What is Sexual Harassment?

Sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour, verbal or physical, of a sexual nature that makes a person feel intimidated, degraded, or humiliated. Sexual harassment covers a wide variety of behaviours. Here are some examples:

• Unwanted pressure for sex
• Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, or cornering someone
• Unwanted sexual looks or gestures
• Unwanted sexual teasing, jokes, or remarks
• Cat call and wolf whistling at someone
• Sexual comments
• Unwanted letters, messages, or calls of a sexual nature
• Displaying pictures, photos, or drawings of a sexual nature

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know has been sexually harassed. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next.

It may be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required.

If sexual harassment escalates into violence, threats, or sexual assault, you should report this to the Police by calling 101.

• Victim Support - Sexual Harassment
• Rights of Women - Sexual Harassment at Work
• Rape Crisis - What is Sexual Harassment
• Sexual Harassment in the Workplace (fliphtml5.com)
• Combat Misconduct - Student Hub

What is sexual assault and rape?

Sexual assault can take many different forms, but it is important to remember that IT IS NEVER THE VICTIM’S FAULT. The term sexual assault refers to any intentional sexual contact or behaviour that occurs without the explicit consent of the victim. It covers a wide range of behaviour and can include kissing, groping, fondling, and penetration with a body part or anything else without consent. Rape specifically refers to penetration of another’s vagina, anus, or mouth with a penis without consent.

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next.

All reports of sexual assault will be taken seriously. You will be listened to, supported, and kept safe.

It would be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required.

Sexual assault is a criminal offence, and should you wish to report this to the Police, you can do this by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

What is discrimination?

Discrimination means treating someone 'less favourably' than someone else because of:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Race
• Religion or belief
• Sex
• Sexual orientation

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know is being discriminated against. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next.

It may be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required.

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is a criminal act committed against a person or property that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender's bias against a particular group. This bias can be based on various characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Hate crimes are intended to intimidate and harm not only the individual victim but also the broader community that shares the targeted characteristic.

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know has been a victim of a hate crime. They can support you in reporting to the police if you want to. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next.

It may be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required. We can also support you in making a report to the police should you want to.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse, also known as domestic violence, refers to patterns of behaviour in an intimate relationship that are used by one partner to gain or maintain control over the other partner. It can happen in heterosexual or same-sex relationships and can involve married, cohabitating, or dating couples. Domestic abuse encompasses various forms of maltreatment and can have severe physical, emotional, and psychological impacts on victims.

• Physical Abuse: The use of physical force against the partner, including hitting, slapping, punching, kicking, choking, or using weapons.
• Emotional/Psychological Abuse: Manipulative behaviours that cause emotional trauma such as intimidation, threats, constant criticism, humiliation, isolation from friends and family, and controlling behaviours.
• Sexual Abuse: Forcing a partner to engage in sexual activities without consent, including rape, sexual assault, and any form of sexual coercion.
• Financial/Economic Abuse: Controlling or limiting a partner’s access to financial resources, thereby making them financially dependent. This includes preventing the partner from working, controlling their bank accounts, or giving them an allowance.
• Verbal Abuse: The use of words to cause harm, including insults, threats, yelling, and constant belittling.
• Digital Abuse: Using technology to harass, monitor, or intimidate a partner, such as excessive texting, hacking into personal accounts, or tracking their location through GPS.

What support is available?

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know is being subjected to domestic abuse. We can support you in reporting to the police and specialist services. You do not have to wait for an emergency situation. If domestic abuse is happening to you, it’s important to tell someone, and remember you are not alone.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required.

What is harassment and stalking?


Harassment is a broad term that refers to unwelcome and inappropriate actions, behaviour, or comments directed at an individual or group that cause distress, discomfort, or harm. It can take many forms, including but not limited to:

• Verbal Harassment: Insults, threats, derogatory comments, or slurs. This can also involve inappropriate jokes or comments about someone's appearance, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other personal characteristics.
• Physical Harassment: Unwanted physical contact or intimidation, such as hitting, pushing, or inappropriate touching.
• Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
• Cyber Harassment: Harassment that occurs online or through digital communication channels.
• Psychological Harassment: Actions that cause emotional distress, such as bullying, intimidation, and coercion.

Stalking refers to a pattern of unwanted and obsessive attention or behaviour directed at an individual that causes them to feel fear, distress, or concern for their safety. It involves repeated actions that infringe on the victim’s privacy and sense of security. Stalking can take many forms and may escalate over time.

• Physical Stalking: Repeatedly following or appearing within the vicinity of the victim, such as showing up at their home or workplace.
• Cyberstalking: Using the internet, social media, or digital communications to harass or intimidate the victim.
• Communication-Based Stalking: Repeated and unwanted contact through phone calls, text messages, emails, or letters.
• Surveillance: Monitoring the victim’s activities, movements, and communications, sometimes through tracking devices or enlisting others to watch the victim.
• Threatening Behavior: Making threats of harm to the victim, their loved ones, or property.

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know is being harassed or stalked. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next.

It would be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

If online harassment or stalking escalates into violence, threats, or assault, you should report this to the Police by calling 101.

What is bullying?

Bullying is behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, that intentionally hurts another individual or group, either physically or emotionally. Bullying can take many forms, such as cyberbullying, verbal, physical, or emotional bullying. Bullying in any form is never acceptable and can have a significant detrimental effect on the victim(s).

The Student Advice and Wellbeing Team can offer advice and support on what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied. They will talk you through the School’s procedures if you wish to make a complaint against another student or a member of staff. They will advise you and support you in making your own decision as to what happens next. Bullying is never okay and should not be tolerated.

It would be useful to make a note of exactly what has happened, when, and who was there.

The School’s Counselling Service can offer confidential emotional support if required.

What is forced marriage?

Everyone has the right to make their own decisions about when and whom they marry. A forced marriage is one in which one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage but are coerced into it by their families or community.

What is honour-based violence?

Honour-Based Abuse can take many forms including child marriage, virginity testing, enforced abortion, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, as well as physical, sexual, and economic abuse, and coercive control.