Prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct

Resources for higher education providers

The sector has developed many useful resources which universities and colleges may find helpful in the development of their own work to prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct. We will update this page as new materials become available.

General resources
Reports on addressing harassment
Reports on addressing sexual misconduct

Many of the projects from the Catalyst Student Safeguarding Programme have produced valuable resources, which universities and colleges may find useful in developing their own approaches to addressing sexual misconduct, hate crime and online harassment.

These resources include training materials, guidance and reporting and supporting tools. See the full list of resources.

Examples include:

University of Suffolk’s online safeguarding self-review tool
Coventry University’s ‘Tackling religion or belief-related harassment and hate incidents: A guide for higher education providers’
University of Leicester and the Centre for Hate Studies’ training modules on ‘Hate crime in higher education’
Keele University’s staff training materials on taking a disclosure of sexual violence, using a trauma-informed approach.

Reports

General:

OfS, UK HUN, UUK: The intersection of sexual violence, alcohol and drugs at universities and colleges
A briefing note following a meeting hosted by the UK Healthy Universities Network in collaboration with the Office for Students and Universities UK on the impact alcohol and drugs can have on sexual violence in universities and colleges.
UUK: ‘Changing the culture’, ‘One year on’ and ‘Two years on’
Reports that examine evidence of violence against women, harassment and hate crime affecting students. Makes a series of recommendations for universities
Advance HE: Evaluation reports of student safeguarding Catalyst programme
Includes recommendations for the sector for tackling harassment, hate and sexual misconduct
UUK & Pinsent Masons: ‘Guidance for higher education institutions: how to handle alleged student misconduct’
These guidelines related to all types of student misconduct which may constitute a criminal offence and provide specific recommendations in relation to sexual misconduct
OIA: Good practice framework for disciplinary procedures
Good practice guidance for providers in designing disciplinary procedures and in handling individual cases
URKI: ‘Preventing harm (safeguarding) in research and innovation policy’
UKRI expectations of the individuals and organisation in their approach to safeguarding those involved in, or that come into contact with, the research and innovation activities they fund.

Addressing harassment:

UUK: ‘Tackling online harassment and promoting online welfare’
Guidance outlines a set of principles to support universities to prevent and respond to online harassment occurring between students
UUK: ‘Tackling racial harassment in higher education’
Recommendations designed to decisively tackle racial harassment as part of efforts to address racial inequality in UK higher education
UUK: ‘Beginning the conversation’ and ‘Continuing the conversation’
Briefings on responding to domestic violence and technology mediated abuse in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic
NUS: The experience of Jewish students in 2016-17
Research into Jewish students’ experiences within higher education. Includes recommendations for the sector
NUS: The experience of Muslim Students in 2017-18
Research into the experiences of Muslim students in further and higher education in the UK. Includes recommendations for the sector
EHRC: Tackling racial harassment: universities challenged
Report that presents the findings of the EHRC inquiry into racial harassment in publicly funded universities in England, Scotland and Wales. Includes recommendations for change
London Metropolitan University, Sofia Akel: The rise of Islamophobia in Higher Education
Research into the experiences of Muslim staff and students in higher education. The report specifically examines Islamophobia at London Metropolitan University and sets out recommendations for the university
CST: Campus antisemitism in Britain 2018-20
An investigation of antisemitic incidents affecting Jewish students, academics and student bodies in the UK.
UCLAN Honour Abuse Research Matrix (HARM) network, Dr Roxanne Khan: Domestic abuse policy guidance for UK universities
This guidance was written to support university policymakers to develop effective and inclusive domestic abuse policies.
Universities UK: Tackling antisemitism: practical guidance for universities
This guidance suggests actions universities can take to tackle antisemitism.

Addressing sexual misconduct:

NUS: Hidden Marks
A study of women student’s experiences of harassment, stalking, violence and sexual assault. Includes recommendations for the sector
NUS: Power in the academy
Research of the patterns and behaviours involved in staff-to-student sexual misconduct and students experiences of reporting to their institution. Includes recommendations for the sector
1752 group & McAllister Olivarius: ‘Sector guidance to address staff sexual misconduct in UK higher education’
Recommendations for reporting, investigation and decision-making procedures relating to student complaints of staff sexual misconduct
Empowered Campus: ‘A lot left to learn: Student experiences of gender based violence at university’.

Published 19 April 2021
Last updated 15 June 2021 + show all updates

15 June 2021: Harassment resource added

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Prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct

Resources for higher education providers

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