Supporting Students' Success

Domestic abuse may not be a term we would associate with universities, but according to the ‘Domestic Abuse Policy  Guidance  for  UK Universities’ by Dr Roxanne Khan, over 185,000 UK university staff and students suffer domestic abuse or violence every year — a staggering number.

The cross-government definition of domestic violence and abuse is: "Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexuality."

Fleeing such abuse can result in young people studying at university without the support and sometimes also without the approval of a family network. Such students often have no contact with their family. Research from Ipsos MORI suggests that 1 in 5 families in the UK will be affected by estrangement.

Experience of domestic abuse may also result in a student needing mental health support and counselling from their university. Some universities have trained domestic abuse champions, who have the expertise to support students and staff who have experienced this type of abuse.

This ProtectED Reflections event will discuss: the support available for this vulnerable student group; current recommendations for services universities have in place; and where improvements can be made to better support victims of domestic abuse, so they can go on to have success at university.

We are very pleased to welcome our speakers for this event:

• Susan Mueller, HE Director at Stand Alone, a charity that raises awareness of estrangement and supports people estranged from their familyyou can follow Stand Alone on Twitter @StandaloneHE
• Ruth Cooper-Dickson, Managing Director of CHAMPS for Change CIC and Positive Psychology Practitioner.

CHAMPS for Change is a social enterprise that was launched in 2019,  with the premise of creating a research hub into post-traumatic growth and to provide coaching programmes for marginalised groups and those who have undergone traumatic and adverse life situations.

The panel will discuss the need for support from organisations such as ‘Stand Alone’ and ‘CHAMPS for Change’, to guide universities in their support of students who have experienced domestic abuse. Our speakers will also share their thoughts and insights on developments in university support for this vulnerable student group.

We look forward to you joining us.