Sexual misconduct or assault are never okay. We condemn unacceptable behaviour, including all forms of harassment under the Equality Act 2010 and criminal law.
Sexual Misconduct
Sexual misconduct is a form of harassment 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
Sexual assault is a criminal offence and absolutely not acceptable to ICR. 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
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.
For the purpose of this policy whether or not the harasser intended to be offensive is irrelevant. The limit of acceptable behaviour as described by this policy is up to the recipient to decide. A single incident or persistent behaviour can amount to harassment.
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.
What can you do?
Report
- You should call call HR or Registry direct if you feel in danger and/or require immediate response and may also want to call the Police on 999 or 112 on a mobile phone
- Report and Support. Students and staff can report an incident using the ICR's Report and Support system. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an advisor in HR or Registry. If you choose to talk to an advisor they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you, in confidence.
- You can also talk to your manager or team leader, or for students your supervisor or the Academic Dean's Team
Staff and students can also use our Employee Assistance Programme - ICR's Procedures. Options include making a formal complaint to ICR about a student or member of staff are outlined in the following procedures which set out the steps you'll need to follow. For staff and For students
- Further guidance is available on the Bullying and Harassment and Student Welfare and Wellbeing pages of Nexus
- You can contact our Employee Assistance Provider Spectrum Life, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling Freephone UK: 0808 196 2016 or WhatsApp: Text 'Hi' to 07418 360 780
You can also access EAP services via the online wellbeing platform - Register online - You can also talk with a Wellbeing advisor or other sources of help at ICR