Speak Out is an online and anonymous reporting platform for incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, discrimination, hate crime, coercive behaviour/control, stalking, assault, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. Speak Out will help you to find relevant supports and highlight formal reporting procedures, should you wish to use them.
The project, led by the Psychological Counsellors in Higher Education Ireland (PCHEI), and funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, will be rolled out across 18 higher education institutions throughout this academic year for students, staff and visitors.
The 2019 Framework for Consent in Higher Education Institutions: Safe, Respectful, Supportive and Positive – Ending Sexual Violence and Harassment in Irish Higher Education Institutions outlined the need for data to be collected on the incidence rates of sexual harassment and violence across our higher education sector.
The data collected through this tool will be used to inform policy and targeted educational initiatives. It is the goal of PCHEI to provide a trauma-informed tool which will provide users with support services relevant to their experience.
This project, which has been supported by the HEA Centre of Excellence for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, is a ground-breaking initiative which is underpinned by an ethos of cross-institutional collaboration in response to such incidences within higher education institutions and one that the University of Limerick is proud to be part of.
It is important to remember that Speak Out is completely anonymous, we have no way to identify or make contact with you or any member of the college community.
At UL, we continue to provide a safe environment for all our students and staff, while also putting supports in place to encourage victims of any kind of discriminatory or abusive behavior to make an official report.
The national approach in the Speak Out campaign echoes the ongoing work at UL and will help achieve the much needed zero tolerance culture.
Anyone with concerns or complaints about inappropriate behaviour in UL should use the online tool and know that there are many support structures in place for anyone who is seeking assistance: from our UL Student Life officers, Chaplaincy Office, and counselling and health services to course leaders, dedicated HR staff and peers.