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Twitter #MeToo #BeenRapedNeverReported Great platforms for people speaking up 

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Twitter #MeToo #BeenRapedNeverReported Great platforms for people speaking up 

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https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BeenRapedNeverReported&src=typd

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Lewd behaviour, misogynistic jokes, grabbing women while drinking heavily: these are the kinds of things that come to mind when UK students are asked to define "lad culture".

But this year, as freshers enrol, BBC Trending visits London universities that are using online pledges to tackle laddishness - and the men's rugby team at the London School of Economics, which was temporarily disbanded a year ago for distributing leaflets including insults directed at women and gay people, is now campaigning against lad culture too.
Video journalist: Kat Macaulay You can follow BBC Trending on Twitter @BBCtrending, and find us on Facebook. All our stories are at bbc.com/trending.

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Lewd behaviour, misogynistic jokes, grabbing women while drinking heavily: these are the kinds of things that come to mind when UK students are asked to define "lad culture".

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Durham University, encouraging 'rape culture' by playing 'its not rape if...' 

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Durham University, encouraging 'rape culture' by playing 'its not rape if...' 

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"Any other ending of this sentence encourages rape culture which is, in my opinion, the nasty side of lad culture."

The president of the rugby club has since apologised for the game, she said.

Samuel Cuthbert, who was abroad at the time and not involved in the incident, has since sent an email to FemSoc apologising on the club's behalf.

"'It's not rape if...' is neither funny nor is it permissible and it is for this reason that I wholeheartedly apologise," he said.

He also offered to assist the DUFemSoc in its "cause", saying: "I would very much like to initiate a relationship between our two societies, not only to demonstrate our belief in the importance of the work you do but to help you do it, too."

Professor Elizabeth Archibald, Principal of St Cuthbert's Society, said: "We are aware of the alleged incident in St Cuthbert's and we will be speaking to the students concerned.

"The college has a diverse and international student body and students are well aware of the need to act appropriately and respectfully towards others."

Last November the same rugby club was banned from playing for the rest of the term after members dressed up as Jimmy Savile, his victims and police for a "bad taste fancy dress night."

The university said at the time it was taking disciplinary action.

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Durham student rugby club played game 'encouraging rape culture'

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"Any other ending of this sentence encourages rape culture which is, in my opinion, the nasty side of lad culture." The president of the rugby club has since apologised for the game, she said. Samuel Cuthbert, who was abroad at the time and not involved in the incident, has since sent an email to FemSoc apologising on the club's behalf.

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Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines ft. T.I., Pharrell

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University of Warwick suspends 11 students over rape jokes and racist slurs on Facebook 

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University of Warwick suspends 11 students over rape jokes and racist slurs on Facebook 

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A group of students who reportedly made jokes about rape and used racial slurs have been suspended by the University of Warwick after private Facebook messages came to light.

Eleven male students have been suspended after screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages in a Facebook group chat were shared with the prestigious university.

The exchanges included shocking remarks such as "sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" and "rape the whole flat to teach them all [a] lesson."

A member of the group gave a racist reply using the term "p**i", while further remarks included "love Hitler, hate n****s and jews and Corbyn".

Student newspaper reported that three formal complaints were made to the university and almost 100 screenshots of the group chat submitted as evidence.

It added that the Facebook chat - which had been called "F*** women, Disrespect them all" and had screen names of "Grenfell" and "Taxi Jew" - included senior members of societies.

Discussing racism, one user said on the chat: "Yeah racism is frowned upon at Warwick? F****** bull." Others replied "EDL!" and "racism is class".

A University of Warwick Student Union (SU) spokeswoman said: "Warwick SU is aware of the ongoing university investigation into a group Facebook chat involving a number of Warwick students.

"The SU condemns the content of these messages - together with all forms of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, ableism, and threats of violence - in the strongest possible terms.

"The SU has been supporting the victims and will continue to do so.

"We are also proactively cooperating with the university's ongoing investigation, and hope to see a conclusion as swiftly as possible."

A University of Warwick spokesperson said it was "a student disciplinary matter that is currently being actively investigated. We obviously cannot comment further on that matter until those investigations, and any subsequent disciplinary processes, are concluded."

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We are aware of the matters relating to the social media group involving a number of students and we are liaising with Warwick University."

The incident comes after a number of reports of racist incidents at universities since the start of the year.

Just last week, a number of law students who allegedly made racist comments were expelled by the University of Exeter after private WhatsApp conversations were shared on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Hallam University recently launched an investigation after a black student was allegedly called a monkey by staff. The incident came after a banana was reportedly thrown at a black Sheffield Hallam graduate during an ice hockey match between his alma mater and city rivals, the University of Sheffield.

Meanwhile, two teenagers will appear in court later this month after a video of alleged racist chanting in student halls went viral.

Rufaro Chisango, a Nottingham Trent University student, posted footage she recorded on social media last month - which included chants of "We hate the blacks" and "Sign the Brexit papers".

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11 students suspended after shocking private Facebook messages come to light

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A group of students who reportedly made jokes about rape and used racial slurs have been suspended by the University of Warwick after private Facebook messages came to light. Eleven male students have been suspended after screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages in a Facebook group chat were shared with the prestigious university.

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It’s not ‘lad culture’, its misogyny – just look at the LSE rugby club 

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It’s not ‘lad culture’, its misogyny – just look at the LSE rugby club 

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It's not 'lad culture', it's misogyny - just look at the LSE rugby club | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

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Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett: Talk of slags, sluts and whores, this is today's lad culture. And when sexual harassment is explained away as 'laddish', it gets dangerous

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BBC Trending - Lad culture: it stops here 

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BBC Trending - Lad culture: it stops here 

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'Lad culture: it stops here' | BBC Trending

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Lads. The word itself conjures up so many different attitudes and images. There's the character of Tommy Johnson played by Danny Dyer in the 2004 film The Football Factory: an angrily aggressive and influential take on football hooliganism. "What else are you going to do on a Saturday? Sit in a chair wanking off to pop idols then try and avoid your wife's gaze as you come to terms with a sexless marriage? F*** that for a laugh... I know what I would rather do. Tottenham away - love it!"

To a certain extent, Tommy Johnson has a point, but that is not quite what this documentary is about and not exactly the best example of lad culture.

Instead, I look at how the lad movement has been with us for generations, before Oasis, Blur and all those now-defunct lad mags, and how it continues to exist but in different forms.

I ask if nostalgia plays a part in the movement and if it's time to get rid of the stereotypes perpetuated by elements of the media, and which many "lads" are simply and proudly getting on with their own lives, not living by society's simplistic rules or notions of fashion set by the so-called trendsetters. In fact, it seems more that the creative fashion industry is looking to these lads for inspiration.

Read next

Specifically, I speak to Alfie Allen in an East End pie-and-mash shop and discuss what the current lad climate is about, while tucking into jellied eels. Alfie provides us with a surprise tale about one of lad culture's greatest moments and unearths a previously little-known passion for singing... Astrid Andersen, one of the world's most important and prominent streetwear designers, talks to me about how the way men dress has developed and explains how this has filtered down to a new generation of lad culture.

Avid Arsenal fan, journalist, broadcaster and football podcast king Boyd Hilton shoots some pool while explaining the noises from the terraces and how that style became part of popular culture.

Then it's off to one of the UK's most interesting and buzzing cities - Liverpool - and, arguably, the real home of football, Liverpool FC's Anfield. Dan and Owen from influential football magazine Mundial are on hand to tell me about how Saturday night is still the one time to empty your aftershave bottle and live the dream.

I also engage local lads at a skate park in a discussion about clubbing and how you might get chased down the street if you have long hair. Good job I have very little.

Overall, I hope this documentary is a fun and engaging investigation into the boys who still buy their crisp Saturday night shirts, still go to the football, still go clubbing, and more importantly still believe in their community and lifestyle choice.

To view the full River Island collection click here >

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Lads. The word itself conjures up so many different attitudes and images. There's the character of Tommy Johnson played by Danny Dyer in the 2004 film The Football Factory: an angrily aggressive and influential take on football hooliganism. "What else are you going to do on a Saturday?

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UPDATE: The DJ who encouraged crowd to shout "cheer if you want to f*** this girl" has been banned from the student union
Students have expressed their disgust at a university nightclub which egged on young women to simulate sex acts for a chance to win a holiday while a baying crowd shouted "slag" at one of the contestants.

The event took place at University of Hull's 'Asylum' nightclub and was hosted by DJ Lee Watson, who, according to student site The Tab, is said to have told the crowd: "Cheer if you want to f*** this girl. She's keen, form a queue. I'm first."
*Warning: some readers may find these images upsetting*
A student nightclub event turned into a sleazy stage spectacle that saw participants egged on to simulate sex acts

Students were encouraged to participate in stimulating sex acts so they could win a free place on a sports tour to Croatia, while the crowd was urged to chant "slag" at one woman, who was reportedly left in tears.

The disturbing events were part of a Student Union event at the Asylum nightclub at the University of Hull, East Yorks

The women were also required to remove their bras if they wished to remain in the competition, while one couple had to simulate a 69 position, with the male student shouting "who's the daddy?".

