Following a massive surge in student spikings over the past year, the Department of Education have announced the launching of a new working group which will be committed to “stamping out” spikings in UK universities.
The group, called for by Universities Minster Michelle Donelan, will be made up of vice-chancellors, police officers, campaigners and spiking victims who will propose plans of action with the aim of keeping students safe. The group is to reconvene and report back at the beginning of the Autumn term (September 2022).
Universities Minister Michelle Donelan spoke on the matter last Tuesday. She said: “Recent incidents show that perpetrators are becoming more brazen in the way they are committing this appalling crime”.
She continued by staying she is “committed to tackling real issues that affect students across campuses”, which include the abolishment of NDA’s, “standing up to antisemitism” and ending the epidemic of spiking’s on UK campuses.
Coined by the Evening Standard as an “epidemic”, the past year has seen a rise in the number of reports of spiking incidents across UK campuses’, with offenders putting dissolvable pills in drinks, and in some cases using needles to inject victims with the substance.
NPCC data found that between September and October last year there were 198 confirmed reports of drink spikings across the UK, and 24 reports of “some sort of injection”. The victims were both men and women, but most victims were young women under 30.
The increase in spikings led to the launching of new campaigns across the country. Claim Back West Street is just one of the many campaigns set up by students in Sheffield to tackle the surge in spiking’s.
The SU also cancelled its popular Wednesday night event, ROAR, back in October in response the Girls’ Night In campaign.
According to the document published on the creation of a new group set out to combat student spikings, 11% of students believe they have had their drink spiked. The Alcohol Education Trust also found that around 1 in 10 young adults have fallen victim to spiking.
As part of the government’s action, GHB (used mainly for drink spiking) has been reclassified. There are also talks happening on the creation of a specific law criminalising spiking as a punishable offence.
Evidence to inform the Government’s report on spiking will be published next spring. Ms. Donelan, along with the Minister for Safeguarding, Rachael Mclean, and the newly formed coalition of vice-chancellors and victims, will meet in the coming months to gather evidence.
Despite the government’s new initiative to tackle spiking, Dawn Dines, founder of Stamp Out Spiking has been campaigning now against drink spiking issues for nearly two decades.
Ms. Dines, a member of the newly created group, said: “I am looking forward to being able to share my expertise to ensure the safety of students in higher education.
“I hope that they will make every effort possible to raise awareness to stamp out drink spiking in the future”.
For more information on ‘how to protect your drink from being spiked’ visit: How to protect your drink from being spiked – Save the Student
If you, or a friend, have any concerns about drink spiking visit: Drink spiking and date rape drugs | Drinkaware
If you or a friend think you have been spiked, NHS advise contacting emergency services immediately. Otherwise, the registered charity Victim Support offers free advice to anyone who has been the victim of a crime.
Image Credits: SOSUK