Breaking the Silence

Imagine if a friend told you that they had been sexually harassed or assaulted. What would you say and do in that situation? It's not easy but Norah Al-Ani from the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre has some advice for how you can help your friend through a traumatic time. Visit our website for more support:

Emma Thompson on "Breaking the Silence"

Today, the University of Cambridge is launching a campaign to promote zero tolerance of sexual misconduct. Called ‘Breaking the Silence – Cambridge speaks out against sexual misconduct’, the campaign highlights prevention, support and reporting for those who’ve been affected by sexual misconduct, all of which are available via CUSU’s women’s officer Lola Olufemi and senior leaders including Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Toope talk about how we can all promote zero tolerance of harassment. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this film, please visit for help and advice.

Good Lad facilitator Ben chats about why the initiative is an important part of the Breaking The Silence campaign. More information on Breaking The Silence can be found here: and you can get involved with the Good Lad Initiative here:

Breaking The Silence is Cambridge University's campaign to promote zero tolerance of sexual misconduct. Aimed at establishing a culture where all our members are treated with respect, the campaign highlights new training, support and guidance available to students and staff. The campaign includes prevention initiatives for students, including consent workshops, bystander training and codes of conduct for sports teams; and training for collegiate and university staff in how to respond effectively and to support students making disclosures of sexual misconduct. If you have been affected by any of the issues in this video, please visit for advice and support.

We all want to step in and help when we see someone in trouble. So what stops us? The team behind Cambridge’s anti-harassment campaign Breaking the Silence, offers some tips and techniques for distracting, disrupting or challenging a problem situation. Then asks – if we all became active bystanders, could we change our culture for good?