More than one in five students believe they have been a victim of spiking whilst studying at Kingston University, according to a River survey of 100 students.
One in ten students said they had been spiked during socials organised by Kingston University societies – these events are often held in local bars and clubs on a Wednesday night.
“There is definitely a sense of security being at an event marketed towards students, there were people I knew everywhere – but I still got spiked,” said a Kingston student who was at a Wednesday Halloween event with friends when they were spiked.
Under law, spiking is defined as giving someone drugs or alcohol without their knowledge or consent through drinks, needles, vapes or food.
“The shaking was uncontrollable; it was like I was vibrating. I just felt so cold, very out of it and dizzy,” said a victim.
Effects of spiking can be severe, ranging from confusion and nausea to seizures and muscle spasms.
Cup covers are available upon request at Kingston Pryzm however, local bartenders have reported that they receive no training on how to support spiking victims, with one Kingston bartender describing the spiking protocols at the pub they work at as “non-existent”.
A common trend amongst spiking victims is their reluctancy to report the crime, with 98% choosing to not report the incident to police according to anti-spiking charity Stamp Out Spiking.
A student who chose not to report the crime said: “I knew it would be a long process with a very low chance of anything being resolved and could make me feel worse about an already traumatic situation.”
Kingston is certainly not unique, as previous surveys by thetab.com and Alcohol Education Trust found that 10% of students have been spiked. The tab.com survey of 26,000 in 2022 students found that rates varied by university, with the highest rate 18%.
The survey found that only half of students that reported the incident to the university feel they received adequate support.
A spokesperson for Kingston University said: “The safety and wellbeing of our students is our top priority. We work closely with Kingston Police and Kingston Council to keep our students safe when on our campuses and in the local area.
“We take issues such as spiking very seriously and would encourage any incidents to be reported to the police. A page on the My Kingston student intranet provides more information for students on signs to look out for, advice on what to do if they believe they or a friend has been spiked and details about who to contact for advice or in an emergency.
“Our wellbeing team is also on hand to offer support and can be reached by emailing health@kingston.ac.uk, while our Student Wellbeing Support Guide contains a range of information on the health and wellbeing services and resources we offer.”
Chelsea Dryden
Rizzato Raul
Rym Naimi