The student audience were encouraged to chant "slag" at a woman taking part

One student told the Tab: "It is outrageous the union allowed this man to instruct drunk students," while a spokesperson for the university's student women's society said it was "incredibly worrying this event was allowed to happen especially with union staff present".

"The games were clearly promoting lad culture, which is a huge problem within universities across the country," she added.

DJ Lee Watson with one of the contestants

A spokesman for Watson's agent, Big Bang Global in Blackpool, said: "We were not aware of this. We were completely in the dark. Lee is abroad at the moment but we will be trying to speak to him about this."
SEE ALSO:
Useful helplines and websites:
Victim Support - Visit victimsupport.org.uk or call 0808 168 9111

Sexual Abuse Referral Centres - Find a SARC

Rape Crisis - Visit rapecrisis.org.uk or call 0808 802 9999

The Rape and Abuse Line - Visit rapeandabuseline.co.uk or call 0808 800 0123 (answered by women) or 0808 800 0122 (answered by men).

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'Cheer If You Want To F*** This Girl': Students Disgusted At University's Club Night

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UPDATE: The DJ who encouraged crowd to shout "cheer if you want to f*** this girl" has been banned from the student union Students have expressed their disgust at a university nightclub which egged on young women to simulate sex acts for a chance to win a holiday while a baying crowd shouted "slag" at one of the contestants.

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'Boys will be boys' but where do we draw the line?

What is lad culture?

This is a difficult subject to tackle without offending anyone. So disclaimer, this is not lad-bashing, it's just musing over this potentially problematic and harmful culture that University breeds.

According to the reputable source that is Wikipedia, lad culture is "the shunning of sensitivity in favour of drinking, violence and sexism". At the surface this may seem harmless, however, when it begins to offend and injure those who surround it, there are issues.

It is important to distinguish being "male" from being "masculine", just like being a "female" and being "feminine" are different. Lad culture is a misplaced view of "manliness", and so can create a multitude of vulnerabilities and problems.

Inevitably, with lad culture comes peer pressure, and a focus on "hyper-masculine" pursuits. This can sometimes get nasty. There can be an aggressive pressure to "pull" girls, "chop" pints and provide solid "banter". It is difficult to grasp how this makes someone "masculine", especially since it disregards emotion and sensitivity, and is often destructive in doing so.

Though lad culture is not explicitly a cause, it is interesting to bear in mind that suicide remains the most common cause for death amongst men aged 20-49 in England and Wales. Also that just 1 in 50 cases of sexual misconduct are done whilst sober. Consider that 31% of men drink harmful amounts of alcohol in contrast to 16% of women.

Banter - where do we draw the line?

To some extent, where laddish banter is in private, it's okay, since potentially hurtful comments aren't actually directed at anyone. However, this does normalise these abusive attitudes. It becomes problematic when beliefs are passed as "banter" because it fails to acknowledge the conceivably racist, homophobic and misogynistic rhetoric.

There is a growing inclination towards "call out culture". In an ideal world, this is the perfect solution, but it's difficult to know when to speak out and how to really make an impact. It's frustrating that we're forced to pick our battles, however, if you feel strongly enough and you're in a safe environment to do so, call it out!

Is it particularly bad at Durham?

Undeniably, lad culture is something most of us perpetrate and experience and this is especially so in a university environment where we're trying to make friends and experience new things. Societies and sports teams have regular "welcome drinks" and socials, which are mostly fun. However, I for one don't enjoy DU Rugby's Jimmy's antics, nor am I comfortable with rumours of secret societies that keep records of who members have slept with.

We have an amazing collegiate system which nurtures an environment for the reporting of abuse and harassment. Although Durham is in the top 5 UK universities for sexual misconduct, this problem is not unique. The issue may lie in the intensity of Durham's student environment; 20 mins is the furthest you have to walk to see anyone, and options for nights out are particularly limited.

It's difficult to escape this Durham bubble. There is the constant pressure to fit in, and the ever-present fear of being accused of being a "wetter". But if we step back and think, we may find that the we don't actually agree with how we act. I highly doubt that people are misogynists, homophobes, or classists, but demeaning a girl, calling someone gay as an insult and planning a Maggie vs Miners social is exactly that.

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'Boys will be boys' but where do we draw the line? This is a difficult subject to tackle without offending anyone. So disclaimer, this is not lad-bashing, it's just musing over this potentially problematic and harmful culture that University breeds.

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Lads. The word itself conjures up so many different attitudes and images. There's the character of Tommy Johnson played by Danny Dyer in the 2004 film The Football Factory: an angrily aggressive and influential take on football hooliganism. "What else are you going to do on a Saturday? Sit in a chair wanking off to pop idols then try and avoid your wife's gaze as you come to terms with a sexless marriage? F*** that for a laugh... I know what I would rather do. Tottenham away - love it!"

To a certain extent, Tommy Johnson has a point, but that is not quite what this documentary is about and not exactly the best example of lad culture.

Instead, I look at how the lad movement has been with us for generations, before Oasis, Blur and all those now-defunct lad mags, and how it continues to exist but in different forms.

I ask if nostalgia plays a part in the movement and if it's time to get rid of the stereotypes perpetuated by elements of the media, and which many "lads" are simply and proudly getting on with their own lives, not living by society's simplistic rules or notions of fashion set by the so-called trendsetters. In fact, it seems more that the creative fashion industry is looking to these lads for inspiration.

Read next

Specifically, I speak to Alfie Allen in an East End pie-and-mash shop and discuss what the current lad climate is about, while tucking into jellied eels. Alfie provides us with a surprise tale about one of lad culture's greatest moments and unearths a previously little-known passion for singing... Astrid Andersen, one of the world's most important and prominent streetwear designers, talks to me about how the way men dress has developed and explains how this has filtered down to a new generation of lad culture.

Avid Arsenal fan, journalist, broadcaster and football podcast king Boyd Hilton shoots some pool while explaining the noises from the terraces and how that style became part of popular culture.

Then it's off to one of the UK's most interesting and buzzing cities - Liverpool - and, arguably, the real home of football, Liverpool FC's Anfield. Dan and Owen from influential football magazine Mundial are on hand to tell me about how Saturday night is still the one time to empty your aftershave bottle and live the dream.

I also engage local lads at a skate park in a discussion about clubbing and how you might get chased down the street if you have long hair. Good job I have very little.

Overall, I hope this documentary is a fun and engaging investigation into the boys who still buy their crisp Saturday night shirts, still go to the football, still go clubbing, and more importantly still believe in their community and lifestyle choice.

To view the full River Island collection click here >

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Lads. The word itself conjures up so many different attitudes and images. There's the character of Tommy Johnson played by Danny Dyer in the 2004 film The Football Factory: an angrily aggressive and influential take on football hooliganism. "What else are you going to do on a Saturday?

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Lad Culture at British Universities (PBD)

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Ask a British person about the origins of "lad culture" and you'll likely hear them posit something hazy about Britpop, the alternative rock movement most commonly associated with 90s English band Oasis.

For the better part of two decades, Oasis's frontmen-brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher-trafficked in bombast, insult, and anti-intellectualism. Driven by what were supposed to be unfeigned primitive cravings, they seemingly endorsed a lifestyle of drinking, casual sex, and other stereotypically masculine pursuits. They, of course, aren't the only culprits. Lad magazines, which became popular around the same time, also championed riotous and hedonistic male conduct.

A profusion of these attitudes gave way to a culture that has just as much to do with how men interact with women every day-oafishly, superficially, and inappropriately-as it does with how they interact with their peers on nights out.

Today, though lad culture has become synonymous in Britain with alcohol, catcalling, and football hooliganism, it is often used as an innocuous-sounding term for male bonding, akin to "boys will be boys," that disguises less than innocent behavior. It has also been embraced by the likes of Nigel Farage, the man who was crucial to Britain's vote to leave the European Union. (He's called Noel Gallagher a "lad" and a "legend.")

As academics track the #MeToo movement, which is driving one of the biggest cultural shifts around the treatment of women in years, it might be a bit perplexing to find that British lad culture-a not-so-distant cousin of US fraternity culture-seems to be as pernicious as ever. It's not pernicious simply because sexual harassment is so prevalent in the UK-though figures suggest that more than 20% of women have experienced some type of sexual assault since they were 16-but because even those who should know better fail to draw a connection between the two.

A study published in the journal Gender and Education last month paints a stark picture of how lad culture, defined to include often alcohol-fuelled sexism, homophobia, harassment, and violence, is perceived. By and large, staff at six universities in England thought that lad culture was something perpetrated by a few rowdy bad apples, and not something that permeates male behavior in an "everyday" sense. There is, to an extent, an "institutionalised invisibility of lad culture," the study suggests.

The study's conclusion has some limitations-the research is based on interviews with just 72 staff members. It nonetheless suggests that a landmark 2012 report (pdf) by the UK National Union of Students on women's experience of lad culture, which saw half of its participants identify "a prevailing sexism" and "potential culture of harassment" in their colleges, has failed to lift the winds of change.

And while the outpouring of women coming forward to publicize their allegations of harassment and abuse post-Harvey Weinstein has done much to shatter this kind of ignorance, it's also too soon to suppose what consequences this increased visibility will have on its own.

