Sexual Violence - Help and Support
In an emergency:
- Call 999 for fire and rescue services, police and the ambulance service.
If you have a hearing or speech impairment, use the textphone service 18000 or text us on 999 if you’ve pre-registered with the emergency SMS service
If you cannot speak, press 55 when prompted and your call will be transferred to the Police. Pressing 55 only works on mobile phones and doesn't allow the police to track your location.
- Ynys Saff or Safe Island is a sexual assault referral centre (SARC) support and advice to men, women, children and young people, following sexual assault in Cardiff and the Vale. 02920 335795 (out of hours leave a message. Staff will call back quickly.
Immediate advice after a sexual assault following a sexual assault can be found here.
Support for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women - 24/7 BAWSO is an all Wales provider delivering specialist services to people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds who are affected by domestic abuse and other forms of abuse, including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, human trafficking/slavery and prostitution. For more information, visit the BAWSO website or call their helpline: +44 (0)800 731 8147.
National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline Galop: 0800 999 5428 10am to 4;30 pm Monday to Thursday help@galop.org.uk
Men’s Advice Line: Advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse 0808 801 0327
Disclosure Response Team – The University’s Disclosure Response Team are a team of specialist university staff trained to respond to disclosures of violence and abuse. They support students affected by harassment, hate crime, sexual violence, relationship abuse, bullying and other forms of unacceptable behaviour. Their opening hours are 09:00-16:30, Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays and the Christmas closure period, and can be referred to via this referral form.
Rape and Sexual Assault
Sexual violence can take place in or outside of a relationship. Sex without a person’s consent due to drugs, alcohol or unconsciousness is considered as rape and assault by penetration.
Consent can only be given if:
- someone has the capacity to give their consent
- someone is free to make the choice to consent.
Sexual assault is considered to be unwanted touching of a sexual nature.
Sexual violence within in a relationship
Being with someone does not determine your consent to a sexual act.
With any sexual encounter there should be freedom and capacity to choose to participate, which might not be possible if someone is under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Consent is to be given and can be taken back at any time.
Sexual harassment and stalking
Sexual harassment is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, which can include unwanted touching, kissing, verbal and non-verbal behaviour. Harassment can be in person, online or via other means such as stalking. Examples of stalking include following a person, watching or spying on them or forcing contact through any means, including social media.
Other forms of sexual violence
Other forms of sexual violence include:
- sexual exploitation, trafficking and slavery
- non-consensual sharing of sexual images/videos
- sextortion
- revenge porn.
Violence related to gender
Women are disproportionately affected by violence and abuse compared to men. Therefore, gender-based violence is a specific term used to describe violence against women and girls. This includes any experience of:
- relationship abuse (domestic violence)
- rape, sexual assault and sexual violence
- harassment and stalking
- forced marriage
- honour-based violence
- female genital mutilation
- trafficking and forced prostitution
- sexual exploitation (including through the sex industry)
- coercive control
- sextortion (webcam blackmail).
Download the Safezone app
Cardiff University provides all students with access to a SafeZone app, where you can contact University Security directly by sharing your location and communicating quickly via text message. If you feel unsafe anywhere on campus, you can use the SafeZone app to report this and seek immediate assistance. It will also show you where you are on campus in a variety of formats.
Live Fear Free: a government scheme offering help to all survivors, victims, professionals, and concerned others. Live Fear Free offer specialist advice on all forms of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence, including rape, sexual harassment, and stalking. All gender identities, sexualities, ethnicities are welcome and they can refer on to additional services if an individual would like. Their language line option means that language is no barrier, and all helpline support workers are fluent in Welsh and English. Out of hours helpline 0808 80 10 800, info@livefearfreehelpline.wales
Counselling and Wellbeing Support if you need to talk to someone to manage your emotional health and wellbeing.
Student Advice
You can also contact the Student Advice service for free, confidential and independent advice available for all students of Cardiff University. We are independent of the University and our role is to give you impartial advice and guidance and help you understand the options available to you.
Student Advice can also provide you with practical advice and support. We can advise on housing and any implications of the bullying on your study. If the perpetrator is a Cardiff University student, we can advise on how to make a complaint against them to the University. We can support you through your complaint and advise on submitting extenuating circumstances or taking an interruption of study if that becomes necessary.
If your circumstances are impacting your wellbeing and/or ability to study and perform at your usual level, we can