After a recent survey in University College Cork found that 1-in-7 students have been subjected to a non-consensual sexual experience, the UCC Students' Union (UCCSU) has launched the 'Break the Silence' campaign which seeks to get students, as well as wider society, talking about rape.

The campaign, which was officially launched on March 23rd, aims to challenge the social stigma which surrounds rape and hopes that by initiating a conversation on the topic, victims will feel more comfortable seeking support.

UCCSU Deputy President and Campaigns Officer Dick Murphy, who organised the campaign, stated; "I really wanted to do a campaign which made real change and helped people. When the idea of a sexual violence campaign came to me, I quickly realised how uneducated and uninformed I was on the topic and thought a conversation definitely needs to be had.

"With that in mind, the main goal was to challenge people to engage in conversation and ask questions, to feed off one another and to even challenge the campaign. The idea is that once people are talking about this issue, only good things can come from it. It's designed get rid of the social stigmas, the shaming culture and ultimately to get people to work together to create a more comfortable environment for victims."

The campaign comes shortly after the results of the Know Offence survey of students within UCC revealed that 15% of students have suffered a non-consensual sexual experience. Furthermore, the report also noted that over one-third have experienced unwanted physical contact in a university setting and that 82% of students do not know where or how to report a sexual offence to university authorities.

While Break the Silence is still in its early days, Murphy highlighted that the campaign has already experienced support from other Irish colleges: "We are off to a great start and the conversation has been prompted. I would love to see, and have seen, other colleges around the country get onboard."

Following the support the campaign initially received on social media, the Deputy President highlighted that a significant amount of work still remains to be done:

"I believe there is potential for a second wave to the campaign. To do that we need to keep the conversation going, broaden its reach and take in what's coming up in those conversations."