#MeToo and the Everyday Sexism Project, started in 2012 by British feminist writer Laura Bates, have shown that "sexual harassment and violence are not rare occurrences that only a few women experience," said Lancaster University professor Carolyn Jackson, one of the authors of the study, in an interview. "However, making it visible does not necessarily mean that men will reflect on, or change, their own practices."

Like lad culture, US frat culture is "characterized and critiqued as involving a pack mentality, excessive alcohol consumption, and sexually harassing and abusive behaviours," she noted. While there is some evidence of a shift on US campuses, with universities like Harvard seeing a marked increase in reports of sexual harassment, the focus is too often on individual explanations for abusive behaviors.

Until we learn, as Jackson said, "to interrogate and challenge the cultures that facilitate and foster sexual harassment and violence"-and make that connection-we can continue to expect impressionable young men to carry these attitudes into adulthood, and the workplace.

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Don't expect #MeToo to spell the end of British "lad culture"

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Ask a British person about the origins of "lad culture" and you'll likely hear them posit something hazy about Britpop, the alternative rock movement most commonly associated with 90s English band Oasis. For the better part of two decades, Oasis's frontmen-brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher-trafficked in bombast, insult, and anti-intellectualism.

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Focuses on the blame culture which still exists as well as the differing standards boys and girls are asked to uphold.

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UniLad Magazine forced to remove article 

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UniLad Magazine forced to remove article 

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Written in 2018 it discussed the continuation of lad culture in the wake of #MeToo

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Ask a British person about the origins of "lad culture" and you'll likely hear them posit something hazy about Britpop, the alternative rock movement most commonly associated with 90s English band Oasis.

For the better part of two decades, Oasis's frontmen-brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher-trafficked in bombast, insult, and anti-intellectualism. Driven by what were supposed to be unfeigned primitive cravings, they seemingly endorsed a lifestyle of drinking, casual sex, and other stereotypically masculine pursuits. They, of course, aren't the only culprits. Lad magazines, which became popular around the same time, also championed riotous and hedonistic male conduct.

A profusion of these attitudes gave way to a culture that has just as much to do with how men interact with women every day-oafishly, superficially, and inappropriately-as it does with how they interact with their peers on nights out.

Today, though lad culture has become synonymous in Britain with alcohol, catcalling, and football hooliganism, it is often used as an innocuous-sounding term for male bonding, akin to "boys will be boys," that disguises less than innocent behavior. It has also been embraced by the likes of Nigel Farage, the man who was crucial to Britain's vote to leave the European Union. (He's called Noel Gallagher a "lad" and a "legend.")

As academics track the #MeToo movement, which is driving one of the biggest cultural shifts around the treatment of women in years, it might be a bit perplexing to find that British lad culture-a not-so-distant cousin of US fraternity culture-seems to be as pernicious as ever. It's not pernicious simply because sexual harassment is so prevalent in the UK-though figures suggest that more than 20% of women have experienced some type of sexual assault since they were 16-but because even those who should know better fail to draw a connection between the two.

A study published in the journal Gender and Education last month paints a stark picture of how lad culture, defined to include often alcohol-fuelled sexism, homophobia, harassment, and violence, is perceived. By and large, staff at six universities in England thought that lad culture was something perpetrated by a few rowdy bad apples, and not something that permeates male behavior in an "everyday" sense. There is, to an extent, an "institutionalised invisibility of lad culture," the study suggests.

The study's conclusion has some limitations-the research is based on interviews with just 72 staff members. It nonetheless suggests that a landmark 2012 report (pdf) by the UK National Union of Students on women's experience of lad culture, which saw half of its participants identify "a prevailing sexism" and "potential culture of harassment" in their colleges, has failed to lift the winds of change.

And while the outpouring of women coming forward to publicize their allegations of harassment and abuse post-Harvey Weinstein has done much to shatter this kind of ignorance, it's also too soon to suppose what consequences this increased visibility will have on its own.

#MeToo and the Everyday Sexism Project, started in 2012 by British feminist writer Laura Bates, have shown that "sexual harassment and violence are not rare occurrences that only a few women experience," said Lancaster University professor Carolyn Jackson, one of the authors of the study, in an interview. "However, making it visible does not necessarily mean that men will reflect on, or change, their own practices."

Like lad culture, US frat culture is "characterized and critiqued as involving a pack mentality, excessive alcohol consumption, and sexually harassing and abusive behaviours," she noted. While there is some evidence of a shift on US campuses, with universities like Harvard seeing a marked increase in reports of sexual harassment, the focus is too often on individual explanations for abusive behaviors.

Until we learn, as Jackson said, "to interrogate and challenge the cultures that facilitate and foster sexual harassment and violence"-and make that connection-we can continue to expect impressionable young men to carry these attitudes into adulthood, and the workplace.

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Don't expect #MeToo to spell the end of British "lad culture"

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Ask a British person about the origins of "lad culture" and you'll likely hear them posit something hazy about Britpop, the alternative rock movement most commonly associated with 90s English band Oasis. For the better part of two decades, Oasis's frontmen-brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher-trafficked in bombast, insult, and anti-intellectualism.

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Three students have been banned from the University of Warwick campus after jokes about rape and racial slurs were exchanged in a Facebook group chat.

Screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages - which included the remark "sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" - were investigated by the university.

The Russell Group university has banned one student from campus for life, and another two students have been banned for 10 years after formal complaints were made about the messages.

Two more students have been required to withdraw from the university for a year with immediate effect and face disciplinary penalties, along with three other students.

The group chat - which had been called "F*** women, Disrespect them all" - included alleged racist remarks such as "Paki", as well as "love Hitler, hate n****s and Jews and Corbyn".

Their ban comes after The Independent revealed that the number of racist incidents at UK universities rose by 61 per cent in two years, which prompted calls for institutions to do more to tackle racism.

The messages in the group chat - which included almost 100 screenshots - were first exposed by the student media after two formal complaints were made to the University of Warwick in April.

A total of 11 students were suspended from the university after a formal investigation was launched.

The University of Warwick has said that the allegations were "extremely serious" and were a "significant breach" of the university's policy - which states that staff and students should be "treated fairly and with dignity and respect".

Following the investigation, the case against one student was found to be not proven and two of the originally accused students were exonerated at an early stage of the process.

Last month, a number of law students who allegedly made racist comments were expelled by the University of Exeter after private WhatsApp conversations were shared on Facebook.

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Students banned from university after sharing jokes about rape on Facebook

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Three students have been banned from the University of Warwick campus after jokes about rape and racial slurs were exchanged in a Facebook group chat. Screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages - which included the remark "sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" - were investigated by the university.

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TOWIE Needs To Move With The Times: Its Sexism Is Beginning To Look Rather Old Fashioned

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Why are the girls of Brentwood shamed for being sexual while the men are lauded as lads? In which we argue that the flagship reality show has a responsibility to move with the times...

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In the spiked reading, a court case is discussed where 2 boys are convicted of attempted rape after the victim, in court, changes her testimony to say the boys didn't rape her. This article discusses the problematic approaches used to question and try court cases with children in and how questioning/court settings confuse and frighten children and their stories. As well as the judges confusion in how to sentence for all the childrens best interest

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Barristers for the boys, among the youngest to be prosecuted for rape, said they were only being naughty and playing a game like doctors and nurses.

During the trial, the judge questioned the use of child witnesses, after the girl changed her evidence under questioning and said that she had not actually been raped.

"I don't think anyone who has sat through this trial would think for a moment that the system that we employ is ideal," said Mr Justice Saunders.

NSPCC lawyer Barbara Esam said: "Research has shown that many young witnesses don't understand the questions they are asked under cross-examination so we believe a pre-recorded interview - with the help of an intermediary in appropriate cases - to be a much better option.

"Sadly, we still have a way to go to make sure courts work in the best way for children - both defendants and witnesses - who will be frightened and need support all the way through the judicial process if they are going to give their best evidence."

Michele Elliott, director of children's charity Kidscape, said the way the case had been dealt with was "absolutely wrong".

She said: "Obviously if these boys did something they need help. Their young age and the young age of their victim makes it absurd that this took place in an adversarial court situation.

"I think it reflects horribly on our whole system, that a case like this with children should be tried in this way.

"I'm kind of shocked by it because we pride ourselves on being a child-friendly society and this is not protecting anyone - not the victim or the boys.

Ms Elliott said the only good that might come out of the case would be "if these boys are put into a treatment programme and helped and the girl isn't totally traumatised by it".

She added: "It should have been held in camera with no publicity at all. The whole thing is horrific, all the way along."

One defence lawyer in the case said during the trial that the boys had only been playing games.

Linda Strudwick told jurors: "What this case is about is not a serious crime. It is about children. There is a game called 'You show me yours and I will show you mine'.

"Maybe it went too far, maybe it went to touching, maybe they were doing something they had seen on television, maybe they were playing that age-old game, doctors and nurses.

"They are kids. If (her client) had been a few months younger, he could not have been charged."

As the guilty verdicts were returned, one of the boys turned to look at his mother but she showed no reaction.

