Metadata
Title
Tackling harassment and sexual misconduct
Category
international
UUID
6f23eccd439e48f08a2c060a35c3b919
Source URL
https://www.york.ac.uk/about/harassment-sexual-misconduct/
Parent URL
https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/
Crawl Time
2026-03-20T07:12:37+00:00
Rendered Raw Markdown

Tackling harassment and sexual misconduct

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/about/harassment-sexual-misconduct/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/support/

At the University of York, sexual violence and harassment of any form is never, ever acceptable.

Report an incident via Report + Support

Need immediate help?

Page contents

We understand that incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct occur across society, including within university settings. This page provides a single, comprehensive source of University information and support on harassment and sexual misconduct.

Content warning: This page and some linked resources discuss sensitive themes including sexual violence, harassment, and other forms of violence. Please proceed with care and ensure you have appropriate support if needed.

What is harassment and sexual misconduct?

Lots of official terms can be used when talking about harassment and sexual misconduct, which can feel confusing if you're seeking support or navigating next steps. We've provided definitions to help you.

If you have experienced harassment or sexual misconduct there is always support available.

Understanding University terminology

Definitions of harassment

Harassment

Harassment is defined under the Equality Act (2010) and the Protection from Harassment Act (1997).

The Equality Act (2010) defines harassment as unwanted behaviour related to a protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

The protected characteristics identified in the Equality Act are: age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnerships, race, religion, belief or non-belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The Protection from Harassment Act (1997) prohibits a person from pursuing a course of conduct which amounts to harassment of another and which they know, or ought to know, amounts to harassment of another. The person whose course of conduct is in question ought to know that it amounts to harassment of another if a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think the course of action amounts to harassment.

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is unlawful and will not be tolerated.  Our Dignity and Work and Study policy defines it as unwanted conduct of a sexualised nature that has the purpose or effect of violating someone’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Sexual harassment may occur between members of the same sex or of the opposite sex. It can be a single incident that may or may not be directed at an individual but may be witnessed or overheard by a third party. It may be carried out by an individual who is in a position of authority over another or to undermine the position of authority of another.

Unwanted conduct of a sexualised nature can include a range of behaviours that are not limited to the following examples:

Sexual harassment does not necessarily occur face-to-face. It can be in the form of:

Full definitions can be found in the University's Dignity at Work and Study Policy.

Definitions of sexual violence, sexual assault and sexual misconduct

Sexual violence

Sexual violence is an overarching term for any non-consensual sexual act or activity. In this context, "violence" refers to the lack of consent.

Sexual violence can take many forms. It can be perpetrated by a complete stranger, but is often by someone known and trusted, such as a friend, colleague, family member, partner or ex-partner. Sexual violence can happen to anyone.

Sexual assault

Sexual assault is a legal term, defined under the Sexual Offences Act (2003) as intentionally touching another person, when the touching is sexual, the other person does not consent to the touching and there is not a reasonable belief in consent.

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

All forms of sexual assault are sexual violence.

Sexual misconduct

"Sexual misconduct" is how the University refers to behaviour of this nature which is being investigated under our Disciplinary Procedure.

We use this term not to minimise the behaviour, but because we do not have the legal power to find someone guilty of a "crime".

We can, however, make a finding about whether somebody's behaviour has fallen short of our expectations, as outlined in our policies and procedures, and take action accordingly.

Sexual misconduct refers to any sexual act without consent. An act may be considered “sexual” by its nature, or because of the circumstances.

Examples of sexual misconduct include:

An “abuse of power” refers to a situation where a relevant staff member exploits a position of power in relation to a student so as to apply pressure in a way which:

Understanding consent

Getting consent means actively gaining someone's permission to do something before doing it.

A person consents if they agree by choice and have the freedom and capacity to make that choice. You should respect other people's bodies and personal boundaries. You should always make sure your partner is participating freely and readily.

