an inclusive, safe space providing support for students of any gender identity, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, age or any other identifying characteristic. We have a range of support available to all students and will seek the most appropriate support in line with your wishes. This could include referral to specific sexual violence therapy including through RCTN and our Male Sexual Violence Therapist. You can find out more about how we support male and non-binary students survivors of sexual violence in this sway document.
What happens after I complete the online contact form with my name?
A member of our team will read your form to get an understanding of your support needs and contact you to explore the options you wish to consider. Our service is open Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, excluding bank holidays and university closure dates.
We may ask you certain questions to ensure you're safe and well, but you don't need to disclose more details than you feel comfortable with. When you're ready, you can move forward with your options independently.
Who will find out about what I tell you? Do I have to formally report to the police or the university?
Our support is confidential unless we believe that you or others are in immediate danger. Telling us what's happened and seeking support will not automatically trigger any complaints processes with the university or the police. If you wish to make a report, you can raise a complaint directly with the Student Progress Service Student Disciplinary.
Does it matter where it happened or who's responsible?
We can support you no matter where it happened or who's responsible. Our support is specific to your needs. We'll help you to make informed choices about your options. We can signpost you to appropriate support both from us and your host university, workplace, placement or in your local community.
If the incident happened within a NUSU society or event, you could also talk to your society’s Welfare Officer to explore any support within our Students' Union.
Find out more about your NUSU Welfare and Equality Officer
Find out more about your Students' Union support options
Can I still get support if I was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when it happened?
It's completely irrelevant if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol when it happened, we'll help to keep you safe and supported. You can still access our service and we'll explore any options relevant to your needs.
If I disclose anonymously, is it really anonymous?
When you make an anonymous disclosure it is truly anonymous. We cannot locate where the disclosure came from or can't find out your name, contact details or any identifying information.
If you share identifying information like your name or location in the free-text boxes, it may be possible to determine who you or others are. This could lead to contact with you or others if we need to take action to protect you or anyone in the university community and keep you safe.
We're limited in the actions we can take against the person who harmed you if you make an anonymous disclosure, so we recommend you report any misconduct of another student or a staff member to the Student Progress Service Student Disciplinary.
We use anonymous disclosures to shape and inform university and city-wide prevention and engagement activities. We also anonymise named disclosures by removing all personal information and collating these with anonymous disclosures to shape our support activities.
Do I need to answer questions about my gender, race or ethnicity, religious beliefs or sexuality?
On the form, we give you the option to provide information about your gender, race or ethnicity, religious beliefs and sexuality. This is optional, so don't feel pressured to share this if you're not comfortable. You can access our service whether you choose to share this information or not.
If you share this with us, we use the data to understand who's using the disclosure form and who's experiencing hate crime, hate incidents or sexual violence at the university. This helps us develop preventative strategies and keep access to our service inclusive.
We report this data anonymously to the Changing the Culture Working Group and Race Equality Self-Assessment Team. These groups hold us accountable and ensure that we continue to challenge inequalities and inequities in our service.