The other boy did not react. His mother, also sitting next to him, looked intently at the jury.

Both were bailed pending reports which will take eight weeks to prepare, and filed out of the court by a side door with their mothers.

The judge told jurors: "It was an extremely difficult case. No doubt it was traumatic for you to some extent as well to hear this case."

Turning to the defendants, he said: "There is little I can say which would make either parents or boys feel better but the welfare and best interests of the children have a high priority in any sentencing procedure."

The judge said he could not give any indication about sentence at this stage without seeing the reports.

Both boys were ordered to register as sex offenders.

But the judge said: "I am not quite sure how it applies to children of this age."

He added: "These cases are not easy. Fortunately, they are infrequent."

The judge invited those involved in the case to make observations about how it had been conducted.

He said: "I will at some stage be sending my views about the procedure to those who are most concerned with it.

"That is not to indicate that there is anything wrong, but we should do everything we can to improve how we deal with these things by looking at the lessons that we can learn."

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Two boys become youngest convicted of attempted rape

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Barristers for the boys, among the youngest to be prosecuted for rape, said they were only being naughty and playing a game like doctors and nurses. During the trial, the judge questioned the use of child witnesses, after the girl changed her evidence under questioning and said that she had not actually been raped.

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This chapter explores why young women have particularly high victimisation rates for sexual violence and why sexual violence is so gendered

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Carrington. 2009. Sex, Crime and Justice - Youth, Sex and Violence 

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Gender and Justice. 2006. Frances Heidensohn

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Gender and Justice. 2006. Frances Heidensohn

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This book explores the differences between females and males in certain groups such as class, race and economy. The book looks at the different roles of males and females as both victims and perpetrators, such as stating that young females grow out of drug use faster than young males.

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LUU and City of Leeds 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment' project

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LUU and City of Leeds 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment' project

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"The project is one of the first of its kind in the country and pushes Leeds to the forefront of supporting students in a safe and friendly manner."
Working alongside Leeds University Union, the 'We've Got Your Back' campaign aims to raise awareness that the City of Leeds has a zero tolerance approach to all incidents of sexual harassment.

Supported by the Footsteps Fund, the 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment' project provides students with the information they need to stay and feel safe wherever they are in the city, as well as challenge perceptions and attitudes around sexual harassment, with the aim to normalise the reporting of incidents.

34 nightclubs and bars across the city have signed up and received training on how best to deal with reports of incidents of sexual harassment or sexual assault specifically within their premises. All venues involved now feel they could appropriately deal with a report of an incident and have agreed upon a standard procedure for dealing with all reports.
"The training was very informative. Sexual harassment is such a big deal in the world that needs to be dealt with, and it's not getting ignored in Leeds." - Leeds student
With over 75,000 views of project information across the three universities in the city and film coverage from BBC News, the project has received wide media coverage and excellent feedback from the West Yorkshire Police Crime Commissioner.

Various discussions have been held with other universities and unions who want to deliver something similar with the support of the 'Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment' project.

To find out more about the 'We've Got Your Back' campaign, and see which venues are involved*, visit https://www.luu.org.uk/campaigns/weve-got-your-back/

See our other Case Studies

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Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment - UoL Campaign

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"The project is one of the first of its kind in the country and pushes Leeds to the forefront of supporting students in a safe and friendly manner." Working alongside Leeds University Union, the 'We've Got Your Back' campaign aims to raise awareness that the City of Leeds has a zero tolerance approach to all incidents of sexual harassment.

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Sexual consent campaign gathers momentum in Leeds

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Sexual consent campaign gathers momentum in Leeds

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The Gryphon interviewed Amy Cousens about her sexual consent campaign. She is putting forward a proposal to the Leeds City Council to make it mandatory for all clubs and bars in Leeds to put up sexual consent posters, as well as giving staff sexual consent training.
Firstly, could you tell me a bit about yourself?
I was the Leeds Beckett student union women's representative from May 2015 to June 2016 but since I was a student I've been campaigning on all sorts. Mainly on anti-austerity but also I took a big focus on campaigning to kick sexism off campus. I'm also part of a national campaign called "Rape is no Joke" which was set up to combat misogyny and comedy when discussing rape and to raise awareness of rape culture. A lot of sexual assaults that happen could be prevented as there is a completely blurred line - this is shown by the fact there's even a song about it! Programmes like How I Met Your Mother have so many jokes about brutal rape which trivialises it.
How do you think this can be stopped?
Workshops are really important and have a two-fold positive impact. Firstly, they educate people on what rape is and secondly they encourage people to step forward if something did happen. This means that perpetrators can be punished and there will be less repeat offenders.
What are the specific aims for this campaign?
We are having a deputation outside the town hall and then will present our ideas to the council. We want to display posters into clubs and bars in towns where sexual assaults are really condensed. On the poster it will display places of support which will show people where they can report incidents and there will also be a helpline. Lots of men and women feel like if they are groped in a night club they should laugh it off but people have a right to say something. This can put people off going out - it is not the victims who should be pushed out of public spaces but this behaviour.
Do you think students are particularly vulnerable and what advice would you give to students to combat this?
Campus culture is enshrined with this rape culture. This is evident with some of the sports teams such as the Leeds Beckett rugby team who have games such as 'Fuck a Fresher'. The advice I would give is that it is not up to you to avoid being sexually assaulted or harassed. You're here to have fun and it is the responsibility of the University, City Council and West Yorkshire Police to enforce this.

The proposal to the council has since passed through the first stage of consideration successfully.
Polly Hatcher
Image: Euan Hammond

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Sexual consent campaign gathers momentum in Leeds - The Gryphon

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The Gryphon interviewed Amy Cousens about her sexual consent campaign. She is putting forward a proposal to the Leeds City Council to make it mandatory for all clubs and bars in Leeds to put up sexual consent posters, as well as giving staff sexual consent training.

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Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students

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Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students

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Top universities fail to record sexual violence against students

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Fewer than half of Russell Group universities log all allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment reported by students

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Ladette culture leads to rise in binge drinking

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An alcohol misuse charity has expressed alarm over figures published today that show Britain's young women are the heaviest drinkers in Europe when they go out.

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In defence of lad culture: camaraderie, fun and friendships – video

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In defence of lad culture: camaraderie, fun and friendships – video

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In defence of lad culture: camaraderie, fun and friendships - video

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Dave Llewellyn argues that blaming lad culture for all misogyny shuts many young men out of a conversation that they need to be a part of

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All you lesbians behaving badly – are strip clubs what liberation is for?

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All you lesbians behaving badly – are strip clubs what liberation is for?

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All you lesbians behaving badly - are strip clubs what liberation is for? | Julie Bindel

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Julie Bindel: Why would a lesbian want to visit such bastions of male privilege? Feminism should challenge laddism, not embrace it

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HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around masculinity in the 21st Century, and the pressures men face around identity. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, from bringing up young boys to the importance of mentors, the challenges between speaking out and 'manning up' as well as a look at male violence, body image, LGBT identity, lad culture, sports, male friendship and mental illness.
As a boy in the early 90s, there seemed to be two options for manhood. On one hand you had the chauvinistic, 70s-style pub bores. Your friends' dads, half-joking about how their nagging wives wanted them to get the shelves up before the mother-in-law came to stay. On the other, you had 'new' men, in touch with their feelings, sensitive, unafraid to cry, but no less dull to a teenage boy.

Girls seemed bored of both. Feminism had shown up the chauvinists as outdated and offensive, and whilst it was lovely to have men who shared the washing up and were sensitive and cried a bit, let's face it ladies: sometimes you just want to be taken roughly up against the wall of Choices Video.

So lad culture came along and do you know what? It was great.

Because 90s lad was very different from the lad of today. 90s lad arrived when many of the battles for sexual equality had been fought. The previous generation's gender roles seemed ridiculous, and all my male friends took it as read that women could and would do the same things as us. At the same time, us boys were free to be ourselves. We could go to the pub, go to the football, get drunk, pull women in clubs with no expectations. Men were free from the constraints of political correctness, and equally no longer felt the pressure to be the detached silent breadwinners of previous generations.

In general it benefited women too. Girls drank pints with the boys and watched the World Cup in the pub. They were ladettes, they had girl power. Yes, of course it wasn't perfect and change doesn't happen overnight. Women who slept around were still denigrated by many for example, but there was progress.

Lads were carried into the millennium on a wave of culture, sport and optimism. Britpop. Euro '96. New Labour. Blur at Mile End and Oasis at Knebworth. Gazza's dentist's chair. TFI Friday. A big wheel by the Thames and a tent built on an old gasworks. And then it began to unravel.

Because like all good things, lad culture got hijacked by the arseholes.

I remember going to see the comedian Jim Jefferies, and being stunned by the crowd. Whilst my friends laughed at the absurdity of his non-PC, faux-misogynistic humour, at least 50% of the audience seemed oblivious to the irony.

What started as a progressive movement where men, and women, could be their beautiful, imperfect selves, attracted these same people. Because the freedom to be yourself is all well and good unless you're a prick. If you're a prick, be someone else.

In recent years being a lad has become shorthand for the type of people WKD adverts are aimed at. The obnoxious 70s pub bore for the new millennium.

