Durham University offers ‘training’ for student sex workers

The student union at the English university sent a campuswide email to all students and staff earlier in the month advertising two training sessions titled, "Students involved in the Adult Sex Industry," according to The Times.

"The SU position on students in sex work are clear: support, informed advice, destigmatization and collaboration with expert organizations," the email read, aiming to give student sex workers "informed" advice.

The email stated that "[s]tudent sex workers should not face any barriers to accessing support which is well informed and free from prejudice."

The school offered two trainings, with one being open to both students and staff, and the other being open only to staff, requiring "level 1" training. The training sessions were implemented by the school's Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response team, North East Sex Work forum and Student Sex Workers.

Minister for higher and further education Michelle Donavan told The Times that the Russell Group university was "legitimizing a dangerous industry" and "badly failing in their duty to protect" after it backed the trainings.

Donelan noted that while it was important to support women who were being exploited, promoting the courses "seeks to normalize selling sex."

Labour MP Diane Abbott told The Independent that Durham University "should have nothing to do with" sex work.

The student union's Welfare and Liberation Officer, Jonah Graham, told The Independent that Donelan's comments "show that she fundamentally misunderstands the training." He said it was "an attempt to support students in a difficulty arising from the reality of rising costs in higher education."

The university defended the sessions and stated that the training was important to "ensure students can be safe and make informed choices" after noting an "emerging trend" of students selling sexual services.

"The University brought in the external Students Involved in the Adult Sex Industry session in response to requests received over a number of years from a small number of concerned students," the university said in a statement.

It added: "We are emphatically not seeking to encourage sex work but we are seeking to provide support to our students ... We make no apologies for working to ensure that Durham is a safe environment for all our students and staff."

A number of students expressed concerns over the training topic, saying that it sets the scene for the university supporting and condoning the action.

"This could cause a real problem, making it part of university culture and making work in the sex industry a normalized activity," one student told The Times. "Everyone who I've spoken to is pretty disgusted that adult sex-worker training classes are being promoted by our own students' union."

"Why should this be promoted as a DSU-remit activity, alongside all other extracurricular groups and activities? It suggests that being an adult sex worker is another run-of-the-mill activity and is put down as an official DSU position," the student questioned.

"It may not be fully condoning, but it suggests that the student union wants to support students in sex work, which is quite a problem because it encourages students in activities that are harmful to themselves. There are lots of risks attached with general health and safety but also with employers, future employers and future careers, and it's not something that should be in the university's remit," another student added.