Concerns Rise Over University ‘Kink’ Clubs and Student Safety
University ‘kink’ and ‘BDSM’ clubs are under scrutiny as the Family Education Trust (FET) voices concerns over their potential to put students at risk. These clubs, which have existed for years across campuses like the University of Durham, are now facing renewed criticism following an incident at Anglia Ruskin University.
During the Fresher’s Fair at Anglia Ruskin, first-year students encountered older members of a sexual fetish club operating a “Kinkster” stall. They were encouraged to participate in an activity involving whipping a rubber dummy strapped to a table. A young female student reportedly felt distressed by the scenario but hesitated to report it.
The FET argues that such activities might breach university policies on harassment and sexual misconduct. The organization is skeptical of the clubs’ claims to facilitate safe exploration of sexual kinks, suggesting that they instead risk eroding students’ boundaries and coercing them into risky behavior.
Further unease surrounds the “kink test” quiz hosted on the Anglia Ruskin University kink society’s website. The quiz includes provocative statements such as, “The idea of torturing someone sexually, is appealing” and “I enjoy dressing or behaving like a child, or engaging in child-appropriate activities such as colouring in or a colouring book or going to a playground.” The FET warns that this quiz could be normalizing fantasies involving children and animals, which they consider unacceptable.
The organization further stated, “This is not ‘empowering’ – it is sanctioning sexual abuse, as well as implying that sexual fantasies involving children and animals are acceptable. University authorities are failing to safeguard students by allowing such societies to operate freely.”
Responding to the criticism, the Anglia Ruskin student union affirmed its commitment to representing all students and ensuring that all societies follow a strict code of conduct that bans unsafe or non-consensual activities. The union emphasized the importance of education and open discussion in fostering safety and consent among young adults.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for the University of York highlighted the autonomy of students in choosing their society memberships, noting the wide variety of interests represented in their student union-affiliated societies.
The FET continues to call on universities to reconsider the presence of such clubs on campus, arguing that the inherent risks cannot be adequately managed. They state, “There is no way that sexual fetish clubs can guarantee that such sexual acts will not cause harm to young students, therefore university authorities should not allow them to be advertised on campus.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