Take lad pin ups of the different eras. Gary, Martin Clunes' character in Men Behaving Badly, was a lovable fool. Crass and brutish, yes, but with a kind, wouldn't-hurt-a-fly nature. Archetypal 90s lads like Paul Gascoigne and Chris Evans had a boyish sense of humour, warm and most importantly, inclusive.

Fast forward to the modern day and high profile lads are the opposite - the school bullies, picking on the weakest in society. Jeremy Clarkson. Dapper Laughs. Punching producers and threatening rape. It's alright though, it's just a bit of bant, eh lads?

It's easy to knock lad culture, but don't judge it for what it became. At its best, laddism liberated men to express themselves, allowed women to behave as badly as the boys, and contributed to one of the most exciting cultural periods in living memory. It's had its day, but it was beautiful for a while.
To blog on the site as part of Building Modern Men, email ukblogteam@huffingtonpost.com. If you would like to read our features focused around men, click here, and for more about our partnership with Southbank Centre's Being A Man festival, click here.

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HuffPost UK is running a month-long focus around masculinity in the 21st Century, and the pressures men face around identity. To address some of the issues at hand, Building Modern Men presents a snapshot of life for men, from bringing up young boys to the importance of mentors, the challenges between speaking out and 'manning up' as well as a look at male violence, body image, LGBT identity, lad culture, sports, male friendship and mental illness.

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Don't blame lad culture for misogyny, blame misogynist lads

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Don't blame lad culture for misogyny, blame misogynist lads

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That's what she said. Banter. Your mum. Man up. Stash. Lash. To neck. To chunder. Get your tits out for the lads. Lads on tour. On the razzle. (To the tune of the Westminster Quarters:) Down it fresher, fresher down it. You are visiting women? Do not forget your whip. Everything about woman is a puzzle, which has one solution: pregnancy.

(The last two are quotes from Nietzsche, who was not a lad. His biographers believe he had sex either once or twice in his life, both times with a prostitute, and from one encounter contracted the syphilis that drove him slowly insane. Hence the hostility towards women, one imagines.)

People who talk like this are irredeemably dull. They pick from a very limited roster of conversational options. They are the kind of people who gesture to pools of their own vomit with a kind of childish pride, as if to say, Look mommy, I made this.

But according to a recent paper from the NUS, lads are also the vectors of a pathological culture: 'laddism'. This culture is mysoginistic, homophobic, and normalises sexual violence and harassment. Worse, lads can be strategically ironic: they can hide their hostility behind the assertion that they were joking all along. Universities should take heed of laddism, and stamp it out, advises the NUS. The NUS has lads in their sights.

Some lads are unpleasant. All are boring. A lad needs the parodic machismo, excretal humour, and ritualised drinking because it makes him feel valued and respected by his peers. These standards are banister-rails that give the lad something to hold onto in his social life. He is a tragic figure: ever seeking the authentic approval of those around him, but unable to do so without becoming inherently ridiculous. Few lads fail to outgrow the label. Those who don't are to be pitied.

But the NUS is wrong to blame laddism for sexual harassment, discrimination, and racism. The NUS is wrong in exactly the same way that David Starkey was wrong to blame 'black culture', or an imagined variant of it, for the riots.

It is misguided to blame cultures for the actions of individuals. To do so is to exculpate the guilty and to make the innocent complicit. Members of a culture who act wrongly are less guilty because their actions can be sympathetically put in context. Members of a culture who are neither sexist nor racist nor homophobic are nonetheless tainted with membership of a culture that is each of these things.

This has real consequences for assignments of praise and blame. When harmless habits are conflated with harmful habits, we may end up prohibiting or proscribing actions that are and ought to be wholly licit.

It is also to be confused about the problem. Universities face real policy dilemmas surrounding women and violence. To blame a culture, instead of individuals, is to focus efforts where they are not needed. On women's safety, as on mental health, and disability access and welfare provision, universities in the UK should do more. Targeting laddish behaviour may not be the best way to solve social problems.

Most of all, it is to underestimate the complexity of individuals. Pubescent teenagers and developing young adults live confusing lives. They are complex things in complex environments. Even a reasonably well-defined cross-section of a student community will include a whole variety of different ways of living one's life. There are many lads who are objectionable only when you are forced to interact with them. There are many lads for whom the bi- or tri-weekly purge is a source of harmless catharsis.

Judith Shklar, a late political theorist at Harvard, wrote extensively on the virtues good democratic citizens should have. We all need what she called 'easy spontaneity', the willingness and ability to avoid deference to group standards, and to challenge everyday injustices when they occur. Lads need this just as much as everyone else: the lads who do deserve blame are those who ignore, condone, or encourage misogyny and its ilk.

The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.

Sign our petition here

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Don't blame lad culture for misogyny, blame misogynist lads

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That's what she said. Banter. Your mum. Man up. Stash. Lash. To neck. To chunder. Get your tits out for the lads. Lads on tour. On the razzle. (To the tune of the Westminster Quarters:) Down it fresher, fresher down it. You are visiting women? Do not forget your whip.

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Back in the heady days of 2012, under the shadow of a giant Mobot, the nation was gripped by one crushing, all-encompassing terror: the Uni Lad.

The Uni Lads were as maligned and debated a group as there has ever been in this country. A stateless band of no-ideologues, pumped full of supermarket lager and drunk on creatine. They sang on buses and pissed on war memorials; they studied in the day and chugged their own piss in the evening. Like the characters in Platoon, they were from no place in particular, going no place in particular; a generation of young men promised everything by New Labour and given nothing by the Big Society. They were young, jobless and godless, slouching towards a 2:2. They put the shits up a nation that thought it was above all that.

Looking back over the op-eds of the time, you can feel this palpable sense of fear that much of the media had of the Uni Lads, or their lesser-educated splinter group, the True Lads. It was as if journalists, editors and shit-sayers were living through a constant waking nightmare in which a group of buffed-up sports science students in shutter shades marched down Stoke Newington Church Street, forcing beer funnels down everyone's throats and using the word "gay" as a pejorative.

Entire careers were built on fretting about their imminent threat. They were the broadsheet anti-darlings, an ever-reliable content provider through their various atrocities: sexual assault, slut-dropping, blackface, Neknomations. There was even a "summit" called to discuss how best to tackle "lad culture", but all that really came of it was this picture.

For a couple years of my life, I became very involved in this scene, both observing from a distance and spending a fair bit of time in the trenches. I drank a dirty pint, I got called a cunt in song form by the Cardiff University Rugby Team, I got stabbed with an epi-pen, lamped by a trainee marine. It became part of me. I developed a near-total immunity to Jägermeister; I once took somebody on a date to the Sports Café, not seeing what might be wrong with that. At night I dreamt of banter. I was in way too deep. Had I been a detective in a police procedural drama, they would've pulled me back into uniform patrol for being "too close to the case".

But a few years later, the smoke has cleared, and what we're left with is something very different.

The places where you'll see this shift most noticeably are on the sites where much of the language, the codes and the ideas that defined the movement came from. The Lad Bible and its inferior cousin Uni Lad were always big, but they've now become part of the established media landscape, with Lad Bible now the 12th most popular site in the UK (above both The Guardian and The Telegraph, and only one place below Twitter).

Not only has the company moved towards the establishment in a corporate sense, setting up proper offices and going on a massive recruitment drive, it's also moved away from the boorish yet eminently shareable (and sellable) content that defined its halcyon days. And against all expectations, it's shifting its mindset to a new-left perspective, where Owen Jones or Jeremy Corbyn or Frankie Boyle is every bit as much of a legend as Adam Richman, Mario Balotelli and the thousands of unknown lad soldiers pranking their girlfriends with exploding ketchup and throwing Goldeneye-themed stag-dos.

Look over the recent uploads and it's clear that not only has the content shifted, the comments have too. The Lads, who were once keen to comment "must do better #SHITLAD" or the same tired Patrick Stewart memes on pieces like "How to Pull a Fresher" seemed to have picked up a copy of Chomsky's Hegemony Or Survival (or at least Owen Jones' ) and are now churning out the same new-left truisms that you'd usually see shared on an NUS delegate's Twitter feed. Chavs

The most-liked comment on a recent piece about ISIS and the bombings in Syria was one which accused the US of hypocrisy. The most-liked comment on a piece about a man who spent 44 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit advocates sentencing for police officers who murder people. They have essentially become Bahar Mustafa in a Jack & Jones hoodie. It's quite a turnaround.

So what happened? Well, I think the key to understanding this shift is imagining that the Uni Lad/Lad Bible sites are a personification of the demographic that they were originally aimed at.

Forget about them as websites run by teams of people with editors, advertisers, interns and front-of-house managers. Instead, imagine them as a young man who would have been in his second year at Leeds University in 2012 and is now three years older. Because, in their informal, social-media-led style, they were always supposed to come across as somebody you might be friends with on Facebook, rather than a media platform. That was the genius of them: that they seemed like somebody you might know. They were started in British universities by people of university age, for people in universities. And now they're simply reflecting the changes that generation may have gone through.

