If you have experienced rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, physical violence and/or domestic violence, remember:

You are not alone. 1 in 7 women students experience a serious physical or sexual assault during their time as a student. In the UK 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

It is not your fault. The responsibility for violence, harassment and stalking always lies with the perpetrator, and nobody deserves such violence no matter where you were, what you were doing, what you wearing, what you were saying, whether you were drunk or under the influence of drugs.

There is support available. There are both local and national support services available to you that are designed to give you the advice and practical help you need.

The Hidden Marks »

In light of the findings of the Hidden Marks report, which the National Union of Students released in March 2010, NUS has recently launched a victim support website especially designed for women students who have been subjected to rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, physical violence and/or domestic violence. The Hidden Marks website is comprised of three main sections:

• Support - providing information about national support services for rape and sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, physical violence and domestic violence including helplines, websites and drop-in centres.
• Supporting a friend - providing information and advice about what to do if a friend of yours has experienced/is experiencing violence, harassment or stalking.
• Rights and reporting - includes information about the law related to the different types of offences addressed by the Hidden Marks survey; how to access free legal advice; pros and cons of reporting an incident to the police or your institution; what happens when you report and incident to the police; how to contact the police.