Report and Support disclosures rise for third year running, University report shows

The number of disclosures made to the University’s Report and Support service in the 2023–24 academic year rose for the third year running, a new report has shown.

Released on 4 December, the University of Warwick’s annual report of the Report and Support service has shown that 597 disclosures were made last year.

This represents a 14% rise in disclosures made compared to the previous year, following a 22% rise, and a 26% rise in previous reports.

The University has noted that increases in disclosure numbers will largely be down to a growing awareness of the Report and Support service among the University community.

The increase in the number of disclosures into the platform shows that the Warwick community is increasingly trusting the service

University spokesperson

In a foreword to the 2023/24 Report, Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor of the University, called it “encouraging to see that more staff and students are engaging with the service to seek assistance.”

He added: “The increase in named reports, reflects a strong level of trust in the service and helps us to provide more tailored support and guidance.”

Beginning in the 2020-21 academic year, the Report and Support Reports have been published annually “to ensure transparency with the Warwick Community”.

The reports detail disclosure figures, the demographics of reporters, discipline outcomes, and preventative education or interventions that have taken place throughout the previous academic year. Each report also concludes with an action plan for the upcoming academic year.

In a statement to The Boar, a University spokesperson said: “Warwick is dedicated to fostering the highest standards of safety and support for everyone and is deeply committed to the success of Report and Support.

“We want to be transparent with our community, and this is the fourth year of us publishing our annual report. The increase in the number of disclosures into the platform shows that the Warwick community is increasingly trusting the service.”

The number of disclosures submitted by female undergraduate, postgraduate, and visiting students nearly doubled the number submitted by male students

Following a similar trend from last year, the report found that undergraduate students disproportionately used the service, making up 73% of student reporters in comparison to last year’s 76%.

Reports of bullying and harassment increased from the previous year, whilst sexual misconduct reports decreased by 14%. Relationship abuse was added as a new, separate category of harassment which could be disclosed following the 2023 report.

There was a 32% increase in hate crime incidents disclosed to the service, from 65 in 2022/23 to 86 last year. This follows concerns over both Islamophobia and antisemitism on campus, amid tensions surrounding the ongoing war in Gaza.

The number of disclosures submitted by female undergraduate, postgraduate, and visiting students nearly doubled the number submitted by male students. The report noted that where 51% of Warwick’s students are women, 52% of all reporting students identified as such, making the number more proportionate compared to previous years.

We encourage students to get in contact with us if they have any concerns about the report’s results. To find out more, make a report, or access support, please visit https://reportandsupport.warwick.ac.uk

University spokesperson

In response to the gender disparities between male and female students, the University spokesperson added: “We acknowledge that there is a gender imbalance in those using services like Report and Support, as there is outside the University. We are working to understand and break down the barriers to our male students using the service.

“We work closely with the Students’ Union and are open to feedback from our student community on what is important to them. We encourage students to get in contact with us if they have any concerns about the report’s results. To find out more, make a report, or access support, please visit https://reportandsupport.warwick.ac.uk.”

The report has outlined a three-fold action plan for the 2024/25 academic year. Report and Support has pledged to continue rolling out training for students through the GoodCourse platform covering topics such as consent, harassment, and active bystander training.

The service will continue to use data collated from the Annual Report to shape training plans for 2024/25, while targeting under-represented groups.

Additionally, the platform has ensured their services, training, and campaigns will be compliant with recent Office for Students guidance on preventing and addressing harassment and sexual misconduct ahead of 1 August 2025.