Because nobody - not even members of the Bullingdon Club - can stay a higher education hellcat forever; that lack of responsibility to anyone else other than yourself will eventually leave you. You will become concerned with your neighbours in an empathetic way, rather than merely trying to out-drink them on the Otley Run Pub Crawl. Things like world conflict, antibiotic immunity, food banks and Yanis Varoufakis will enter your mental sphere as you begin to worry more about your own mortality, the lives of other people around you and your children ' s children. Your six-pack will become harder to maintain, and gonorrhoea will become all-too-real a threat. He might be living the same lifestyle, only with £6 Peronis replacing £1 Carlsbergs, but things will weigh heavier on the Uni Lad as he leaves university.

The culture around them, too, has shifted. Craft ales have replaces those luminous blue cocktails; Jamie xx has replaced Swedish House Mafia; Ricky Hill has replaced Alex Reid as the man everyone wants to look like. Male youth culture has been both hardened and softened - you're no longer supposed to shave every day, but you're also no longer supposed to flush your best mate's head down a toilet when he's passed out.

You'll still see gangs of pampered, disenfranchised young men on the pedestrianised streets of Britain and the promenades of Platja d'en Bossa, but by and large they have become older, more discerning, and their younger brothers are no longer interested in the gauche, lurid, homoerotic culture their elders thrived upon.

For people slightly younger than the original Lads, a new kind of aspirational urbanism has become the feeling of the time: Huaraches, balloons, bucket hats, swegways, Wavey Garms, YouTube hauling, "That's Not Me" and a summer trip to Croatia rather than Shagaluf. It's just as macho, but a lot less camp. Youth culture simply takes itself more seriously these days - and as much as I bemoan the loss of the simple, shallow pleasures of the Uni Lad lifestyle, you can't help but think it ' s a good thing for wider culture. It's OK to be cool again, and that means things can keep moving forward at the rate we all want.

But part of me keeps wondering about what happened to the original Uni Lads - about what became of their hopes and dreams, and whether they could really keep that lifestyle up. So I started digging into the social media lives of the ones I spent a fateful night out with in Newcastle in the spring of 2012. The changes were subtle, but totally noticeable. Many of them have become gym employees, rather than gym bunnies. They now help the same people they use to pull to maximise their potential, in a friendly and encouraging manner.

Instead of the muscles and funnels, their profile pictures are of themselves posing with their girlfriends (they all have girlfriends now) by the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavik, sitting on the backs of camels, smiling and looking stable and happy and as far away from those broadsheet pariahs as you can possibly imagine.

In essence, the Uni Lads grew up and become their own dads, just as many a mod, punk, raver or emo kid had to do before them. They look quieter, more reflective, like they've seen enough, like they might not just have the energy any more. But at night I'm sure that urge to rage at the moon, shirtless, on an imaginary bucking bronco, still follows them around as those nights in with First Dates and a Franco Manca become ever more frequent.

Then I looked through my own social media feed and realised that very little has changed at all. The same bars, clubs and people are there, just in different trainers. There ' s a bit less stupidity than there used to be. For all the scorn from the London cognoscenti directed at the Lads, it's them who eventually grew up, not us.

More from VICE:

A Big Night Out with... Britain's Biggest Lads?

How Sad Young Douchebags Took Over Modern Britain

Explaining Danny Dyer: A Heroic English Slag

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The Death of British Lad Culture: How the Uni Lads Finally Grew Up

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Back in the heady days of 2012, under the shadow of a giant Mobot, the nation was gripped by one crushing, all-encompassing terror: the Uni Lad. The Uni Lads were as maligned and debated a group as there has ever been in this country.

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In 2012 the NUS produced a report describing lad culture as "a group or pack mentality residing in activities such as sport and heavy alcohol consumption and 'banter' which was sexist, misogynist, or homophobic." Thought to originate in the 1990s alongside the Britpop movement, lad culture has been on the rise since. Now, it has permeated university culture and is causing grave concern.

Anecdotal accounts of lad culture include things like 'slut dropping' (offering female students a lift home but then leaving them stranded a long way from home), 'hazing' (initiation ceremonies usually linked to male sports teams) and fancy dress parties with themes such as 'pimps and hoes' and 'geeks and sluts' ( University of York, 2017).

There's the famous case of LSE male rugby team producing and circulating sexist and homophobic emails and leaflets. And students at the University of Nottingham were found singing a misogynistic chant that included a line about digging up a female corpse and having sex with it.

LAD Bible and UNILAD are now some of the most visited sites in the UK, but have both been criticised for content trivialising rape and for acting as platforms for sexist "banter".

The NUS report, What She Said, was the first major study into the prevalence and impact of lad culture at universities, from the perspective of female students. It brought some deeply troubling findings to light. 50 per cent of study participants identified "prevailing sexism, 'laddism' and a culture of harassment" at their universities. "Sexual harassment and violence were found to be very much related to 'lad culture', including verbal harassment, 'catcalling', physical harassment and sexual molestation." The report showed that groping in nightclubs was viewed by some as part of a 'normal' night out.

If a link can be drawn between lad culture and sexual assault and harassment at universities, then that is deeply troubling indeed.

Statistics on rape and assault at universities are frankly harrowing. Research by Rape Revolt found that 8% of female students said they had been raped at university which is double the 4% of all women in England and Wales. That's almost 1 in 10 female students.

Initiatives like Rape Revolt and Everyday Sexism are offering women a platform to speak out about instances of assault. Everyone should be listening, because solutions can't be found without knowing the extent of the problem.

But Dave Llewellyn, founder of The Good Lad initiative, warns that " blaming lad culture for all misogyny shuts many young men out of a conversation they need to be a part of."

And Universities UK says the term Lad Culture is problematic: "It could create the impression that what was being referred to was trivial and not serious, or lead to an assumption that misogyny, racism and homophobia are specific to an alcohol/sporting culture when they are present across all cultures and demographics."

Lad culture is only part of the problem then. Still, it is a sub-culture that promotes a form of masculinity harmful to both women and men. Yes we said it: men too. As Herald Scotland pointed out, lad culture can seriously inhibit male students' ability to speak out about mental health - and get the support they need. "A core component of good mental health is feeling able to be yourself, able to say what you are thinking and feeling without fear of rejection or ridicule. Lad culture does nothing to promote the integrity of individual men" the paper writes. With males suicide rates consistently higher than female suicide rates in the UK, this could have deadly consequences.

As Good Lad advises, male students have to be a part of the solution. Initiatives to combat lad culture must involve men.

We must engage everyone in this conversation, so that both men and women can identify as architects of the healthier culture we all wish to be a part of.

The Good Lad is a brilliant initiative that involves speaking with male students through workshops about positive masculinity. The initiative's goal is to "enable men to deal with complex gender situations and become agents of positive change within their social circles and broader communities".

As well as services offered by third party organisations, there are steps that universities can also take themselves to tackle prejudice and establish a culture of security and equality on campus. It's not optional for universities to take this action either - it's a legal requirement under The Equality Act 2010. A public sector equality duty (PSED) which came into force in April 2011 requires institutions "to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Act".

We found the following useful online resources for universities on tackling lad culture in higher education:

To talk to us about how we support students on issues such as lad culture or other issues discussed in our blogs, drop us a line: [email protected] .

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Lad culture: what's the harm? - unihealth

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In 2012 the NUS produced a report describing lad culture as "a group or pack mentality residing in activities such as sport and heavy alcohol consumption and 'banter' which was sexist, misogynist, or homophobic." Thought to originate in the 1990s alongside the Britpop movement, lad culture has been on the rise since.

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YouGov | Introducing the definitive British Lad

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The latest YouGov custom profile reveals a detailed portrait of today's 'laddish' Brits

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'Lad' definition in the Urban Dictionary 

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'Lad' definition in the Urban Dictionary 

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In Britain (there's already loads for definations for the way Australians use this word), this word generally means a young male. However in modern Britain this word has come to mean someone who engages in typical testosterone-driven behaviour such as drinking, sport and having a laugh with mates, sometimes harmless, sometimes obnoxious or even worse antisocial.

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WARNING: the stories shared on this page are real accounts of sexual violence and may be upsetting to read.

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Institutions hush up the problem while victims suffer. Now, the epidemic of rape on college campuses is coming to light. Watch trailers & learn more.

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A group of students who reportedly made jokes about rape and used racial slurs have been suspended by the University of Warwick after private Facebook messages came to light.

Eleven male students have been suspended after screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages in a Facebook group chat were shared with the prestigious university.

The exchanges included shocking remarks such as "sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" and "rape the whole flat to teach them all [a] lesson."

A member of the group gave a racist reply using the term "p**i", while further remarks included "love Hitler, hate n****s and jews and Corbyn".

Student newspaper reported that three formal complaints were made to the university and almost 100 screenshots of the group chat submitted as evidence.

It added that the Facebook chat - which had been called "F*** women, Disrespect them all" and had screen names of "Grenfell" and "Taxi Jew" - included senior members of societies.

Discussing racism, one user said on the chat: "Yeah racism is frowned upon at Warwick? F****** bull." Others replied "EDL!" and "racism is class".

A University of Warwick Student Union (SU) spokeswoman said: "Warwick SU is aware of the ongoing university investigation into a group Facebook chat involving a number of Warwick students.

