The University uses the term harassment to describe harassment, bullying and victimisation.
The University believes that harassment pollutes the working and learning environment and has a detrimental effect upon wellbeing, health, confidence, morale and performance of those directly affected by such behaviour or who are witness to it. The University is committed to creating a working and learning environment free from harassment and discrimination in which all staff, students and visitors to the University are treated with dignity and respect.
What is harassment?
Harassment is any behaviour that is unwanted and could reasonably be considered as violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
Behaviour amounting to harassment may include:
- Unwelcome sexual advances
- Inappropriate or unnecessary physical contact, including invasion of personal space and inappropriate touching
- Sexually explicit language, jokes, verbal and physical innuendo
- Racist jokes, ‘banter’ and language, and the display of racist materials
- Using demeaning, gender-specific terminology
- Display or circulation of sexually explicit materials
- Coercive demands for sexual favours
- Inappropriate comments about a person’s appearance, intrusive questions, comments or remarks about a person’s private life and malicious gossip
- Homophobic comments, jokes and ‘banter’ about sexuality, gossip and speculation about a person’s sexuality
- Pestering, spying or stalking
- Physical assault or threats of physical assault
- Insults, name-calling and offensive language and gestures
- Ridiculing and undermining behaviour
- Intimidating, coercive or threatening actions and behaviour
- Isolation, non-cooperation or deliberate exclusion
Harassment can take many different forms including those outlined above - from inappropriate language to assault. There doesn't need to have been physical contact for harassment to have taken place.
Further information about behaviours that may amount to harassment can be found in the Policy on Harassment and Bullying.
Advice and Suppport
The University recommends that students and staff visit the Report and Support page as the first source of support and advice for anyone who believes they are being subjected to harassment, or other inappropriate behaviour.
For further details please see the links below:
The University’s Report and Support service is available to both staff and students and provides information, support and reporting options for harassment, bullying, discrimination, assault, hate crime, domestic abuse and sexual violence. Individuals can submit a report and request to be seen by a Responder (for students) or Advisor (for staff) who will discuss all available options.
Students can also get support from Guild Advice @ the Guild of Students.