Sex Education Forum and Academics Against Assault are excited to announce our new partnership to improve understanding about sexual violence, especially amongst young people.
Together, we will harness the power of education to deepen knowledge, challenge stigma, and prevent harm, ensuring more young people feel informed, confident, and supported.
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, this partnership brings together two different types of organisation. Academics Against Assault is a youth-led and volunteer run organisation with innovative university networks. Sex Education Forum is a national charity, renowned for convening organisations across the the RSE sector with shared goals.
What we will achieve together
This partnership will focus on reaching 16–25-year-olds, both students and non-students, helping to build a more informed and supportive culture where survivors are heard and education is at the heart of tackling sexual violence.
Academics Against Assault will lead with survivor-informed communications and digital engagement, helping reach wider audiences with vital messages about consent and active bystander behaviours. They will draw on their university networks and lived experience to create an exciting new communications product, by survivors for survivors, which will be accessible for students and non-students alike.
At the same time, Sex Education Forum will contribute its expertise in evidence-based RSE, strengthening connections across policy, education and community settings to maximise our collective impact.
This new partnership follows the trail-blazing success of Sex Education Forum’s partnership with Make it Mandatory, with whom we will continue to campaign for mandatory RSE to be extended to 18 years old. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Make It Mandatory for paving the way to a further mutually beneficial partnership.
About Academics Against Assault
Founded within a university setting, Academics Against Assault campaigns for stronger action across higher education, including mandatory consent education and improved support for survivors. Their work is rooted in the belief that no student should have to choose between their education and their wellbeing.
Academics Against Assault engages young people through workshops, campaigning and digital outreach, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to challenge harmful behaviours and act as active bystanders. Collaborating with universities, student unions and wider partners, they focus on shifting attitudes around consent, tackling rape culture, and creating safer, more informed communities both on and off campus.
About the Sex Education Forum
Sex Education Forum is a charity that brings together over 70 partner organisations to make sure the Relationships and Sex Education that young people get is right for them and the best it can be.
Lucy Emmerson, Chief Executive of the Sex Education Forum said: "We are delighted to announce our partnership with youth-led organisation Academics Against Assault. Rates of sexual violence are highest amongst 16-25 year olds and yet prevention is possible. Academics Against Assault have a vision of a better world, brought about through education, high-quality support and accessible communications. It is an honour to combine the different strengths of our two organisations to help achieve this".
Molly Hanning, founder of Academics Against Assault, said of this partnership: "We're so excited to be partnering with the Sex Education Forum. Students in higher education have always been left out of prevention strategies and education initiatives. We're confident that this collaboration is a milestone step in the right direction for reforming student consent education and Gen Z rape culture".
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