by Dr Alice King, Senior Researcher, Legal Services Research Centre
In my new monograph, based on my doctoral work undertaken between 2018-2022, I argued that sexual violence in elite UK universities is a cultural problem rooted within broader power structures and gendered behaviours.
The book relies on rich empirical data collected from students attending elite UK universities between 2019/20 and examines how sexual violence is experienced, understood and inadequately addressed within student communities. Its publication coincides with the recent Office for Students prevalence report which highlighted the elevated rates of sexual harassment experienced by those who attend elite universities.
Although this work was conducted prior to joining the Legal Services Research Centre, its foundations have informed how we approach researching workplace sexual harassment within our annual Lawyer Census which I lead and the “in context” approach characterises much of what I do at the LSRC beyond the census.
Everyday realities, not isolated incidents
Sexual violence remains a widespread but poorly addressed issue in UK higher education, affecting a significant proportion of students, particularly women and non-binary people. The book examines the everyday realities behind that statistic, including normalised banter and groping, troubling attitudes toward consent, and the persistence of lad culture within student communities.
Grounded in feminist theory and student voices, the book challenges dominant understandings of masculinity and heterosexuality which position sexual violence as rare as opposed to commonplace. Instead, it proposes a new model of prevention rooted in sexual ethics, citizenship and hybrid masculinities, offering practical, policy-relevant insights for building safer university communities.
From the campus to the profession
The book's central argument, that gendered harm in elite institutions is a cultural and structural problem rather than a series of isolated incidents, connects directly to my empirical work at the LSRC around workplace sexual harassment.
Both projects ask why harassment and violence persist within particular professional and educational environments, and both use empirical data to advocate for widespread, systemic change.
Read together, the two bodies of work point to a common conclusion, that preventing gendered harm in particular institutions requires structural and cultural change, not just individual accountability.
Preventing Sexual Violence in Elite UK Universities is published by Bristol University Press and is now available (ISBN 9781529254853).