A community committed to sexual violence prevention
Charlotte Webster Dalby
Harassment and Misconduct Manager, University of Leeds
The effects of sexual violence ripple into all elements of life, from wellbeing and feeling safe, to how you socialise and how you engage with your studies.
Coming to university – a new environment, a new city, perhaps a new country – is often a big chapter in students’ lives. You expect it to be exciting, challenging, different, maybe even a little scary at times. But what you don’t expect is to be confronted with something as disruptive and disempowering as sexual violence.
The impact of sexual violence can show up in so many ways that affect your ability to thrive, whether in your wellbeing, social life, relationships or studies. That’s why Charlotte Webster Dalby and her team are here to help students at Leeds.
I am so proud that my team plays a role in putting the power back into our students' hands.
Charlotte has been the Harassment and Misconduct manager at the University of Leeds since 2022. Her team provides support and specialist advice for students and postgraduate researchers who have experienced violence, abuse, bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct or discrimination.
Sexual violence prevention has been at the forefront of Charlotte’s work for the past decade, beginning in 2015 where she led the Sexual Violence Liaison Officers service at Leeds Beckett University.
Every student should be protected from harassment and sexual misconduct.
As well as supporting students, Charlotte and her team deliver training, policy advice and engagement activities to the University community. This includes over two years’ work on the University and Leeds University Union’s award-winning sexual violence education and prevention campaign, Show Up for Leeds.
Charlotte’s next priority is tackling the University’s approach to new requirements from the higher education regulator, Office for Students. The new regulation is to ensure universities have effective policies to prevent harassment and sexual misconduct, procedures to address it, and support for students. Charlotte is working with colleagues across the University to continue building the best support for our Leeds community.
There is nothing quite as special as seeing a student you’ve worked with cross the stage at graduation, despite everything they've experienced.
Having worked in sexual violence prevention for ten years, Charlotte has witnessed the devastating impact that sexual violence can have on a victim/survivor in all aspects of life.
Whether students want to seek support, explore formal reporting options or just talk about what's happened, Charlotte's team build meaningful relationships with students to help them process what’s happened, be empowered to choose their next steps, and be supported so they can succeed at Leeds.
We always want to talk to and listen to our community, to understand what is needed to prevent and respond to sexual violence in a meaningful way.
But it’s not just down to Charlotte and her team’s work to challenge sexual violence in our university community. They work in partnership with teams across the University and LUU, as well as charities and organisations in Leeds. Sexual violence is a societal problem, and everyone has a role to play in addressing it.
Whilst change won’t happen overnight, if we show up for ourselves and each other, together we can make Leeds a safer place for everyone. There are lots of ways to show up against sexual violence. If you’re a student at Leeds, get involved and help make a positive change.
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