Students link flirting to rape

Almost half of students in Northern Ireland believe women who flirt are partly to blame if they get raped, a survey suggests.

In the Amnesty International survey, 46% said flirting could be partially or totally responsible for a rape.

Forty per cent said they knew someone who had been assaulted by a partner.

One in 10 students surveyed said violence was acceptable against a girlfriend who nags, flirts with other men or refuses to have sex.

Revealing clothing could be a factor in rape, according to 30% of respondents.

In the survey, Violence Against Women: The Perspective of Students in Northern Ireland, researchers asked 715 students across University of Ulster campuses about their attitudes and experiences.

Amnesty International spokesman Patrick Corrigan said attitudes needed to be challenged to "break a cycle of violence against women in Northern Ireland".

"This survey shows that there are some extremely disturbing attitudes swirling around our campuses," he said.

NUS/USI president Katie Morgan said: "Sadly, these results chime with what I have seen with my own eyes on campus.

"We've long been calling for better services for students who have suffered violence, and these results confirm not only that domestic abuse amongst students occurs far too often, but that students don't know where to turn when it happens."

Amnesty International and local students unions will launch a poster, leaflet and drinks mat campaign in the coming weeks.

According to the latest crime figures released by police in May, sexual offences in Northern Ireland were up by 1.1% last year while there was an 11.4% decrease in reported rapes.