If you are going to be sexually active while at university, you must understand consent.

  1. Given freely: You should not pressure, force, manipulate or coerce anybody into doing anything they do not want to do.
  2. A conscious decision: A person cannot consent if they are asleep, passed out or incapacitated through alcohol or drugs. If you are unsure about whether someone is able to give consent, you should not engage in sexual activity with that person.
  3. Continuous: They can change their minds at any time. Consenting to one type of sexual activity is not consenting to all sexual activity.

The University provides training on understanding consent for all students.

Reporting sexual harassment, sexual assault and sexual misconduct

We are committed to preventing, responding to, and investigating incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment, violence or assault. It may help to understand the definitions of these terms before you decide what to do.

It is up to you if you wish to report an incident to anyone. There are many reasons you may choose not to report and this will be respected as far as possible, with the exception of where we need to take action in order to protect you or others from immediate or future harm, or where other duties exist.

Often, attending University gives you space to reflect on past experiences and the safety to report something for the first time. The services outlined are relevant no matter when an incident took place. All disclosures will be treated seriously.

Reporting to the University

Report an incident

You can raise concerns about staff and student misconduct, including bullying, harassment, discrimination, hate incidents, sexual violence, sexual  harassment and breaches of the University's personal relationships policy, through the Report + Support tool.

Report an incident via Report + Support

Staff can also make a report by contacting a Human Resources (HR) Adviser or speaking to their line manager

Report + Support overview:

Reporting to the police 

Reporting to the police

If you think an incident constitutes a criminal offence, you can report it to the police.

Anonymous reporting options

If you are not ready to make a formal police report, but wish to share information, consider these options:

Reporting Anonymously to CrimeStoppers

You can contact CrimeStoppers at any point:

Sharing anonymous intelligence about sexual violence with the police

Criminal offences

Where disciplinary action or investigation is being considered against an employee of the University of York that may amount to a criminal offence, consideration of whether and when to report to the police will be taken by the Director of HR.

In cases where where the alleged criminal offence is against another employee or a student, the possibility of reporting the matter to the police will be discussed with the employee/student who was subjected to the alleged criminal offence(s) and necessary support will be provided if they choose to make a report.

How we handle reports

You can report an incident to the University using our Report + Support tool.

When investigating or making a finding on your report, the University will follow our relevant policies and procedures. Learn more about the applicable policies and procedures.

Your report and our response

Confidentiality and data use

Anonymous reports and University action

If you report anonymously, we will use this information to:

While an anonymous report will not typically lead to disciplinary action, we may take action on anonymous reports where possible and appropriate, for example, to fulfil statutory duties, intercept behaviours or review verifiable evidence such as CCTV.

Non-disclosure agreements and sharing information

Support available

Sometimes it's hard to know where to turn for support. If you’re not sure where to start, here's an overview of the support available to all students and staff.

All students and staff can report any incidents of bullying, discrimination, harassment, hate crime and sexual misconduct via the Report + Support tool.

Report an incident via Report + Support

Staff can also report an incident by contacting a Human Resources (HR) Adviser, or speaking to their line manager.

Deciding to report can be a difficult decision. Don't worry, you can still access support from both within and outside the University, whether or not you choose to report.

Talk to someone at the University

Support for sexual violence

You can seek advice from the University’s Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs). Confidential support is available whether something has happened recently or some time ago.

Find out more about SVLOs.

Support for harassment and sexual misconduct

Additional support for staff

Talk to someone outside the University

If you don't feel comfortable speaking with someone at the University, there are many external support services available.

Line manager resources

Any form of harassment or sexual misconduct is never acceptable within our University community.

As a line manager, you play a vital role in upholding our culture of Respect at York and supporting your team. This includes supporting staff members who have been impacted by, or accused of, harassment or sexual misconduct.

These resources will help you support staff within your team. Human Resources (HR) can provide further information.

