Sexual violence prevention campaign is launched

The leaflet will be released next week.

The Compass Centre, also known as Shetland Rape Crisis, will launch a campaign next week aimed at helping folk spot and prevent sexual violence on nights out.

The leaflets and posters, titled ‘What to do if you think someone is in danger on a night out’, will be made available from International Women’s Day, Tuesday 8th March.

Ellie Ratter, prevention and activism worker at the Compass Centre said: “People often approach us asking for guidance on what to do if you are worried about someone or something you’ve seen on a night out.

“We hear from folk that there have been times where they feel like something is wrong, but they don’t know how to address it.”

She added: “The main thread running through the campaign is safety first – if it isn’t safe to act then we advise you stay back and report what you saw – but sometimes there are steps you can take that could make all the difference.

“We hope that with this campaign people will feel more empowered to check-in on each other’s safety.”

The campaign was created with the aim of aiding members of the public to spot predatory sexual behaviour and providing them with options for how to address it.

The Compass Centre collaborated with bars, hotels, and businesses to display the leaflets in publicly accessible areas.

A poster version of the leaflet has also been created to display in the bathrooms of these businesses.

The centre has also been working in collaboration with taxi companies across Shetland to roll out a smaller version of the leaflet that can be easily picked up while taking a taxi.

For more information visit: www.compasscentre.org.