By Jack Robert Stacey | Editor-in-Chief
According to┬áthe National Police ChiefsÔÇÖ Council, the months of┬áSeptember and October saw┬áa total of 198 confirmed reports of drink spiking┬áwith victims including both men and women┬á-┬áAs many analysts have asserted, however,┬áit┬áis┬ádifficult to fully understand┬áthe severity of the situation┬ádue to the likelihood that a number of incidents┬áhave not been reported to the Police.┬á┬á
With stories of drink spiking continuing to circulate online over the last few weeks, a number of students have expressed feeling vulnerable about attending in-person night-time events unless significant changes are made.  
Bryony┬áDanks, WomenÔÇÖs Officer at Cardiff University StudentsÔÇÖ Union, said that, following on from these recent events, students┬áÔÇ£are bound to feel on edge and be fearfulÔÇØ for their own safetyÔÇØ.┬áAs a majority of drink spiking cases involve young women,┬áDanks┬áadded that female students┬áÔÇ£are more likely to feel unsafeÔÇØ┬áthan other groups and, as such, may actively avoid moving around the city at night.┬á┬á
ÔÇ£The┬áknock on┬áeffect on women,ÔÇØ┬áshe explained,┬áÔÇ£is that they are limited to what they believe they can do, may that be going for a run in the evening, or being able to leave a club on their own if they want.ÔÇØ┬á┬á
In addition to making sure that students look out for each other when on nights out,┬áDanks┬áraised the importance of┬áÔÇ£talking about these issues as a society to take away the burden from the victim/survivor of this abuse.ÔÇØ┬áShe concluded by maintaining that,┬áÔÇ£if people are not aware of the severity of the situation, things will never change.ÔÇØ┬á┬á
Recently, a number of demonstrations have been organised around the UK to raise awareness of drink spiking and to advocate for increased security measures at nightclubs.  
As part of a letter┬áaddressed to nightclubs,┬áÔÇÿGirls Night InÔÇÖ, the┬ácampaign group behind┬áthe┬árecent┬áprotests in 45 cities,┬áasserted that the┬áÔÇ£movement is coming from a place of fear and anger regarding our safety and healthÔÇØ┬áand began with the hopes that┬áÔÇ£nightclubs will incite meaningful changes and create reform.ÔÇØ┬á┬á
The group have also┬ádrafted a┬ápetition to the UK Government calling for┬ánightclubs to be legally required to┬áÔÇ£thoroughly┬ásearch guests on entryÔÇØ┬áin order to┬áÔÇ£prevent harmful┬áweapons and other items entering the establishmentÔÇØ┬áÔÇô This petition,┬ácreated by Hannah Thomson,┬áhas received┬áover 170,000 signatures┬áand is due to be debated in Parliament over the next few weeks.┬á┬á
PC Mike┬áNeate, the Student Liaison and Community Safety Officer with South Wales Police, said that as┬áthe result of these recent events,┬áhis team remain committed to┬áÔÇ£making sure that students have got the advice and information that they needÔÇØ to stay safe when on nights out in Cardiff.┬á┬á
In their work to improve student safety, PC┬áNeate┬áadded that South Wales Police have┬áÔÇ£got a lot of plans in place to make sure that the city and the night-time economy are as safe as possible for everybody.ÔÇØ┬á
One key example of this, he said, is the Student Safety Bus; a scheme which has been offering support to vulnerable people across the city for almost 10 years.  
PC┬áNeate┬áexplained that although the Safety Bus does assist students who have┬áÔÇ£maybe had a little too much to drink,ÔÇØ┬ávolunteers are also equipped to respond to a variety of┬áÔÇ£other vulnerability issuesÔÇØ, including those which are drug-related and transporting people to A&E if necessary.┬á┬á
Although there remains to be a wealth of night-time support available in cities like Cardiff, these recent events have understandably raised fears around student safety and, as a result, have prompted a discussion around the role of nightclubs in preventing drink spiking incidents from occurring.  