Taking action

If you receive a complaint (grievance) from a member of staff about sexual harassment, act promptly.****

While some situations may be dealt with through informal options, informal resolutions may not be appropriate because of the nature or seriousness of the concern. In this case, the formal stage of the grievance procedure should be followed.

In any event, you should seek advice and guidance from a member of the HR Operations team.

Prevention and training

To be in the best position to support your team and contribute to a respectful environment, please ensure:

Supporting your team

Worried about someone else?

Think someone you know experienced sexual violence?

If you think someone you know has experienced sexual misconduct, harassment, violence or assault, there are lots of ways you can help them. It may help to understand the definitions of these terms before you decide what to do.

Disclosures can come in many forms. It could be something said jokingly, a story that someone starts to tell, then stops, or it could be a question.

Need immediate help? See our urgent help and advice for them or you.

Talk

You are not expected to be a professional counsellor. However, how someone responds to a first disclosure can be really important. It can take time for a person to decide what they want to do and how they want to move forward.

Remember

Things to avoid

Support and reporting

Help them to access information on reporting and support. Remember it is up to the individual if they wish to report to anyone. Whatever their reason for not reporting this should be respected. They can still access support from both inside and outside the University.

If a report has been made about you

The University of York treats all reports fairly and impartially. We will fully investigate all reports before deciding on an outcome based on the evidence and on the balance of probabilities, regarding whether misconduct has occurred.

An allegation of misconduct can be distressing. Support is available to you, regardless of whether the allegation is made to you informally or you have been officially notified by either the University or the police.

Initial steps and general advice

Support for students who are accused of misconduct

Duty to notify (under the University's Regulation 7.7.4 and 7.7.5): You must notify the University if you have been arrested and released under investigation, are subject to bail conditions, if you are charged with a relevant criminal offence, or if you are convicted of a relevant criminal offence. Please contact the Conduct and Respect team at conductandrespect@york.ac.uk.

Support for staff who are accused of misconduct

Our Personal Relationships Policy prohibits personal relationships between relevant staff members and students, except for pre-existing relationships that existed before the 1 August 2025, which must be declared to manage any conflicts of interest.

Relationships between staff and students

We are committed to protecting members of our community from any actual or potential conflict of interest and/or abuse of power that may arise from intimate personal relationships between students and staff.

Personal Relationships Policy

Our Personal Relationships Policy prohibits intimate personal relationships between relevant staff members and students. It aims to ensure a safe, positive and supportive environment for everyone and clarifies expectations around personal relationships to prevent abuse, conflicts of interest and protect both students and staff.

Respect at York

Our Together York community declaration outlines how we behave towards one another at the University. Respect at York underpins everything that we do.

An intimate personal relationship between a relevant staff member and a student is a breach of the University's Personal Relationships Policy and will be investigated under the Staff Disciplinary Procedure. Failing to disclose an 'excluded' intimate personal relationship with a student will also be investigated under the procedure. The weight of responsibility and the policy breach lies with the staff member

Failing to declare a staff-staff relationship may also lead to investigation under the Staff Disciplinary Procedure.  Any non-consensual contact will be referred into the Staff Disciplinary Procedure as sexual misconduct.

Prevention and learning opportunities

Respect at York means we are committed to creating a working, learning, social and living environment which is safe, inclusive and welcoming for everyone. All members of our community have the right to a fair, welcoming and inclusive environment that is free from all forms of harassment, violence and bullying.

Through Respect at York, we act to raise awareness and provide training aimed at preventing harassment and sexual misconduct within our community. You can find information on the outcomes of our work in the progress section below.

Learning opportunities for students

Students are required to complete the following mandatory training:

Respect at York: Being an Active Bystander

Learning opportunities for staff

The following training is available for staff to complete:

We All Play a Part: Preventing Sexual Harassment and Misconduct at York

Introduction to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Unconscious bias

Becoming an active bystander

Definitions

Being an active bystander

We encourage all members of our community to develop their active bystander skills. Our online course explains more about what it means to be an active bystander:

We are also working on follow-up, in-person bystander intervention training for student leaders that will build upon the foundations of the online training. This will be piloted in September 2025 in conjunction with York Students' Union. It will initially be offered to sports and society leaders as part of their induction training.