"The SU condemns the content of these messages - together with all forms of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, ableism, and threats of violence - in the strongest possible terms.

"The SU has been supporting the victims and will continue to do so.

"We are also proactively cooperating with the university's ongoing investigation, and hope to see a conclusion as swiftly as possible."

A University of Warwick spokesperson said it was "a student disciplinary matter that is currently being actively investigated. We obviously cannot comment further on that matter until those investigations, and any subsequent disciplinary processes, are concluded."

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: "We are aware of the matters relating to the social media group involving a number of students and we are liaising with Warwick University."

The incident comes after a number of reports of racist incidents at universities since the start of the year.

Just last week, a number of law students who allegedly made racist comments were expelled by the University of Exeter after private WhatsApp conversations were shared on Facebook.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Hallam University recently launched an investigation after a black student was allegedly called a monkey by staff. The incident came after a banana was reportedly thrown at a black Sheffield Hallam graduate during an ice hockey match between his alma mater and city rivals, the University of Sheffield.

Meanwhile, two teenagers will appear in court later this month after a video of alleged racist chanting in student halls went viral.

Rufaro Chisango, a Nottingham Trent University student, posted footage she recorded on social media last month - which included chants of "We hate the blacks" and "Sign the Brexit papers".

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11 students suspended after shocking private Facebook messages come to light

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A group of students who reportedly made jokes about rape and used racial slurs have been suspended by the University of Warwick after private Facebook messages came to light. Eleven male students have been suspended after screenshots of alleged racist, antisemitic and misogynistic messages in a Facebook group chat were shared with the prestigious university.

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Podcast discussing her work

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This week is our 20th episode of Radio Headspace, and we've made a special Headspace on Headspace episode to celebrate. If you've ever wondered about how to make the time to meditate, how to get into the habit of meditating every day, what problems might come up, if your experience is similar to other people's, wonder no more...

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Podcast: Getting Better Acquainted | Episode: GBA 244 Alison Phipps

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In GBA 244 we get better acquainted with Alison Phipps. She talks about her roundabout route to becoming an academic, how her politics have changed and grown over time, researching lad culture, sexual violence and reproductive rights, the dialectics of feminism, including sex worker and trans rights within feminism, how institutions work and the way that music and singing have framed and shaped her life...

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Discussing Lad Culture

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BBC Radio 4 - Thinking Allowed, 'Lad culture' in higher education - Fugitives from the law in Philadelphia

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Laurie Taylor explores the lives of African-American men caught up in webs of criminality.

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'Rape jokes' in Warwick University group chat

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The group chat resulted in the temporary suspension of 11 students

The Tab can exclusively reveal the names and faces of the Warwick students who made rape threats to fellow female students in their group chat.

Messages sent include: "Sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" and "She looks like a rape victim".

11 students were temporarily suspended over their involvement in the chat yesterday. We can reveal the three students who sent the rape jokes as well as another student who made racist and anti-semitic comments.

Ben Clements, 2nd Year Modern Languages

Ben Clements said: "Sometimes it's fun to go wild and rape 100 girls" and how another girl he personally knows "deserves hair straighteners on her flaps."

Ben is a Modern Languages student and currently works in Warwick Students' Union, according to his LinkedIn profile.

He says a girl he knows who claims to have been sexually assaulted is "simply not attractive enough for all those things to occur to her."

Ben goes on to name another girl he knows and says she "looks like a rape victim".

Ben, who also named the group, "Fuck women disrespect them all", says he "cannot wait to have surprise sex with some freshers" and how he "need[s] to be stacked so I can hold the freshers down".

Ryan Allison, History Society Treasurer

Ryan Allison is the outgoing Treasurer for Warwick History Society.

He said a female student he knows should "be fingered vigorously by her own dad to teach her a lesson," before referring to the same girl as an "absolute cum bucket".

In the chat, Ryan also asks: "Why is it always the moany fucks who have things happen to them," referring to girls who complain about sexual assault.

He also directly references another student arguing that she "claims she's been sexually assaulted when someone touches her."

Tom Dignum, History Society Tour Officer

Tom Dignum, is a member of the outgoing History Society Committee and in his role as an exec member he was responsible for organising the society's tour to Budapest.

In the group chat, under the nickname of "1-Neill", Tom says that in return for stealing his food he's going to: "Rape the whole flat to teach them all a lesson."

Josh Smith, 2nd Year History

Josh Smith did not make rape jokes in the group chat but did declare that "racism is class" and also said: "Love Hitler, hate n****s and Jews and Corbyn."
If you have any further information about this story you can contact us confidentially by either emailing [email protected] or send a WhatsApp to: +447715750931. Get breaking Warwick news straight to your WhatsApp by clicking Related stories recommended by this writer: Revealed: 11 Warwick students suspended for threatening to rape female Warwick students in group chat 'She looks like a rape victim': Here are even more rape threat messages from the Warwick boys group chat Exposed: Coventry Uni Cricket have a group chat where players rate girls they've just had sex with 'She's a big black ape': Boys insult BU fresher in racist group chat here.
Warwick SU have released a statement about the incident:

"Warwick SU is aware of the ongoing University investigation into a group Facebook chat involving a number of Warwick students. The SU condemns the content of these messages - together with all forms of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, ableism, and threats of violence - in the strongest possible terms.

The SU has been supporting the victims and will continue to do so. We are also proactively cooperating with the University's ongoing investigation, and hope to see a conclusion as swiftly as possible.

If you have been affected by any of these issues, you can contact the Warwick SU Advice Centre or Wellbeing Support Services."

The Tab have contacted the Warwick students named in this article for comment but have not yet heard back.

The Tab is still working to identify the seven other students in the group chat, and establish exactly what they said that led to their temporary suspension.

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Named and pictured: The Warwick boys who made rape jokes in their group chat

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The group chat resulted in the temporary suspension of 11 students The Tab can exclusively reveal the names and faces of the Warwick students who made rape threats to fellow female students in their group chat. Messages sent include: "Sometimes it's fun to just go wild and rape 100 girls" and "She looks like a rape victim".

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Academic Watch of the Week

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'Lad Culture' is seen to have erupted during the Brit-Pop phase of the 1990's and has continued to become a growing phenomenon in English speaking countries all over the world, including the UK, U.S. and Ireland. Frequently seen as a growing concern in the student population, the goal of this article is to assess, address and decipher the problems of Lad Culture in every day life, as well as look at the future prospects with a culture so strong.

Photocredit: John Rensten via Getty Images

So what defines 'Lad Culture'?
The definition of Lad Culture varies according to where you read it but before defining the phrase, we believe that it's important to break down the two words singularly, before putting the two together. The word lad is not new, and its definition has changed over time. For example, a lad simply used to refer to a young boy. Today, some define the term as 'a boisterously macho or high-spirited young man.' When we look to 'Urban Dictionary' for other definitions, we find much more explicit definitions, namely:

'A lad is a male who specialises in creating and distributing exquisite banter. Though most lads are youngish (late teens and early twenties) age is not a defining characteristic and you will find both young lads and old lads. Some special skills of lads include, but are not limited to the following: - Binning Pints
- Exposing genitalia and getting naked in public places
- Throwing up after copious alcohol consumption
- Spousal Abuse
- Getting kicked out of pubs/nightclubs for being overly offensive'

However, we cannot stop here. Culture is also a term that must be defined, and is commonly defined as: 'the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts'. Cultures unsurprisingly vary according to what country you are in, which is why it comes as no surprise that some cultures are yet to experience the 'Lad Culture'. When we put these two words together, the phrase 'Lad Culture' is formed, and is a combination of the latter term of lad, combined with other cultural formations. We wanted to reach out to people that have experienced lad culture first hand, and asked them their view on the phenomenon.

Firstly, speaking to a range of people from countries including Spain, Greece, Ireland, Germany and the U.K we were struck by the fact that in the Mediterranean countries and even Germany, it just didn't exist at all. In fact, we found that those with whom we spoke to in these countries tended to be quite shocked by the idea of lad culture, explaining that it's something that simply doesn't exist in their own countries.

We interviewed a student in Munich, who light-heartedly said:

'Just look around at parties! Do you see any kissing or dancing? Not in Munich! So here, everybody is shy and more and more tend to homosexuality!'

However, then we move onto the U.K and Ireland, and the results were both appalling, and quite upsetting at times. Reading into a report posted by the NUS (National Union of Students, UK) a bold figure that stuck in our minds was that 69% of students at university have been a victim of sexual harassment. This may seem like a shocking figure, however those that we interviewed argued that this is a conservative figure, and likely to be much higher.

Someone that we interviewed from Ireland said her view of lad culture is:

'When you do something that impresses your friends (if you're a male) you are a 'lad', but if a girl did the same thing they would be judged completely.'
Lad Culture in UK Universities

Photocredit: MASONS NEWS SERVICE

We've just read the shocking figure announced by the NUS, and this led us to research further into the UK University lifestyle, and we did this by speaking to students at different universities, combining their views to build upon the already evident culture in the UK.

