Spiking: what universities can do

• Communicate to staff and students that spiking is a serious crime and is broader than is commonly understood. For example, anyone can be a victim of spiking and it is not always connected to sexual assault.

• Decide where the reporting and support information sits best within your university and publicise this widely.

• Do not use communication campaigns that may be viewed as ‘victim blaming’ or that take a ‘zero tolerance’ stance on recreational drug use.

• Spiking is a multi-agency problem and requires a multi-agency solution, so universities should develop relationships with local partners.
• Ensure students and relevant staff are aware of what your local response looks like, covering emergency medical care (which should take priority), forensic testing procedures (agreed with your local police), and aftercare.

The university:

• encouraged victims to report to police and seek support from its wellbeing services
• made personal alarms and bottle toppers available for students to collect from venues across all campuses
• created a fund to support student-led projects related to safety
• worked alongside the police, Exeter City Council, the NHS and third sector organisations to ensure spiking and safety in the nighttime economy was being addressed holistically.
  • This led to a Home Office funded project focused on safety in the nighttime economy, which developed a charter and pledges for local organisations to sign up to, provided training to nighttime economy staff and reinvigorated the Best Bar None scheme.

The university:

• increased security for events at its students’ union by increasing the number of staff available and the number of routine entry searches
• introduced Safe Places between 9pm and 9am across their campuses
• provided bystander intervention training to staff in university venues and nighttime venues across the city to prevent sexual violence.
  • NTU is currently looking to expand on this model by incorporating content on spiking.

The students’ association:

• introduced additional safety measures for campus venues, including random bag searches, safety patrols, and the testing of unattended drinks
• delivered training for bar staff on what to do if they thought someone had ben spiked
• stated spiking perpetrators would be reported to the police and receive a lifetime ban on attending the students’ association’s bar.

The university:

• added the option to report a drink or needle report to the Report and Support tool
• provided support to students which highlighted the additional risks associated with needle spiking, such as the possibility of infection from a needle stick wound.