Mr. Shane De Rís:

The conversation around education on consent and relationships at third level did not begin this year. This conversation was initiated by students' unions and student support services many years ago. The vital and urgent need for more education on all issues relating to boundaries, consent and sexual relationships was identified in numerous surveys and reports. The 2013 Say Something survey by the Union of Students in Ireland found that 16% of respondents had experienced an unwanted sexual experience at their current institution. In 2015 my students' union in Trinity College conducted a survey which revealed that one in four women and one in 20 men at Trinity College had had a non-consensual sexual experience. The survey also highlighted issues around harassment and stalking. It was evident a shift in culture, attitude and behaviour was necessary. It was clear then that more needed to be done to tackle the crisis directly. The first step was to initiate the conversation around positive consent in relationships through the development of consent workshops. The need for education on such a topic was further highlighted in surveys carried out on those who attended the first pilot we ran in 2016. At that point, only 22.9% of attendees claimed to be well-informed about sexual consent. This rose sharply to 64.7% following the workshops.

In Trinity College, in conjunction with the student counselling service, the students' union first employed the SMART consent model from NUI Galway in rolling out the classes. This pilot was rolled out in first-year student accommodation on a voluntary basis during the orientation programme. The primary aim of these workshops was to get conversation and understanding going about what consent was and to have this as an ongoing topic during the year. It was, however, identified through participant feedback that there was a need to change the programme or model and develop one specifically for Trinity College. We changed the model by removing the PowerPoint presentation and the emphasis was moved from didactic presentations to interactive discussions. The workshop would aim to become more inclusive and less heteronormative, through the content and the case examples.

In 2017 and 2018, almost 100% of the target population attended the workshops and positive feedback was garnered from all the participants. Although the workshops were not mandatory they were promoted in such a way as to have them seen as a normal part of the orientation to college and the college residence welcome programme. The success of the workshops in Trinity College can, for the most part, be accredited to their inclusive nature from planning and administration to the content of the programme. The workshops were designed in partnership with students and staff, and are facilitated by both. This is vital in creating a cultural shift on the issue and encouraging participant engagement with the workshops. The effectiveness of the workshops is best evidenced by the feedback of those who partook. Fully 99% of participants referred to the relevance of the workshops to college life and 87% agreed that they learned something useful. The model employed in Trinity has proven its value and effectiveness. The necessity of the workshops cannot be understated.

The challenge now lies in broadening the accessibility of the workshops. We operate in an environment where support services are stretched to the limit and the resources necessary to make the workshops available are not available. The workshops must be supported by other initiatives within our institutions. In Trinity, we have embarked on developing first responder training to equip staff and student representatives, who may be presented to by a victim of sexual assault, with the necessary tools to assist. We are also developing bystander training for those who witness an inappropriate situation to train them in how best to respond and best manage the situation.

The period of transition from second level to third level is a formative developmental period in any student's life. It gives us an opportunity to ingrain a positive attitude towards consent in all students and embed it as a natural part of college life. It is, however, a conversation that should be started at an earlier stage in the education of our young people. It should be built upon as young people progress through the system. If the committee, the Department of Education and Skills and the Minister genuinely want to see change and put an end to sexual violence at third level, then we need tangible support in the form of resources. The methods and models are ready to go. We simply need the means to do it.