A student from UCL said:

'Lad culture is ridiculous. It perpetuates sexism in treating women as objects and being masculine. I think the whole 'lad' culture is just a giant d*** measuring contest made to look like a group of guys having fun, but really they're just showing off to each other at the expense of common sense and respect for women'.

This same student, moved on to say that living in Japan is an entirely different experience. They explained that unless a particular person had lived or grown-up in another country like the U.S. they were unaware of the lad culture phenomenon.

Another student from Exeter said:

'Unfortunately lad culture is an intrinsic and subtle part of English culture, most pertinent in student life. The definition of lad culture would differ slightly from person to person but for me it's the rewarding of behaviours, that are typically considered masculine (i.e. aggressive, assertive) to such a degree that these behaviours are exasperated. Assertiveness becomes not taking no for an answer and aggression becomes shoving a hand up a girls skirt or holding her against a wall until she agrees to kiss you. In short, lad culture perpetuates and even encourages sexual assault. This encouragement is usually crafted in typically all male environments (like sports clubs) where such a strong sense of camaraderie is formed that behaviours that normally would be inexcusable become accepted. Sexual harassment is seemed as harmless, just boys being boys. Slapping a girls bum, is harmless, just a joke, no thought given to the girl you're making a victim for the sake of your joke.'

It's already frighteningly clear that many UK universities are suffering from this phenomenon, and many universities are only now beginning to react to the abusive nature of this issue. Before we delve deeper into who is affected by this culture, a few other key terms must be considered, and we must also assess the origins of 'Lad Culture'.
Ladette

A nation in the throes of losing it's dignity; an all too common sight in English towns.

This is also slowly increasing in popularity and is a term used to describe young women who also take part in laddish behaviour. The dictionary definition of 'Ladette' is: 'Young women who behave in a boisterously assertive or crude manner and engage in heavy drinking sessions'. Young women have followed suit in this culture dropping the demure lady-like image in favour of brutish, laddish ways as they don't feel that hell raising should purely be left to the boys. The women are now expected to get as drunk as the men on nights out and are labelled as frigid if they behave otherwise.
Banter
Banter can be defined as the playful exchange of teasing remarks in a good-humoured manner. Unfortunately, a more sinister use of the word gets thrown around all too often as a means of masking derogatory comments and just waving them off as banter and a bit of harmless fun.
Where does Lad Culture originate?
'Laddism' is said to be a backlash to feminism and the trend of 'Girl Power!' that was dominant during and pre- the 1990s. Men saw themselves as battered by feminism and humiliated as they were expected to satisfy the needs of a woman, whether it be carrying out chores or also cooking in the kitchen. The idea of a 'new man' began to form in the 1990s and was heavily featured in men's magazines. This 'new man' became synonymous with cars, alcohol, women and sex and was a rebellious attitude against monogamy, marriage and the traditional family structure.

Specifically, it was what is known as 'second-wave' feminism, which acted as the trigger for the discontent among men. This 'second-wave' feminism was not concerned with suffrage but instead with such wider issues as sexuality, family, legal inequalities and the workplace. This wave resulted in successes for women including; job gains in professions, the media, the military and sports, which previously had been dominated by men.

One of our interviewees also said:

'I think it stems from societal pressures on men to prove themselves, especially when they're directly competing against each other.'

It's simply not cool to be a feminist if you're a man. There are societal pressures to fit in, and fitting in is something that's existed for centuries. Sticking out from the rest makes you a target, and no-one wants to unnecessarily paint a target on their own back. In the long run, it can lead to the exclusion from activities, and slowly, male feminists find themselves becoming social outcasts. Male feminists are seen as weak, and the lad culture perpetuates that a male feminist is clearly less masculine, which leads back to the damage of a male ego. This attack on male feminists makes it harder for people to stand up against the lad culture, particularly in universities and instead sees them being forced to fit in with the phenomenon, which in turn adds fuel to the fire. Many of those that don't have a problem with lad culture, will use this fear as an excuse for the phenomenon, stating that many don't have a problem with the culture, when in fact it's likely that they're afraid of saying something for fear of their own social reputation.
Who is affected by this new phenomenon?
The constant clash between feminism and 'machoism' or 'ladettes' and 'lads', all comes down to the battle of the sexes. Feminism is on the rise in universities however, many men feel alienated by this movement and women don't appear to strive for gender equality but instead engage in anger-fuelled arguments and 'man bashing'. A lot of the time their response to lad culture is to preach that women are better than men. On the other hand, social media pages have been established ridiculing 'the weaker sex', claiming women to be less capable, over-emotional and unable to take a joke.

We have also seen a rise in the objectifying of women. This is prevalent in various forms of media including; music videos, billboards and magazines. Female dancers can be seen on a regular basis parading around male musicians on television and women are cleverly marketed to men in the porn industry as a sex object available to satisfy their needs at all times of the day. This perception of women that has developed over the Internet has transcended into day-to-day life through cat calling, groping in clubs and crude jokes.
The movement against this misogyny

Emma Watson's HeForShe Campaign

The lad culture has reached a level that has sparked several counter movements. The everyday sexism project was developed, as it seemed to be increasingly difficult to talk about sexism, women's rights and equality without being labelled as 'prudish' or a 'militant feminist'. The everyday sexism project is a means of sharing stories of sexism, people have experienced in their daily lives. A few examples of the comments shared include:

'At work, men converse freely with each other; I speak with the only female waitress? We're 'gossiping' and not doing our jobs'. 'Comments on how lucky I am to have a helpful husband rather than him being lucky to have a wife who shares the financial load'. 'My male boss finally agrees to give me a requested pay rise, I replied I'm very grateful to you for sorting it out form. He replied 'It's a good job you're married or I would ask you to show me how grateful'.

Another campaign that is gaining in popularity is the 'HeForShe' campaign that was founded by the celebrity Emma Watson. The focus of this campaign is to not alienate either gender when fighting for equality between the two but to instead create a solidarity movement unifying everyone's efforts. The 'HeForShe' campaign was born as a result of the negative connotations associated with feminism and developed itself on the intent of not excluding men in the campaign for exterminating gender discrimination and violence.

Global summits are even being called for, and the NUS are calling for a summit against the lad culture within universities. In order to understand the true nature of lad culture, one must look to resorts such as Magaluf, and the university nightlife that has swept the U.K. You can also look to fraternities in the U.S., the initiations that must be carried out, and the deaths and suicides that occur as a result of these forced actions. 'Safer Sex Balls', graphic wording on t-shirts and even beauty pageants suggesting winners should strip down and bare all are all things that are only now being addressed by organisations in a bid to prevent the fire from spreading further.
The rest of the world
These feminist and 'anti-lad' movements tend be focused around the U.K and the U.S. specifically, and as we've already seen, there seems to be a clear distinction between the rest of the world and the U.K/U.S. Why is lad culture yet to exist in these other countries? Does it come down to culture or a lack of societal mannerisms that exist in the English speaking countries? Is it something that's just yet to reach these other countries?

After further research, we found that there is a small, but growing movement in Germany, however it is something that is yet to reach the general public. Germany is a much more conservative country, which is why there seems to be a rejection of lad culture, due to the reserved nature of many. In Spain and Greece we found that there was a much stronger connection between women and men, with both being accepted in the work place. Women are not expected to 'know their place' and there seems to be a much stronger equality that exists across these countries. However, that's not to say that in the future this may change. As a global movement grows to make a stand against the behaviour of 'lads' we run the risk of more people involving themselves in this type of lifestyle. That said, we think it's clear that there is a lack of response for this sort of behaviour, probably partially down to the fact that there is a lack of it in the student lifestyle and younger, meaning that they do not grow up with the problem in their culture. We also know that there was less of a Feminist movement in lots of other countries across the world, meaning that as a result, the Brit-pop culture of the 1990's in the U.K. was not simulated in other countries.
What does this mean?
It is clear that there has been a growing social acceptance of lad culture in the U.K, the U.S and now even other countries but on a much smaller scale. Sexual harassment in U.K. universities is widespread, and universities are only now beginning to stand up against it and punish those responsible. This lad culture has become widespread and has existed for the last 25 years, meaning that is something that has become ingrained into the culture of both the U.K and the U.S. Only now are influential people and large organisations making a stand against the widespread phenomenon, and the effect of this is unlikely to be felt for quite some time. That said, by simply being more considerate of one another, and rejecting the lad culture on a day-to-day basis, it will help reduce the widespread misogyny. Equality is something that global leaders and the everyday-person strive for, and lad culture acts as a way to prevent equality being reached. We're not going to try and say that you can't go and be a 'lad or ladette' but we're simply pointing out the effects that this behaviour has on others.

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What is 'Lad Culture' and how does it affect people?

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'Lad Culture' is seen to have erupted during the Brit-Pop phase of the 1990's and has continued to become a growing phenomenon in English speaking countries all over the world, including the UK, U.S. and Ireland.

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Freshers' week has just been upon us - and more and more club nights were promoted with themes of misogyny, reports Patrick Kingsley

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BATTLE OF THE SEXES: The truth behind lad culture on campus

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NUS summit: Tackling lad culture at university - as it happened

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How can we tackle lad culture in higher education? NUS summit features Everyday Sexism, No More Page 3 and Toni Pearce