Student leaders hold a joint responsibility to help build a community of respect. While not everyone will agree all of the time, student leaders can help create a safe and respectful environment for differing opinions, which is valuable for team management. 

An active bystander's decision-making process

Before acting, it is important to ask yourself key questions:

Before I take action:

During the situation:

Decision to take action:

What intervention strategy can I use?

In instances of sexual violence and/or sexual harassment, it is important to remember that the only person ultimately responsible for the incident is the perpetrator themselves.

Our progress

In 2025, we launched Respect at York to raise awareness of harassment and sexual misconduct, to promote a community of respect within York and to tackle the issues of harassment and sexual violence.

The University has several policies and procedures that govern how we respond to and investigate staff or student incidents of sexual misconduct, harassment, violence, or assault.

Policy Who it applies to Policy summary Last updated
Dignity at Work and Study Policy All staff and students The policy provides definitions of harassment, bullying, hate incidents, and victimisation. It raises awareness of the effects of harassment, bullying, hate incidents and victimisation on individuals. It contains the procedures and mechanisms for reporting and addressing reports of harassment, bullying, hate incidents and victimisation. 1 August 2025
Regulation 7: Student Discipline Framework All students Regulation 7 is the framework under which the University can investigate and respond to reports of student misconduct. 1 August 2025
Non-Academic Misconduct Disciplinary procedure All students The purpose of this procedure is to safeguard the University community when it is reported that a student’s conduct has not been appropriate or in line with University values or expectations, ensuring timely, consistent and fair responses to allegations of non-academic misconduct. 1 August 2025
Complaints of Staff Misconduct Procedure All staff This procedure outlines the steps for investigating student complaints of University staff misconduct 1 August 2025
Personal Relationships Policy All staff The purpose of this policy is to clarify the conduct expected of staff, to ensure the safeguarding of students and to enable the correct procedure to be followed so that members of staff are not open to potential, perceived or actual impropriety, bias, abuse of authority, discrimination, conflict of interest or favouritism. It applies to relationships between staff and students, and those between members of staff as well as staff and third parties such as suppliers where there may be a business, commercial or financial relationship. 1 August 2025
Staff Disciplinary Procedure All staff The disciplinary procedure provides a framework for dealing with instances where employees are alleged not to have met the required standards of conduct. The aim is to ensure prompt, consistent and fair treatment for all employees and to assist in enabling both the employee and the University to be clear about the expectations of both parties. 1 August 2025
University of York Safeguarding Policy and Procedure (found at bottom of page link) All staff The purpose of this Safeguarding Policy and its associated procedure documents is to set out our responsibilities, processes and procedures and outline how we will provide a safe and supportive environment for our staff, students, apprentices and volunteers in the course of our work and University-led activities. 1 August 2025
Apprenticeship Safeguarding Policy (found at bottom of page link) Specific staff The purpose of this policy statement is to ensure that all apprenticeship learners are protected through the awareness and preventative and reactive action of all University of York staff who assist in the teaching, support and guidance of apprenticeship learners 1 August 2025
Grievance Procedure All staff The Grievance Procedure provides a clear and transparent framework to deal with concerns, problems or complaints raised by employees in the course of their employment in relation to matters affecting themselves as individuals; or matters affecting their personal dealings or relationships with other employees including incidents of harassment, bullying and hate incidents. 1 August 2025

Need help?

Stay safe on campus

Access rapid assistance from Campus Safety, medical help, or general support whenever you need it, on or off campus.

Download the SafeZone App

Report an incident

Confidentially report any incidents of harassment, discrimination, or sexual misconduct, and explore your support options.

Make a report