Three Countries, One Problem: How the United States, United Kingdom, and France Handle Sexual Assaults in Higher Education

Authors

Annia Rochester

Abstract

Thirty-five percent of women worldwide will face physical or sexual violence. Female students within the United States, United Kingdom, and France are especially vulnerable to sexual assault and harassment due to a lack of protection from their governments. Failing to address the issue of sexual assault in higher education risks disrupting the education of student victims who are disproportionately women. Despite France and the United Kingdom signing the Istanbul Convention and the United States’ implementation of Title IX, these three nations have not done enough to prevent sexual misconduct among university-age students. All three nations have varying campus cultures and different methods of funding higher education institutions, but social norms that ignore violence against women and dissuade victims from reporting sexual assault exacerbates the problem.

All three nations have taken different approaches to address sexual misconduct in higher education. However, students remain at risk of becoming victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment. Each nation needs consistent, strict, and detailed legislation creating a standard for each higher education institution to protect and support victims of sexual assault, while also preventing such violence from occurring. The United States, United Kingdom, and France must educate students from a young age on the importance of gender equality and consent to begin alleviating the issue of sexual assault in higher education.

Recommended Citation

Annia Rochester, Three Countries, One Problem: How the United States, United Kingdom, and France Handle Sexual Assaults in Higher Education, 36 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 865 (2022).
Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.emory.edu/eilr/vol36/iss4/13