Boundaries, Respect and Positive Intervention
Imperial is committed to being a respectful and safe environment for everyone. We know that experiences of sexual harassment can have a serious impact on people and make it more difficult to achieve their potential. Everyone at Imperial is responsible for their part in creating this respectful environment. Consent and active bystander education have a proven positive impact on preventing sexual harassment and giving people the skills and confidence to positively intervene and support each other.
All Imperial students are expected to complete a short online course called Consent Matters as part of Student Essentials when you join the university. The course will help you to understand Imperial’s expectations, recognise acceptable boundaries and learn how to support your friends and colleagues. The course will show you what consent looks and sounds like, how you can clearly communicate what you want, when consent can be given and when it can’t, how and when you might step in when consent is not present. Talking about sex can be difficult, and through the completion of the programme we hope students will learn how to recognise and ask for sexual consent, look out for others at the University, and find support if it’s needed.
The course is all online, included in the Student Essentials course, and self-paced. It’s divided into three modules each taking around 20 minutes to complete
- Module 1: Thinking about consent. Defining and understanding consent, so you know when you have it as well as when it can and can’t be given, whatever your gender or sexuality.
- Module 2: Communication skills and relationships. Recognising and asserting your own boundaries, and how to talk about boundaries with others.
- Module 3: Looking out for others. How to take simple, safe and effective steps to challenge harassment when you see it.
More Information
What is Consent Matters?
It is an award-winning online programme developed by experts used by Universities to support the development of a positive consent culture on campus. It enables Imperial to set clear expectations and provide information on clear communication, boundaries, mutually respectful relationships and the ways in which we can support others.
Why Consent Matters?
University students are up to three times more likely to experience sexual harassment and in a 2021 survey run by ICU over 30% of Imperial students said that they had experienced sexual harassment. Consent and active bystander education have a proven positive impact on preventing sexual harassment and giving people the skills and confidence to positively intervene and support each other.