Harassment includes: ‘unwanted behaviour or actions by an individual or a group, which violate another person's dignity, or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual.’ The University states that harassment is unacceptable.
Harassment can happen to anyone but is often related to a protected characteristic. Protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 include:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment
- Pregnancy or maternity
- Race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
- Religion or belief
- Sex
- Sexual orientation.
The University expects all students and staff to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in their day-to-day activities, including in their dealings with other students, staff and external organisations. Students and staff are expected to comply with University policies and regulations.
Where they do not comply with these requirements, and where they disrupt University activities, then the University will follow relevant procedures to resolve matters. For students this includes the Code of Student Conduct, and for staff the Dignity and Respect Policy and/or the Disciplinary Policy.
Harassment may include, for example:
- unwanted physical conduct including touching, pinching, pushing, grabbing, brushing past someone, and invading their personal space
- offensive or intimidating comments or gestures, intense staring, whistling, commenting on someone’s appearance
- mocking, mimicking, or belittling a person’s disability, gender, or race
- racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist or ageist jokes, or derogatory or stereotypical remarks about a particular ethnic or religious group or gender
- outing or threatening to out someone as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans
- ignoring or shunning someone, for example, by deliberately excluding them from a conversation or a social activity
- persistent and unwelcome targeting of a person through various online channels, including social media, email, messaging apps, online forums, or gaming platforms (see more under Digital Abuse section)
- persistent requests for someone’s name, number, or other information
- taking a photos or videos of someone without their consent
- unwanted gestures, comments or acts that may occur on the street or in similar public places. It predominantly affects women and non-binary people and is a form of Gender Based Violence (GBV) but can happen to anyone.
A person may be harassed even if they were not the intended ‘target’. For example, a person may be harassed by racist jokes about a different ethnic group if they create an offensive environment.