Antisocial or abusive behaviour

No one should have their day or night ruined by antisocial behaviour. You probably know the sort of thing we’re talking about but, just in case you don’t, here are some examples. 

Antisocial behaviour is ‘behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person’. This can include:

• Noisy neighbours (eg: playing loud music at night)

• Graffiti or littering

• Nuisance from large or rowdy groups, often linked to drinking or drug use

• Targeting a particular individual or group (e.g., racism) – see ‘hate crimes’ below.

Luckily, if you’re affected by antisocial behaviour, you don’t have to suffer in silence. We’re here to offer you support and advice on how to manage or report the situation.

Simply get in touch with the team today on 0121 414 4444 in an emergency or 0121 414 3000 in a non-emergency situation. You can also report the incident online.  

As highlighted above, you wouldn’t want to witness antisocial behaviour so make sure you’re not the cause of it. No matter if you’re in University or private accommodation, if you treat people how you’d like to be treated, you can’t go far wrong.  

For example, if you’re listening to music, be considerate. If you can hear the music from outside your flat/house, it’s too loud. Stick to playing music during the day and be prepared to turn it down if asked to.

Also, try to avoid gathering in large groups in the street, especially late at night – you may disturb or alarm a lot of people without intending to. And don’t forget that your accommodation contract may include rules about maintaining the fabric of the building and other expectations: make sure you read the rules and stick to them.

Everyone should be able to enjoy a welcoming, safe and inclusive experience at the University. That’s why we have a zero-tolerance hate crime policy and take every case reported to us extremely seriously. 

A hate crime is a crime committed against someone because of their disability, gender identity/presentation, race, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. It can sometimes be tricky to know what a hate crime looks like, so be on the look-out for:

• Threatening behaviour
• Assault
• Harassment
• Property damage
• Verbal abuse

If you’re a victim of a hate crime, please help us to give you the appropriate support and advice by reporting it. As these are criminal offences, we will also help you to report to the police should you wish to.

Not sure if you’ve experienced/witnessed a hate crime? Please still let us know so we can advise you on what to do next.  

Sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that makes you feel intimidated, degraded or humiliated, or creates a hostile or offensive environment. Here are some examples:

• Sexually degrading comments, gestures or staring at your body
• Sexual jokes or propositions
• Wolf-whistling
• Catcalling
• Sexual content in emails, texts or social media messages
• Showing sexually explicit pictures in your space or a shared space, like your workplace, library or flat
• Unwelcome physical behaviour, such as groping

It’s important to remember that you don’t have to have complained about the behaviour in the past for it to be harassment. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, it’s not okay. 

Sexual assault is a sexual act inflicted on someone without their consent. It can also mean forcing or manipulating someone to witness or participate in sexual activity without their consent. It does not have to involve physical violence or weapons.

If you’ve been subjected to sexual harassment or assault, it’s not your fault. It’s the fault of the harasser/assaulter and such behaviour will not be tolerated at the University.

That’s why we, along with the Guild of Students, offer a range of services to make it easy to report sexual harassment or assault on campus should you wish to do so and receive the support you need afterwards.

All services are completely confidential and available to you for as long as you need them. They’re even open to you if you’ve been subjected to sexual violence or harassment before you came to the University. While you’re with us, it’s our job to provide the support you need.

Find out more here 

If you’re a member of staff and a student discloses sexual harassment or assault to you, this guide  will help you provide the appropriate support.

While terrorist and extremist attacks are rare in the UK, it’s important to remain vigilant. You can play a vital role in keeping the University safe from such attacks by applying the same common-sense strategies to help prevent crime.

The first thing you can do is be aware of your surroundings. If you study, work, or pass through the same locations every day, you’re more likely to notice suspicious activity. 

The second, and most important, thing is to report anything you see that seems out of place to Security immediately. Whether it’s an abandoned suspect package or an individual behaving suspiciously, we need to know about it. 

You’ll find a full list of what to look out for and advice on when to report via the Action Counters Terrorism website.

As well as stopping potential terrorist or extremists in their tracks, the University also has a statutory duty to have ‘due regard to the need to prevent individuals from being drawn into terrorism’ under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015. 

You can find out more about how we’re safeguarding and supporting people who are vulnerable to radicalisation online.