What is sexual misconduct?

Any form of sexual misconduct, assault or harassment is never okay.

Sexual Misconduct
 

Sexual misconduct is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. It can include: sexual harassment; unwanted conduct which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment; sexual assault; rape; physical unwanted sexual advances; intimidation or promising resources or benefits in return for sexual favours; distributing private and explicit images or video footage of an individual without their consent. 

 

Sexual assault is a criminal offence and contrary to the University’s Sexual Misconduct Policy. A person commits sexual assault if they intentionally touch another person, the touching is sexual and the person does not consent. 

 

It involves all unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature and ranges from pinching, embracing, groping and kissing, to rape and sexual assault which involves penetration without consent. 

 

Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome words, conduct, or behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, embarrassing, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the recipient. It is a misuse of personal or institutional power and often based on a person’s gender although it is rarely about sexual desire. 

Sexual harassment can range from behaviour that stems from obvious to anyone or subtler behaviour less obvious to either the person responsible for the behaviour or to the recipient. Often the impact is not felt or witnessed immediately. The impact may go beyond the recipient to people who see or hear what happens or who try to offer support.

Sexual harassment can include but is not limited to: catcalling, following, making unnecessary and unwanted physical contact, sexual jokes and comments, giving unwelcome personal gifts, wolf-whistling, leering, derogatory comments, unwelcome comments about a person’s body or clothing, unwelcome questions about a person’s sex life and/or sexuality, engaging in unwelcome sexual propositions, invitations and flirtation, making somebody feel uncomfortable through displaying or sharing sexual material. Sexual harassment does not necessarily occur face to face and can be in the form of emails, visual images (such as sexually explicit pictures on walls in a shared environment), social media, telephone, text messages and image based sexual abuse, such as revenge porn and upskirting. 

If you think you have been the target of sexual misconduct, assault or harassment, it may be hard to know what to do or how to feel. What happened was not your fault. What you do next is your choice.

List of external resources

Rape Crisis - https://rapecrisis.org.uk/

Rape Crisis is a charity providing speciallist information and support services for anyone aged 16+ in England and Wales who has been affected by rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment or any other form of sexual violence – at any point in their life.

Contact Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Or visit the website for a free online chat.

Samaritans - www.samaritans.org

Samaritans provides emotional support to anyone in emotional distress, struggling to cope, or

at risk of suicide.

Their phone line is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - 116 123 

Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/

Mind is a charity funded organisation that offers a range of information, support and advice on mental health problems, legal and welfare rights.

Their phone line is open 9am - 6pm Monday - Friday except bank 

Infolines - 0300123 3393. 

Welfare benefits line: 0300 222 5782

Legal line: 0300 466 6463

NHS - https://111.nhs.uk/

NHS 111 can help if you think you need medical help right now. 

You can get hep from NHS 111 by:

111 online - https://111.nhs.uk/

Using the NHS app