Scientific Articles

Aubert A., Flecha R. (2021). Health and well-being consequences for gender violence survivors from isolating gender violence. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8626. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168626

Holland, K. J., Hutchison, E. Q., Ahrens, C. E., & Torres, M. G. (2021). Reporting is not supporting. Why mandatory supporting, not mandatory reporting, must guide university sexual misconduct policies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences United States of America, 118(52), e2116515118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2116515118

Joanpere, M., Burgués-Freitas, A., Soler, M., & Aiello, E. (2022). History of MeToo University movement in Spain. Social and Education History, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.17583/hse.10545

Explanation of the Post

To effectively address Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in universities, it’s essential to also recognize and combat Isolating Gender Violence (IGV). IGV (Aubert & Flecha, 2021) is a strategic way for perpetrators to maintain silence and avoid accountability. Is a type of violence aimed at people who support GBV victims, known as upstanders, with the goal of silencing and isolating them. This can take the form of retaliation, defamation, or professional harm, among others.

Upstanders are individuals who choose to intervene when they witness harassment or discrimination. Cedeño & Bohlen (2023) explain that while bystanders may ignore or condone abuse, upstanders actively support the person being targeted. Social movements like MeToo University (Joanpere et al., 2022) have shown how survivors can become role models and help others heal. These initiatives also guide universities in preventing and overcoming both GBV and IGV.

The concept of IGV, developed by the international scientific community, is important because it gives visibility to a serious problem: violence directed at those who defend victims. This violence is especially aggressive in institutions like universities, where it can have long-lasting personal and professional consequences. Some researchers, such as Bordanoba et al. (2023), link the persistence of sexual harassment in Spanish universities to historical power structures (feudalism). During the Franco regime, professors were often appointed based on political alliances. This created environments where abuse of power could thrive (Iñiguez & Burgués, 2013; Solé & Soler, 2021).

Bordanoba et al. (2023) show that introducing merit-based hiring and evaluation helps reduce harassment and build safer, more democratic academic cultures. Legal reforms have also made a difference. For example, laws in Catalonia (Catalan Government, 2020) and the Basque Country (BOE, 2022) now include protections against IGV, setting a precedent for defending those who support GBV victims.

Despite these advances, IGV continues to be a major barrier. Many victims are afraid to report abuse because they fear retaliation from within the university community. Research by NUS (2018) and Mdletshe & Makhaye (2025) highlights this fear, showing that the gap between actual incidents and official complaints is often due to the risk of reprisals. Ahsan & Ali (2025), in their study on feminist activists in Pakistan, describe how fear of surveillance, public exposure, and emotional exhaustion discourages victims from seeking help. These reprisals can also damage careers, reputations, and mental health.

To make the motto “Tell Someone” truly meaningful, universities must build trust. Victims need to know they can rely on people within the institution. That means creating strong support networks and protecting upstanders through safety strategies. As Serradell & Puigvert (2025) suggest, universities should include survivors’ voices in prevention training and embed GBV protections into their policies and protocols, incorporating the concept of IGV.

Ghani and Towl (2017) stress the importance of trained staff to support students. Serradell and Puigvert (2025) emphasize that academic leaders, support services, and GBV prevention trainers must demonstrate their commitment and consistency by having always supported survivors. Ghani and Towl also highlight the need for confidential reporting systems that give survivors control over the process, including the choice of whether to involve the police. Holand et al. (2021) point out that mandatory reporting in universities can discourage survivors from seeking help and prevent bystanders from offering support, which is why they advocate for mandatory support.

In short, ending GBV and IGV in universities requires a culture of solidarity, safety, and empowerment for victims and those who stand by them.

Other sources

Ali MA, Semahegn A, Ashenafi W, Legesse H (2024) Workplace gender-based violence among female staff in public higher education institutions in eastern Ethiopia: Institution-based cross-sectional study. PLOS Glob Public Health 4(7): e0003489. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003489

Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE). (2022). [Official State Bulletin]. Ley 1/2022, de 3 de marzo, de segunda modificación de la Ley para la Igualdad de Mujeres y Hombres [Law 1/2022 of 3 March on the second amendment of the Law for the Equality of Women and Men]. Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco. BOE-A-2022-4849, 74, 40253–40312. Available online: https://www.boe.es/eli/es-pv/l/2022/03/03/1 (accessed on 29 September 2025).

Bordanoba-Gallego, L., Serradell, O., Pulido, C., Morlà-Folch, T., & Ruiz-Eugenio, L. (2023). Feudalism, meritocracy and sexual harassment. Social and Education History, 12(2), 119–133. https://doi.org/10.17583/hse.11788

Catalan Government. (2020). Llei 17/2020, del 22 de desembre, de modificació de la Llei 5/2008, del dret de les dones a erradicar la violència masclista [Law 17/2020, of 22 December, amending Law 5/2008, on the right of women to eradicate gender-based violence]. Diari Oficial de la Generalitat de Catalunya. https://portaljuridic.gencat.cat/eli/es-ct/l/2020/12/22/17

Cedeño R., Bohlen J. (2023). Sexual harassment and prevention training. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.

Ghani, H. and Towl,G.J. (2017), “Students are still afraid to report sexual assault”, TimesHigher Education, available at: www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/students-are-still-afraid-report-sexual-assault

Iñiguez Berrozpe, T., & Burgués de Freitas, A. (2013). History Remnants of the SE in Spain: from the Reproduction Role to the Commitment with Social Transformation. Social and Education History, 2(3), 296–340. https://doi.org/10.4471/hse.2013.17

Mdletshe, L. C., & Makhaye, M. S. (2025). Suffering in Silence: Reasons Why Victims of Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education Institutions Choose Not to Report Their Victimization. Social Sciences, 14(6), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14060336

Mutinta, G. (2022). Gender-based violence among female students and implicatons for health intervention programmes in public universities in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Cogent Social Sciences, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2022.2079212

National Union of Students. (2018). Power in the academy: Staff sexual misconduct in UK higher education. National Union of Students. https://www.nusconnect.org.uk/resources/power-in-the-academy-staff-sexual-misconduct-in-uk-higher-education

Serradell, O., & Puigvert, L. (2025). Overcoming Sexual Harassment at University: The Case of the Training Intervention in the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Behavioral Sciences, 15(5), 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15050596

Soler, M. & Solé, E. (2021) Capítol 2. Història de la Sociologia Catalana. De la Primera Càtedra de Sociologia del Món a la Presidència de la Sociologia Europea. In JM.Reniu, M.Soler & E.Solé. Notes per a una història de la Ciència Política i de la Sociologia catalanes. Huygens Editorial. Pp. 55-101.

Steele, B., Degli Esposti, M., Mandeville, P., Hamnett, G., Nye, E., & Humphreys, D. K. (2021). Sexual violence among students attending a higher education institution in the UK (OUR SPACE): A cross-sectional survey. The Lancet, 398, S83. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02626-X

Valls, R., Puigvert, L., Melgar, P., & Garcia-Yeste, C. (2016). Breaking the Silence at Spanish Universities: Findings from the First Study of Violence Against Women on Campuses in Spain. Violence Against Women, 22(13), 1519-1539. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215627511

World MeToo Universities. (n.d.). MeToo University. https://www.worldmetoouniversities.net/en/metoo-university/