Durhan (TIP): Durham University in England is offering training to support students working in the sex industry. They have offered its students online courses on how to stay safe while working as a prostitute.
The university also noted that there was an “emerging trend” of its graduates to join the sex industry.
The university’s students union emailed all students and staff advertising a “training opportunity” for “students involved in the adult sex industry”.
The course is created by the Durham Students Union amid rising rates of Durham graduates prostituting themselves or producing explicit content online. The lessons would be designed to provide support and guidance to staff and students who become involved in the sex industry.
The training was important to “ensure that students can be safe and make informed choices”, and pointed to an “emerging trend” of students joining the sex industry, reports Times.
Michelle Donelan, the UK’s Minister of State for Universities, criticised the university for “legitimising a dangerous industry” and “gross breach of its duty to protect” its students.
“Any university that does this is seriously failing in its duty to protect students,” Donelan said.
“It is right that vital support be offered to women who are exploited,” continued the Minister. “However, this course seeks to normalise the sale of sex, which has no place in our universities.”
“We know this is an industry that can target young women and students and trap them in the role,” Donelan added. “Universities should focus on raising awareness of the dangers of this and supporting women. “
One session – advertised as “an interactive course that explores the challenges sex workers may face” – would have been fully booked. Durham University and the Students’ Union have reportedly received several complaints from students who said promotion of the courses to students and staff was drawing attention to the fact that prostitution was available on campus. “It could be a real problem, make it part of university culture and make sex work a normalised activity,” a student told the Times. (TNS)