York St John University to take anti-harassment project into schools

Members of the All About Respect team, Dr Melanie Dawn Douglass (L), Dr Anna Macklin and Dr Nathalie Noret (R)

A scheme by a university in York to address harassment and unwanted sexual behaviour is to be expanded into the city's schools and colleges.

York St John University has received funding from the Home Office to widen its All About Respect project.

The team said the money would go towards running awareness-raising days and giving training to students.

The project's co-leader said it would "enable us to continue educating about hate crime and sexual harm".

Dr Melanie Dawn Douglass added that the team hoped to "raise confidence to tackle these behaviours" and that the new funding was "really exciting".

All About Respect was first launched in 2017 with the aim of promoting a zero-tolerance approach to sexual violence, harassment and abuse on campus.

'Priority areas'

The team said as a result of the new funding, it could delivering "bystander training" to young people so they could spot signs of sexual harm and have the skills to intervene.   

Meanwhile, focus groups involving young people would be carried out to find out what helped keep them safe.  

Options available to victims of gender-based violence when reporting issues to the police would also be examined, they added.

Last year, the university received funding from North Yorkshire Police's Fire and Crime Commissioner, Zoë Metcalfe, as part of her aim to make streets safer.

Ms Metcalfe said improving the safety of women, girls and young people were "priority areas within my police and crime plan and violence against women and girls strategy".

"This new funding will enable a new range of activities to be undertaken, which is fantastic news. My office and I look forward to hearing how the project progresses," she said.