This paper explores the issue of harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) presented by young people, advocating a preventative approach through an increased focus on primary education. The definition of HSB, contributing factors and recent prevalence among young people is discussed. Much of the research and policies explored relate directly to England and…

The incidence and nature of sexual violence at UK universities has been aligned with a 'rape culture', where sexual violence is taken-for-granted. Calls to change such a culture permeate literature from government, charities, regulatory bodies, and academia. This paper pulls out of the literature the strategies called to change rape culture.…

Intimate partner violence and sexual assault are under-researched experiences in autistic people's lives. Recent research, however, has shown that autistic people are more likely to have been victimized than non-autistic people. This research, therefore, sought to explore the firsthand accounts of a range of autistic people about intimate partner…

The problematisation of a social phenomenon is a political process that both constructs the problem and, in doing so, suggests possible remedies and occludes others. Based on the first-ever comprehensive analysis of 129 UK university policies to address Gender-based violence (GBV), we examine how the 'problem' of GBV is conceptualised in…

Background: "Adverse Childhood Experiences" (ACEs) have been linked to negative outcomes for adult behavioural, physical and mental health. There is limited research into the prevalence of ACEs experienced by children and young people in the children and young people secure estate, and specifically, a lack of research into England's…

Drawing on data from qualitative interviews with students who had attempted to report staff sexual misconduct to their higher education institutions in the UK, the article analyses interviewees' experiences of 'grooming' and boundary-blurring behaviours from academic staff where the possibility for consent was affected by the power imbalances…

Background: This is the second of two papers describing a case study of two young men with complex learning disabilities. They presented with severe trauma-related mental distress following alleged sexual, emotional and physical abuse. This paper concerns the psychological intervention and support provided for them and their families over a period…

Two young men disclosed emotional, sexual and physical abuse while attending college and living with Shared Lives carers in the UK. This paper provides a narrative account of the period when the two men were exposed to the abuse, the disclosures, the investigation and the legal and safeguarding investigation outcomes. A second paper describes the…

This paper focusses on our concerns about revelations about sexual harassment in universities and the inadequate responses whereby some universities seem more concerned about their own reputations than the care and protection of their students. Seldom do cases go to criminal court, instead they mostly fall within employment relations policies…

Sexual violence is a widespread issue on university campuses. Although not a new concern, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the United Kingdom (UK) have only recently implemented prevention strategies. Many approaches focus on increasing knowledge of consent and related harms, but are rarely evaluated, or sit outside of the curriculum. While…

Programmes for sexual violence prevention have focussed historically on university, school or college students rather than staff working at these institutions. The "Universities Supporting Victims of Sexual Violence project" (USVreact), co-funded by the European Commission, worked across universities in Europe to address this gap in the…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) young people are subject to high rates of sexual violence globally, significantly impacting their lives and psychological wellbeing. However, service use for sexual violence support is low for LGBTQ+ groups and there is no current research exploring LGBTQ+ young peoples'…

Sexual abuse is a public health issue with long-term consequences for children's lives and education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child is a key reference point in safeguarding, increasingly incorporated into domestic law. This article aims to strengthen safeguarding theory and practice by reviewing human rights education (HRE) theory and…

This article introduces our "Sector Guidance" to "Address Staff Sexual Misconduct in UK Higher Education." The problem that the guidance seeks to address is that existing student complaints and staff disciplinary procedures relating to student complaints in this area fail to offer similar protections and privileges to the…

The purpose of this literature review was to analyze and synthesize the most current research about the experiences of young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 empirical research studies from 2009-2019 were selected for review including…