‘That Guy’ who’ll tackle sexual violence

A CAMPAIGN dubbed ‘That Guy’ has been launched by Police Scotland to persuade men to take responsibility for ending sexual violence towards women.

The drive is targeting those aged 18-35, the group most likely to commit sexual offences, and features an advert which will run on several online platforms and social media.

With sexual crimes in the first quarter of the year up 24.3 per cent on last year, officers are asking men to examine their attitudes towards women.

Deputy Chief Constable Malcolm Graham said: ‘It’s time that we men reflected on our own behaviours and attitudes – and those of our friends, family and colleagues – towards women to prevent rape, sexual assault and harassment.

Women are not responsible for sexual offences committed against them.

‘It’s up to men to step up, to not be “That Guy” and to stop sexual offending before it starts.’

A spokesman for Rape Crisis Scotland said: ‘This campaign is important and welcome. It puts the focus on the only people responsible for sexual violence – the perpetrators. Safety advice aimed at women won’t stop sexual violence, but changing men’s attitudes and behaviours can.’

The drive comes amid growing concerns over women’s safety following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a Met Police officer.

Wayne Couzens abducted the 33-year-old in south London in March under the guise of arresting her. Scottish Conservative community safety spokesman Russell Findlay said: ‘Police Scotland should be applauded for this video which puts the onus on men to think about their behaviour.

‘But it cannot just be a PR exercise. This week we learned that 166 Police Scotland officers were accused of almost 250 counts of sexual misconduct over four years, yet none were sacked.

‘This revelation comes almost a year after Dame Elish Angiolini’s report identified problems with racism, sexism and homophobia. One video is a start but will not solve deep-rooted problems.’

In total, 3,720 sexual crimes were recorded in quarter one of 2021/22, compared with 2,992 for the same period the previous year.