LONDON, England – Students are “more socially and academally more accepting” than academics, according to a new study of university sex on campus.
The study, commissioned by the National Union of Students (NUS), found students at universities across the country “have more positive attitudes towards sex than their peers in the rest of society”, while they are “much more accepting of their partners”.
The report, titled ‘Sex on Campus: Is it safe, healthy and socially accepted?’, was commissioned by NUS and published on Tuesday.
It found that students are “very willing to engage in sexual activity” on campus, with one in five saying they would be “more than happy” to engage.
The study also found that a majority of students surveyed said they felt “accepted, safe and protected” when they came to university.
It found the vast majority of women felt the same way.
The findings were welcomed by the NUS, which said the survey was “the first nationally representative sample of student attitudes on sexual behaviour”.
It added: “This survey confirms what the Nus said all along, that sexual activity is not always ‘safe’, but it is very much a part of our lives.”
The NUS also said the findings “underscore the importance of ensuring that all young people have the opportunity to participate in and be part of the process of changing sexual norms”.
However, the report comes at a time when sexual harassment and assault on campus has increased across the UK.
More than a third of universities in England and Wales are under pressure to tackle the issue.
In 2016, sexual harassment was found to be a major problem for the UK in terms of reported incidents.
However the NUs report also found there was “a worrying trend of under-reporting and over-reporting” and that “the majority of universities are unwilling to provide accurate data”.
In the past, the NUSA has been calling for an end to the “silent rape culture” and said that the “sex industry” needed to be “closed down” so it could be used as a “positive force for change”.
The NUUS said the report “underscores the importance” of sexual consent and that it was “critical that all students know how to consent and be safe”.
