43% of UCD students believe asking for consent is awkward
By Roisin Guyett-Nicholson | Oct 4 2016
Photo courtesy of UCDSU[hr]UCDSU has released the results of a survey launched in March this year. The survey focused on consent on campus and was part of the NotAskingForIt campaign run by the union last year.It revealed that 43% of students surveyed believe asking for consent is awkward. Despite this, 71% agreed that introducing consent workshops to campus was important, while 74% agreed that providing talks and information sessions on consent and sexual violence on campus was also important.Consent classes were also expected to begin this September. As of yet no plans for the classes have been announced. Similar classes were rolled out by Trinity College Dublin this September. Like the classes that were announced for UCD, plans for the classes in TCD were outlined earlier this year. Pilot schemes for general classes were held in April of this year.Following on from the survey, UCDSU has continued its consent campaigns of the previous years. The union explained that it “will be supported by the University, in particular the University will support the communications around it and will promote a positive message on consent with their own #WeAreUCD initiative.”The campaign is titled “Sex Out Loud,” the same as the campaign from two years ago.3,857 students answered the survey with 1,584 Males, 1,514 Females & 759 Non-Binary or responding to the survey.The survey presented students with a number of different scenarios along with general questions. Respondents varied with 7% studying Agricultural Sciences and Vetinary the lowest number from any faculty. The highest were 29% studying Arts and Human Sciences.