Support for students affected by sexual violence

It can be difficult to know which actions to take following an incident/s, but it is important to know that you have a choice in how to proceed and that support is available to you. Please remember that this is not your fault and you are not alone.

UCL Student Support and Wellbeing can direct you to appropriate support both within and outside of UCL. You can find full details about support on the Support for students who have been affected by sexual violence webpage.

Support for all students within UCL

The first step to receiving support from UCL is to contact Student Support and Wellbeing using the online reporting form*. Following on from that, you will be offered an appointment to discuss support, whether you would like the incident/s to be investigated, and whether you would like any adjustments to be made to your study. This appointment is confidential and is available to all students. Counselling support can be provided by UCL Student Psychological Services if requested.

*The online reporting form is stored confidentially and it is not linked to your student or academic record in any way. By completing the form, you are not committing yourself to engage with any actions you do not wish to.

Support for male students outside of UCL

In addition to the support provided by UCL, male students have access to the support provided by Survivors UK – the national charity for male survivors of sexual abuse. You can speak to a trained adviser in confidence on 020 3598 3898 or via individual web chat.

Support for female students outside of UCL

On your request, Student Support and Wellbeing can also arrange for female students to meet with a specialist adviser from Rape Crisis on UCL’s premises.

Rape Crisis is an organisation providing specialist, independent, and confidential services for women and girls of all ages who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives.

The Rape Crisis Adviser is based at UCL on a monthly basis. As a reminder of the next date, we post articles on the Student Support & Wellbeing blog and reminders on our @UCLcares social media accounts in the week before.

How can I request an appointment with UCL and/or the Rape Crisis Adviser?

• Please use the online reporting form to request an appointment with Student Support and Wellbeing.
• If you would like an appointment with Rape Crisis Adviser only, please also use the online reporting form stating in the details section ‘Appointment with Rape Crisis Adviser only’. 

Student Support and Wellbeing will then respond to you to arrange the appointment.

Can I receive support from Rape Crisis without sharing the incident/s with UCL?

Requesting the ‘Appointment with Rape Crisis Adviser only’ option, means that the details of the incident/s will not be shared with UCL. If you therefore require UCL to provide further support, make adjustments to your study, or investigate, you will need to contact Student Support and Wellbeing separately.

How does the appointment with Rape Crisis work?

The Rape Crisis Adviser can see you for a one-to-one 50 minute appointment at UCL. This will not be a counselling session, but an opportunity to talk about the impact that the incident has had on you. You can talk about your options and the process of reporting to the police with the adviser if you wish to do so. You can also find out about further support provided by Rape Crisis. 

This appointment is confidential within the Rape Crisis service and no information is shared with UCL. You would usually see the Adviser for a one-off appointment only. However, it is possible that a further follow up session can be arranged if required.

Engaging with further support or reporting the incident remains your decision, and meeting with the Adviser does not mean you are obliged to take things further if you do not wish to do so.

Where can I find out more?

We would encourage you to read through the Report and Support webpage for full details about support and reporting.

You can contact Student Support and Wellbeing via email.

UCL Student Support and Wellbeing