It’s the weekend. Rushed meals have left the house littered with dirty plates as everyone is too busy getting themselves ready to clean, the living room smells of cheap booze, and we’re in the outfit decision stage.
I rush into my housemate’s bedroom wearing a figure-hugging bodysuit.
“You look amazing”, she yells, “where has that been hiding?!”
The second option is a t-shirt and skirt. It’s more conservative. I walk back into the room, and the calmer look on her face tells me we’re thinking the same thing:
“That one is probably safer.”
We take precautions, we change our behaviour, and yet time and time again, it isn’t enough.
Recently the reported number of spikings on West Street, in Foundry, and elsewhere, has allegedly increased. The Student’s Union acknowledged this problem, but stated “these incidents are rare in our venues.”
Emily Bush, a second-year history student, said: “Going out is scary right now. I don’t know if it’s a society-wide thing, because people haven’t been going out for a while, so now all the aggressive ones are, but when I went out the other week, I just had people grabbing me. Someone grabbed me from behind.”
Recent cases of violence against women have sparked the discussion nationwide. The Met Police response, including their infamous advice to ‘wave down a bus’ if you feel unsafe, has proven just how bad the situation is. The statistic – from UN You-Gov Poll for women – that 86% of young women aged 18-24 had been harassed in public came out earlier this year, and whilst it was a blow to some, it was unsurprising for many.
Emily added: “You know when you’re leaving someone’s house, and it’s dark- I make jokes, saying ‘well fingers crossed I get home!’, but everyone knows we are genuinely scared. I message people saying I hope they make it back okay, and it’s terrifying. Everyone knows it is, no one is under the illusion that it’s not. But what are we meant to do?”
The vigil held for Sabina Nessa on 26th September saw up to 100 people, including students, gather at Devonshire Green for a moment of silence and to discuss what was described by one speaker as an “epidemic of violence against women”. This response proves that people care about and identify with her story, even almost 200 miles from where she died.
Image taken by Chloe Aslett.
A YouGov survey found that only 7% of women feel that “men in society” are doing enough to ensure the safety of women and girls. The fact that this protection is needed, and women still don’t have enough support or resources to feel that they are safe alone, highlights a more central issue in itself.
Zain Tariq, a second-year Architectural Engineering student, said: “If an incident happens while on a night out I feel responsible to try and help out. I know it can be unsafe for girls to speak up for themselves. I know how much privilege I have as a guy and try to make use of that.
“I’ve heard that incidents have been happening more lately in clubs. You see people swapping places in circles to get away from others, and overall everyone is keeping a bit more of an eye out for anything sketchy.”
Many of the current student cohort turned 18 while clubs were still closed, so were first allowed to go clubbing in July this year, and have no pre-pandemic experience to compare with.
Euan Emery, a first-year Computer Science student, is one of these. He said: “Being a man I do feel relatively safe, but I have had run-ins with groups at nights out elsewhere before. Some places in the city, like Viper Rooms, pat you down or check pockets for drugs. The club back in my hometown is quite strict, so I was pretty surprised that we were just let straight into other places, like Foundry.”
Various safety measures exist in clubs, including giving out “spikeys” to cover bottle tops, cling film for cups, and training staff on Ask Angela, a scheme where people mention the name at the bar to subtly alert staff that they need help. The Leadmill uses all of these, checks bags, and has recently removed the screens separating the bar from the club, so more staff have eyes on the dancefloor.
On Wednesday 20 October, the Foundry announced they will be searching entrants at the doors, in order to offer more security. Other security measures, like ID Scanning are already in place.
Jess Sharpe, a second-year Environmental Science student, works behind the bar at The Leadmill, a popular student nightclub. She said: “The atmosphere has definitely shifted lately. A lot of the discussion at work has been the girls trying to educate others on what goes through someone’s head while they’re out.
“Some people don’t go for the cling film because of what others might think. I served a girl who asked for it then got questioned by a lad next to her, who said that kind of thing never really happened and that cling film would hardly help, so she took it off.”
Some students have decided to take matters into their own hands to put pressure on establishments where these incidents are still being let slide.
‘Claim Back West Street’ is a campaign advocating for safe spaces and anti-spiking measures in all West Street bars, and to have Street Angels in the city. It launched last Friday 15 October with backing from the SU Welfare Committee and Bloo 88.
Hannah Youds is one of the five third year journalism students who set up this campaign, which is hosted by their new site Steel City Courier.
She said: “We decided to launch this campaign after I had been talking about this with a taxi driver. We were going along West Street and he was complaining about how bad it was and how much it needed saving.
“I just think we all need to look out for each other, more so now than ever before. With the reported recent spikings at the Foundry last week, it just shows that nowhere is fully safe and I think that’s why this campaign is so important and we welcome anyone who wants to back it.”
Image taken from @claimbackweststreet on Instagram.
Moving forward, there is hope that the vast majority will come together and tackle this. The idea of a totally safe night out only feels so much like a fantasy because those who make us feel unsafe have gotten away with it for so long. The recent reactions and conversations cannot stop until everyone can walk home alone, and drink uncovered drinks, and do things as seemingly inconsequential as wear their first choice of outfit without fear.
Featured image credit: Efren Barahona on Unsplash.com