‘Girls Night In’: Leeds Students Boycott- The Spiking Crisis

Mia Stapleton on 13 November 2021

‘Revolution is coming.’

Following increased reports regarding young students being confronted with violence and malicious spiking attempts, the issue has gained traction across social media platforms. Things need to change in terms of the uncertainty of women’s safety in nightclubs.

On Wednesday 27th October, ‘Girls Night In,’ an organisation founded to raise awareness of spiking levels rising, partnered with the Leeds Student Radio in order to hold a boycott against pubs and clubs in Leeds. Students were told to not attend any clubs or bars on the night of 27th, regarding the urgent matter.

The Instagram page ‘@GirlsNightInLeeds,’ founded by the organisers of the Leeds boycott, Izzy Broadhurst, Isabel Davies and Joscelin Story, gained over 4,000 followers, drawing attention to violence against women and risks to women’s safety. Across the country, similar citywide boycotts have taken place over the Halloween weekend.

‘The risk of spiking makes me hesitant to go out and might make me feel less comfortable when out, due to fearing it happening.’- Student (18) University of Sheffield.

It has been reported that new, more undetectable methods of spiking are developing, with needle injections being the most recent form.  Whilst earlier ways of preventing spiking have been effective, such as drinks covers, how can we protect ourselves from the new and the unpredicted?

‘I think that drink covers and straws are a good way to be safer, however, we should not have to go to such lengths in the first place.’ – Male (18) Huddersfield.

In terms of ‘the bigger picture,’ students are left questioning what can be done in order to reduce the spiking crisis. Students have been left feeling hopeless. Bars and clubs are not doing enough to reduce victim numbers, leaving those to fend for themselves and their own safety.

‘I’ve had girls come over to me and tell me they’ve seen someone put something in my drink, I’ve also had to go tell the same thing to others.’- Female (18) Huddersfield.

Many are calling for ‘all women’s night clubs,’ and safer spaces for women, with an increased pressure on searching before entry to any type of bar or nightclub. No woman, or man, should be in danger under any circumstances whilst out on a night.  Whilst many students believe that increased police forces could aid the matter, most believe that the correct path to improving the crisis is better education for men.

‘Women shouldn’t be afraid to have a good time! Revolution is coming.’- Female (18) Leeds Arts University.

‘I don’t see how any physical measures can stop it. We need to stop people from wanting to do it.’ -Student (18) University of Sheffield.

One of the most eye-opening things to come out of the boycott has been the varied attitudes towards the matter. It has become an increasing concern that spiking is not seen as a serious matter to many, but rather a joke.

‘On a night out, a girl had been spiked. She was laying on the floor and being put into an ambulance, some boys I was with started laughing. It kind of shows what some boys think.’  Female (18) Leeds.

‘I was spiked a few years ago, out in Huddersfield, my friend did it as a joke.’- Male (20) Huddersfield.

In an interview with a male victim, he shared his experience when he was unintentionally spiked alongside his friend, after accidentally picking up a drink from a table that belonged to another girl.

‘We weren’t the intended victims, my friend had a lot more of it and ended up a lot worse off, we both got thrown out of the club. Spiking is scary, it’s a risk that both men and women face. I know a lot more men than women that have been spiked, however, I think that’s because women are made more aware of how to avoid it and taught to watch out for it. I just hope that the girls drink we had was okay. I don’t know how people are getting away with bringing something as dangerous as a needle into a nightclub. The only way that I see the issue being solved is tighter security, the most I’ve ever been searched was my wallet.’

Spiking can be life-threatening; we need better protection for all.

Leeds nightclub boycott planned after reports of women being ‘injected with needles’

Josh Elgin on 20 October 2021

Students say they will boycott nightclubs in Leeds next week to pressure venues to introduce tighter security measures amid reports of several women being spiked with needles.

It comes as West Yorkshire Police confirmed today that they have launched an investigation after a woman was reported being spiked by injection in Leeds on October 13 and police in Nottinghamshire said they have arrested and released a man on bail in connection with allegations of ‘physical’ spiking.

The boycott will take place on Wednesday 27 October, which organisers say has been timed to when sports societies typically hold events at clubs.

Lucy Thompson, a second-year History of Art student and one of the organisers of the boycott, told The Gryphon she was inspired by a similar campaign in Edinburgh which has since been replicated across the country. She created the Instagram page GIRLS UNCUT LEEDS after she was left feeling helpless when two of her friends were recently spiked. Within 48 hours of creating the page, it was followed by over 2,000 people and a separate account, Girls Night In Leeds, which is also encouraging a boycott on the same day, has also been widely followed.

Instead of attending clubs, some societies have already agreed to host alternative events and people more widely in the city are being encouraged to have gatherings at home. Leeds Student Radio have announced they will host a special 5 hour live event on the night with coverage of how people are spending their night at home as well as guest speakers and DJ sets.

Thompson said that the campaign has three main aims. The first aim is to break down the taboo surrounding spiking which Thompson believes is discouraging all victims from reporting what has happened to them. She stressed that anyone could fall victim, especially now with reports of spiking by injection, and the consequences, which can be serious and lasting, are not appreciated enough.

The second aim is to remind event managers that they have a responsibility and duty of care to the people attending their events, particularly to young and vulnerable university students. Thompson says she has been inundated with women sharing experiences of clubs failing to treat their complaints seriously, including one victim who was laughed at when they asked for help from bouncers.

The third aim of the campaign is to increase security in venues. 

A national petition calling for mandatory searches of all guests upon entry to clubs has been signed over 130,000 times. This has proved controversial, however, with some fearing the move would disproportionately affect black, Asian and minority ethnic people and would give bouncers too much power, especially given reports of bouncers themselves assaulting women. 

Thompson supports such a move but only in tangent with proper training as well as screening and random drug tests of employees themselves.

After it was announced that an investigation has been opened in Leeds in connection with allegations of spiking by injection, West Yorkshire Police Detective Superintendent Paula Bickerdike said : “We understand the genuine concerns that women have around their safety, particularly in the night-time economy, and we remain absolutely committed to doing everything we can alongside our partner agencies to make the county a safer place for women and girls.

“We continue to work alongside partner agencies and licensees to warn and educate people about staying safe on a night out, and we conduct regular partnership operations to keep people safe.”

GIRLS UNCUT LEEDS and Girls Night In have reached out to a number of clubs in the city for comment.

HiFi said it was “putting in place a number of new safety measures”, with lids provided with every drink, free spike test kits as well as additional training for security and Cirque Du Soul said they were “utterly appalled by the rise of spiking” and would consult with their host venue Beaverworks in order to tackle the issue. Other venues have so far not commented. 

Thompson said the outpouring of support had been heartwarming and had left her cautiously optimistic that things may “finally change” but warned that if action is not taken and there is not a serious change in culture surrounding the safety of women in Leeds, then the boycott next week could be the first of many.

Image Credit: Old Red Bus Station