Advocacy groups have put forward estimates that as many as 27,000 women entering higher education this autumn may experience sexual assault before completing their degrees. About one in every eight women pursuing a university degree may face some form of sexual violence — ranging from rape and attempted rape to assault by penetration — over the course of their studies, according to newly published research.
Advocacy groups argue that the data point to sexual violence on university campuses in Britain being a widespread and underreported issue, not one confined to the United States. Katie White, co-founder of the non-profit organisation Enough, told a broadcaster that the data pointed to a pattern of sexual violence occurring at and near university campuses.
Grounding its estimate in a thorough examination of sexual misconduct survey data published by the Office for Students (OfS) the year before, Enough noted that around 215,000 women were expected to enrol as undergraduates that autumn. Data gathered by researchers point to roughly 7.7 per cent of women enrolled at university having experienced rape or penetrative sexual assault during their time as students. A further 5.1 per cent of women in the survey reported having been targeted by attempts that did not succeed.
Based on projected rates drawn from prior student intake data, approximately 27,000 members of this year's incoming cohort may encounter rape, attempted rape, or assault by penetration during their time at university. Among the roughly 50,000 students who participated in the OfS survey, responses from women indicated that 5.2% had experienced non-consensual penetration of the anus or vagina — whether by a body part or an object — while 2.5% reported being subjected to or compelled into oral sex without their agreement; a further 3.6% described an attempted but incomplete act of non-consensual penetration, and 1.2% reported a similar unsuccessful attempt involving oral sex.
According to ONS figures covering 2024–25, men account for the perpetrators in roughly 98 per cent of recorded sexual abuse cases. Overlap between incident types — where a single student reported encountering more than one form of attack — means the actual numbers may sit below what the data initially show. The organisation's mathematical modelling points to a minimal overlap between the two figures, placing the actual count nearer to the top end of its projected range.
Under its headline definition of rape, the ONS folds in assault by penetration, attempted rape, and attempted assault by penetration alongside the core offence. In a broadcast interview, Katie White — a co-founder of Enough, the organisation she helped launch in 2024 — contended that higher education institutions have not yet adequately addressed how pervasive the issue is.
During a campaign visit roughly two years prior, a student shared that three of the five young women living in her household had experienced sexual assault. At a Cambridge induction session for new students centred on consent, White put forward the position that universities carry a duty to ensure those beginning undergraduate study that month can complete their degrees without confronting data — drawn from the same research she was presenting — pointing to an approximate one-in-seven probability that an attempt at sexual assault will be made against them. Her view was that universities ought to face the issue openly and pursue meaningful change.
The OfS survey conducted the previous year gathered responses from students on the topic of sexual misconduct within higher education, though those identified as responsible for such conduct would not have been limited to other students.
A rape allegation at Cornell University drew renewed attention in 2024 when investigators chose to reopen the case. A former student, referred to in court documents under the pseudonym Jane Doe, has alleged that seven members of Cornell University's Chi Phi fraternity chapter subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault during a gathering where alcohol and drugs were present. Her lawsuit sets out that intoxication at the time of the incident left her without the capacity to give consent. In her complaint, Jane Doe contends that Cornell's response fell short — both in how the matter was examined and in the disciplinary measures taken against those she has named as responsible.
Blu Mckenzie, director of the campus safety organisation That's Still Rape, told a broadcaster that sexual violence of the kind alleged in the Cornell case was a documented problem at universities across Britain too. She noted that while the UK lacks the fraternity system found elsewhere, university sports clubs and student societies have faced their own documented concerns about sexual misconduct and harmful group behaviour. Research indicates that when male peer groups form in settings where social dynamics tend to reinforce one another's conduct, low-level misconduct can escalate toward physical aggression.
Bath University opened a review in September into allegations that members of its rugby club had discussed drugging female students during freshers' week, accusations that both the club and the students' union rejected. After posts began circulating on social media without verification, the university put additional security personnel in place at the nightclub. A broader examination of the culture surrounding its sports clubs has been set in motion by Bath.
Avon and Somerset Police have received reports of two separate incidents that officers are treating as possible cases of spiking, a force spokesperson has said. Administering substances to someone without their knowledge or agreement is a method recorded in cases of sexual assault and rape.
An account shared with the anti-rape organisation Everyone's Invited described a woman's experience during her second year at university, when she was 19 years old. During a night out with friends, the person had consumed two or three drinks before losing all memory of subsequent events. She described waking to find an unclothed stranger lying next to her in bed. When asked what had taken place, he described a sexual encounter, adding that both parties had been willing participants. She reported that when he attempted the act a second time, she was alert and withheld consent throughout, yet he proceeded regardless. The pattern repeated on more than one occasion.
Blu Mckenzie went on to raise questions about the way universities handle such situations. Reports indicate that those who come forward after experiencing harm are frequently met with scepticism, with the level of scrutiny directed at them often exceeding that applied to those accused of wrongdoing. Those who report harm often face a dense web of procedural hurdles with little guidance, while the accused retain the legal right to be treated as not guilty until a court rules otherwise.
NUS England President Favour Samuel noted that students do not require widely publicised accounts of sexual assault to recognise that higher education settings frequently fall short of providing safe conditions for women and girls. Such accounts surface through personal relationships, shared family bonds, and lived experience.
Research findings place more than half of all sexual assaults reported at university campuses within the three-month window running from September through November. New students arriving on campus — first-years in particular, still finding their footing in an unfamiliar environment — can be more vulnerable to predatory behaviour and exploitation during this adjustment period.
Advocates have called on universities across the board to put anonymous reporting systems in place. The Office for Students noted in a statement that every student deserves assurance of being free from sexual assault and harassment throughout their time in education.
Data gathered through the sexual misconduct survey point to a reality that a portion of students have not experienced. Sexual assault and harassment at university leave a documented toll on those who experience them, even as many students move through their studies without encountering either.
Regulations introduced for universities and colleges the previous year require those institutions to maintain clear policies against harassment and sexual misconduct, establish procedures for handling incidents when they arise, and provide support to affected students. An expanded breakdown of the 2025 Sexual Misconduct Survey findings was also released, examining how reported experiences differ across student populations by factors including sex, disability status, and socioeconomic background.
Across the sector, steps have been taken to address the issue of student safety, though the scope of those efforts has not yet matched the scale of what advocates and researchers say the problem requires. A government spokesperson indicated that sexual abuse in any form is unacceptable, and that the report's findings warranted attention, while the body conducting the survey noted plans to repeat it the following year and to keep working alongside the sector and other partners toward measures that protect student welfare.
Higher education institutions face binding obligations to address and prevent sexual misconduct on their campuses, with the Office for Students holding them to account through a set of enforceable standards. The statement described addressing violence against women and girls — including sexual harassment — as a priority for the administration, with measures under way aimed at enabling all students to learn in an environment free from harassment and harm.
