Consent Training 2024
The Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service have developed a consent workshop programme, running for a third consecutive year in Michaelmas 2024. The workshops are delivered across a number of colleges and are led by fully trained student facilitators. With a focus on healthy relationships and consent, facilitators work closely with college staff to help deliver the programme.
The Support Service regularly review the training and workshops, welcoming honest feedback from participating colleges, facilitators and student attendees.
Online consent training
Consent is an important aspect of our day-to-day lives, whether we’re borrowing someone’s phone, hugging a friend, or navigating sexual experiences. Oxford is a safe, inclusive and equitable university. Sexual violence is never acceptable, and we expect all our students to contribute to a respectful community of learning.
All students at Oxford are strongly encouraged to complete the online training Consent for Students. This training is designed to complement in-person training or workshops, and covers consent, communication, relationships, respect, boundaries and positive intervention.
Find out more and complete the training on the Consent for Students webpage.
Understanding consent means we're all able to have more safe, healthy and enjoyable encounters. When it comes to sexual consent, it’s more than just avoiding breaking the law or meeting your ethical obligations. It’s about making intimate experiences work for everyone involved, respecting others, having strong communication and ensuring everyone has a good time.
This training covers sexual consent, including the law, myths, and different factors which may affect someone’s understanding and experience of consent. It will also support you to talk about consent with others and provides advice on what to do if you or a friend experiences harassment or violence.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Identify what consent means
- Explain what counts as sex or sexual activity
- Describe some of the factors involved in giving and receiving consent
- Summarise the laws relating to sexual consent
- Identify myths about sex, sexual violence, rape and consent
- Understand scenarios where consent has been sought and given and where it has not
- Identify verbal and non-verbal methods of communication and consent
- Consider how to support others, including whether to step in
- Know where to go for further support
This training is now hosted through Oxford’s internal training system – CoSy, and is available for all students (new and existing), as well as staff.
Find out more and sign up for the training via the Consent for Students webpage.
Following our successful pilot in 2023:
- 85% students said they were more likely to seek support if they experienced sexual violence or relationship abuse
- 84% said they had a better understanding of healthy relationships
- 81% had a better understanding of sexual consent
- 90% said the workshop felt accessible and inclusive
- 90% felt the peer facilitators were knowledgeable and engaging
Student Facilitator training
Facilitators should expect to deliver at least two workshops with a co-facilitator. You will work alongside a key contact in your college to arrange the workshops and collect feedback from workshop attendees, receiving support and guidance along the way.
You will receive a full day of training from the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service, and all materials and ongoing supervision to equip you with the knowledge and skills to deliver the workshop. This is an opportunity to develop your leadership, training and organisational skills, and will make a great addition to your CV. This is a voluntary role.
“Although the participants were initially nervous, we were able to create an environment that encouraged discussion and so by the end of the session it was great to see everyone getting involved in the conversations. Of course, some challenging questions and topics came up but thanks to the training I could deal with them in a way that didn’t derail the discussion” – Student facilitator
Workshops are around 60 - 75 minutes in duration, with a short amount of preparation and pack up time. They may be delivered throughout the year, as well as in Freshers’ Week.
Experience
Applicants should have the skills and confidence to deliver workshops or training to a group of peers. Previous training experience is desirable, but not required. You should feel comfortable in managing challenging scenarios which may arise during workshops, though training will be provided on this and you will be supported.
You should have an understanding of sexual harassment, sexual violence and relationship abuse, and an interest in educating others. It is also important to demonstrate your commitment to reducing and preventing, where possible, sexual harassment and violence, and abuse in relationships. Those with personal experience of sexual violence are welcome to apply, however, we encourage people to be mindful that it may be challenging to discuss these topics in front of a group, and personal disclosures in the workshops are not appropriate.
“My favourite part about the workshops was how they covered several different areas of sexual consent and healthy relationships to reflect a wide range of situations. This meant that we could have interesting conversations with the participants and equip them with the tools to navigate different types of relationships at university” – Student facilitator
Support for you
Facilitators will receive supervision from staff in the Support Service, to discuss how workshops are going, raise concerns or issues, and reflect on areas for improvement. Outside of these sessions, any concerns can be shared immediately and directly with the Support Service or your college welfare contact.
Application
If you're interested, you will need to complete a short application form. Applicant names will be shared with your college so they can assess your suitability and capacity to commit to the project alongside your studies. If your college does not support your application, no detail of the reasons for this will be shared with the Support Service.
Having been approved by your college and the Support Service, successful applicants will be invited to join training which will be delivered in person in Oxford on Friday 4th, Saturday 5th or Sunday 6th October 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
Recruitment for the 2024/25 academic year has now closed.
Participating Colleges
Colleges participating in Michaelmas 2024 are:
- Balliol (recruitment closed)
- Christ Church College (recruitment closed)
- Exeter College (recruitment closed)
- Hertford College (recruitment closed)
- Jesus College (recruitment closed)
- Lincoln College (recruitment closed)
- Mansfield (recruitment closed)
- New College (recruitment closed)
- Pembroke College (recruitment closed)
- Reuben College (recruitment closed)
- Somerville College (recruitment closed)
- St Anne's College (recruitment closed)
- St Peter's College (recruitment closed)
- University College (recruitment closed)
- Wadham College (recruitment closed)
Some colleges are running workshops for undergraduate students or postgraduate students only, and some are delivering workshops for both undergraduates and postgraduates. Details are available on the application form.
If you are a student and your college is not listed, you can get in touch with your college welfare team to find out what your college is running and if you can get involved.
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