Sexual violence in higher education: staff knowledge, understanding and confidence in supporting minoritized students who disclose sexual violence

Sexual violence on UK university campuses has received research and policy attention. However, little is known about the experiences of and responses to student victim-survivors with minoritized identities and how inequalities linked to race, sexuality and disability may impact the disclosure process. To address this gap, we conducted 34 interviews with academic and professional service staff working at three UK universities to understand their knowledge of the intersections between minoritization and sexual violence, awareness of institutional processes and support provision and confidence in receiving disclosures of sexual violence. Our findings outline the layers of complexity that minoritization adds to the experience of sexual violence, and the lack of confidence amongst academic staff in receiving disclosures, compounded by their limited knowledge of institutional provision and process. We call for a whole-institution, intersectional response to enable universities to provide practices and policies that serve the interests of all.