Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct - Information, Reporting and Support

• Bullying is intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive behaviour, through means which have the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or humiliating environment.
• Bullying usually involves a repeated course of conduct.
• Bullying may occur through any medium, including online.

• Harassment (as defined by Section 26 of the Equality Act 2010) includes unwanted behaviour or conduct which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment because of, or connected to, one or more of the following protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
• Harassment may occur through any medium, including online.

• Sexual misconduct relates to all unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. This includes, but is not limited to:
  • Sexual harassment (as defined by Section 26 (2) of the Equality Act 2010)
  • Unwanted conduct which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment (as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
  • Assault (as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
  • Rape (as defined by the Sexual Offences Act 2003)
  • Physical unwanted sexual advances (as set out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission: Sexual harassment and the law, 2017)
  • Intimidation, or promising resources or benefits in return for sexual favours (as set out by the Equality and Human Rights Commission: Sexual harassment and the law, 2017)
  • Distributing private and personal explicit images or video footage of an individual without their consent (as defined by the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015).

• Sexual misconduct may occur through any medium, including online.

Hate crime, harassment, sexual misconduct and assault, bullying, discrimination and assault that you are experiencing, previously experienced or have witnessed can be reported at reportandsupport.bishopg.ac.uk

This discrete tool allow the university to connect the individual to support, investigate incidents or build potential patterns of behaviour we can work to change.

• Following a report, or a disclosure that requires an investigation, BGU may determine it necessary to introduce interim measures. An Interim Measures Panel (IMP) may assess support needs and consider how to respond sensitively to all parties and members of the University community who may be impacted by the case, and agree to next steps.
• This will be achieved through a robust risk assessment to consider the academic, welfare and support needs of all those involved, and any interim measures necessary to ensure a fair and transparent investigation, where appropriate.
• Interim measures may include alternative working/ studying arrangements, provision of support, or a recommendation to partially or fully suspend an employee or student during this time. These will be recommended by the Panel in accordance with BGU’s policies and procedures.

• Where a number of reports concerning unacceptable behaviour are received, BGU may conduct an environmental enquiry with staff and/or students within a department or a Faculty Programme Area to understand the behaviours in more detail, and identify and target appropriate support and interventions.

• In accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1988, the University will support and protect those staff and students who in good faith and without malicious intent report suspicions of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct or concerns about BGU members and their actions.
• BGU will not tolerate any form of victimisation against someone who has raised a complaint, or supported a complaint, or for cooperating in an investigation, or challenging unacceptable behaviour, or in each case is believed to have or is believed to be likely to take such steps.
• If a formal complaint of victimisation is made about a student’s or employee’s behaviour it will be fully investigated and dealt with in accordance with the University’s Student Disciplinary Procedure or Staff Disciplinary Policy.

• Submitting a complaint that is not in good faith or providing false or misleading information in any investigation of complaints is prohibited. If a complaint is found to be false, misleading or in bad faith, it will be dealt with in accordance with the University’s Student Disciplinary Procedure or Staff Disciplinary Procedure, as appropriate.