Yn┬ádilyn┬ácynnydd┬ámewn┬áadroddiadau┬áo┬ásbeicio,┬ámae┬ámiloedd┬áo┬áfyfyrwyr┬áledled┬áy DU┬áwedi┬ábod┬áyn┬áboicotio┬ábariau┬áa┬áchlybiau┬ái┬ágodi┬áymwybyddiaeth┬áo’r┬ámater┬áhwn.┬á
Yn ├┤l Cyngor Cenedlaethol Penaethiaid yr Heddlu, yn ystod misoedd Medi a Hydref cafwyd gyfanswm o 198 o adroddiadau wedi’u cadarnhau o sbeicio gydaÔÇÖr dioddefwyr yn cynnwys dynion a menywod. Fodd bynnag, fel y mae llawer o ddadansoddwyr wedi nodi, mae’n anodd deall difrifoldeb y sefyllfa’n llawn oherwydd y tebygolrwydd nad ywÔÇÖr holl ddigwyddiadau wedi’u hadrodd at yr Heddlu.┬á
Gyda straeon am sbeicio yn parhau i gael eu rannu ar-ein dros yr wythnosau diwethaf, mae nifer o fyfyrwyr wedi mynegi eu bod yn teimloÔÇÖn agored i niwed wrth fynychu digwyddiadau yn ystod y nos oni bai bod newidiadau sylweddol yn cael eu gwneud.┬á
Dywedodd Bryony Danks, Swyddog Menywod Undeb Myfyrwyr Prifysgol Caerdydd, fod myfyrwyr “yn si┼Ár o deimlo yn ansicr ac ofnus” am eu diogelwch eu hunain yn dilyn y digwyddiadau diweddar hyn. Gan fod y rhan fwyaf o achosion o sbeicio yn cynnwys menywod ifanc, ychwanegodd Danks fod myfyrwyr benywaidd “yn fwy tebygol o deimlo’n anniogel” na grwpiau eraill.┬á
“Yr ergyd fwyaf i fenywod,” esboniodd, “yw eu bod yn teimlo fel petai nhw wediÔÇÖu cyfyngu i’r hyn y maent yn yn gallu gwneud, dyw hi ddim yn saff i fynd am rediad gyda’r nos neu adael clwb nos ar eu pen eu hunain bellach.”┬á
Yn ogystal ├ó sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yn edrych allan am ei gilydd pan fyddant ar nosweithiau allan, cododd Danks bwysigrwydd “siarad am y materion hyn fel cymdeithas i ddileu’r baich oddi wrth ddioddefwyr/goroeswyr y cam-drin hwn.” Daeth i’r casgliad “os nad yw pobl yn ymwybodol o ddifrifoldeb y sefyllfa, ni fydd pethau byth yn newid.”┬á
Yn ddiweddar, trefnwyd nifer o ddigwyddiadau ledled y DU i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r mater allweddol hwn ac i hyrwyddoÔÇÖr angen am fwy o fesurau diogelwch mewn clybiau nos.┬á
Fel rhan o lythyr a gyfeiriwyd at glybiau nos gan y gr┼Áp ymgyrchu ‘Girls Night In’ a oedd tu ├┤l i’r protestiadau diweddar mewn 45 o ddinasoedd, haerwyd bod y “mudiad yn dod o le o ofn a dicter ynghylch ein diogelwch a’n hiechyd” a soniodd am y gobeithion y byddai “clybiau nos yn annog newidiadau ystyrlon ac yn creu diwygiadau.”┬á
Mae’r┬ágr┼Áp┬áhefyd┬áwedi┬ádrafftio┬ádeiseb┬áat┬áLywodraeth┬áy DU┬áyn┬ágalw┬áar┬áglybiau┬ános┬ái┬áfod┬áyn┬áofynnol┬áyn┬ágyfreithiol┬ái┬á”chwilio┬ágwesteion┬áyn┬ádrylwyr┬áwrth┬áfynd┬ái┬ámewn” er┬ámwyn┬á”atal┬áarfau┬ániweidiol┬áac┬áeitemau┬áeraill┬árhag┬ádod┬ái┬ámewn┬ái’r┬ásefydliad” ÔÇô┬áMae’r┬áddeiseb┬áhon, a┬ágr├½wyd┬ágan┬áHannah Thomson,┬áwedi┬áderbyn┬ádros┬á170,000 o┬álofnodion┬áa┬ábydd┬áfelly┬áyn┬ácael┬áei┬áthrafod┬áyn┬áy Senedd┬ádros┬áyr┬áwythnosau┬ánesaf.┬á
Dywedodd PC Mike Neate, Swyddog Cyswllt Myfyrwyr a Diogelwch Cymunedol gyda Heddlu De Cymru, fod ei d├«m, o ganlyniad i’r digwyddiadau diweddar hyn, yn parhau i fod yn ymrwymedig i “sicrhau bod myfyrwyr wedi cael y cyngor a’r wybodaeth sydd eu hangen arnynt” i gadw’n ddiogel pan fyddant ar nosweithiau allan yng Nghaerdydd.┬á
Yn┬áeu┬ágwaith┬ái┬áwella┬ádiogelwch┬ámyfyrwyr,┬áychwanegodd┬áPC┬áNeate┬áfod┬ágan┬áHeddlu┬áDe Cymru “lawer┬áo┬ágynlluniau┬áar┬áwaith┬ái┬ásicrhau┬ábod y┬áddinas┬áa’r┬áeconomi┬ános┬ámor┬áddiogel┬á├ó┬áphosib┬ái┬ábawb.”┬á
Esboniodd PC Neate, er bod y Bws Diogelwch yn cynorthwyo myfyrwyr sydd “efallai wedi cael ychydig gormod i’w yfed,” mae gwirfoddolwyr hefyd wedi’u hyfforddi i ymateb i amrywiaeth o “faterion eraill sy’n ymwneud ├ó niwed”, gan gynnwys y rhai sy’n gysylltiedig ├ó chyffuriau aÔÇÖr rhai sydd angen cael eu cludo i’r Uned Achosion Brys.┬á
Er bod cymorth ar gael mewn nifer oÔÇÖr dinasoedd mawr gan gynnwys Caerdydd, mae’n ddealladwy bod y digwyddiadau diweddar hyn wedi codi ofnau ynghylch diogelwch myfyrwyr ac, o ganlyniad, wedi ysgogi trafodaeth ynghylch r├┤l clybiau nos i atal y digwyddiadau hyn rhag digwydd.┬á
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