Veterinary schools take the issue of sexual misconduct extremely seriously and find the statistics published by the OfS extremely concerning. The Veterinary Schools Council is committed to addressing the issues identified and ensuring that all students can learn in a safe and supportive environment.
In common with all universities, veterinary schools have multiple routes for the reporting of any unacceptable behaviours experienced during any part of the veterinary course. There are also several routes by which such incidents are addressed, including academic misconduct procedures, non-academic student disciplinary procedures, fitness-to-practice procedures and, where necessary, involvement of the police and judiciary.
Veterinary courses differ from many university programmes in several ways. They are typically longer in duration, have predominantly female populations, and require students to work in a broad range of professional environments and contexts. These features are common with other programmes, such as medicine and dentistry, and we intend to work with these programmes to understand the factors contributing to the increased risks identified in the OfS report.
The OfS report highlights that placement environments represent a minority of the instances of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact experienced by veterinary students. Prior to this report’s release, the VSC had already been working closely with partners (the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, British Veterinary Association and the Association of Veterinary Students) to explore the degree to which students experience unacceptable behaviour, including sexual discrimination and violence, within these environments. A year-long survey of student experiences of unacceptable behaviour [1] during Extra Mural Studies (EMS) placements has been undertaken between March 2025 and February 2026 and further analysis of the data is ongoing. We remain committed to working with colleagues across the profession to strengthen reporting mechanisms and improve how concerns are identified, investigated and addressed.
Veterinary schools recognise the need to understand the factors that underpin our students’ increased risk of experiencing sexual discrimination and violence and are committed to tackling these issues across all aspects of veterinary education, and to working with the OfS and sector partners to ensure they are fully and effectively addressed. Every student has the right to study in an environment free from harassment, discrimination and sexual violence.
Notes
- The definition of “unacceptable behaviour” used in the VSC EMS survey included; Bullying, Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Victimisation.
