What is sexual misconduct and assault?

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

Sexual Misconduct 

Sexual misconduct may amount to  harassment  contrary to the Equality Act 2010 ( the 'Act' ) and is unacceptable behaviour of a sexual nature. It can include: sexual harassment; sexual violence; intimate partner violence; sexual assault; grooming; coercion or bullying with sexual elements; sexual invitations and demands; comments; non-verbal communication; creation of atmospheres of discomfort; and promised resources or advancement in exchange for sexual access.

The term ‘sexual harassment’ captures only some of the possible abuses of power that may occur. Sexual misconduct more specifically raises issues of unequal relationships, consent, and the prevention of equal access to education, opportunities and career progression. 

Sexual assault is a criminal offence and contrary to Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the University Non-Academic Misconduct Policy and Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures. 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. 

 

Consent is agreeing by choice and having the freedom and capacity to make that choice. 

A person is free to make a choice if nothing bad would happen to them if they said no. 

Capacity is about whether someone is physically and/or mentally able to make a choice and to understand the consequences of that choice. 

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. 

A single incident or persistent behaviour can amount to sexual harassment. For the purpose of this policy whether or not the harasser intended to be offensive is irrelevant. We acknowledge that the limit of acceptable behaviour may be perceived differently from one person to another and the reasonableness of such perception. shall take into account all the circumstances of the case.

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 up-skirting. 

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.