Who do we show up for? The students left behind in domestic abuse support in higher education

4.15pm – 4.45pm BST, 3 July 2025 ‐ 30 mins

Presentation

This session, led by the University of Northampton, draws on nearly a decade of frontline experience within diverse communities, supporting victims of domestic and honour-based abuse in refuge and justice settings. The session aims to demonstrate how improved understandings of additional barriers to support faced by Black, minoritised, and international student victim-survivors can bring innovation to university support services and enhance outcomes.

Explore how intersecting forms of oppression and discrimination shape students’ experiences and access to support, and gain confidence to identify and challenge multi-agency bad practice, advocating for culturally appropriate pathways to manage risk and need. This session focuses on:

• The importance of embedding an intersectional approach to risk assessments.
• How to formally record risk factors such as racial trauma, adultification bias, and past negative experiences with professionals.
• The role of family and community dynamics in shaping help-seeking behaviours.

The session highlights the significance of victim-survivor-led services and the need for authentic voice in shaping support provisions, sharing best practice insights and case studies from the Sexual & Domestic Abuse service at the University of Northampton. The session concludes with reflections on creating inclusive and affirming spaces where Black, minoritised, and international student victim-survivors feel seen, heard, and safe.