How can I report an incident to the University (such as bullying, harassment, sexual violence or hate crime)?

The University has three different reporting options:

Anonymous Reporting

An anonymous report is where you disclose that an incident has occurred without including any identifying information about yourself. The University cannot act on anonymous reports, however any information provided will help us to understand the prevalence of incidents on and off campus and to understand the impact of campaigns run by the University and Students’ Unions. Students and staff can submit an anonymous report as a witness or bystander to an incident of sexual violence, harassment, hate crime or bullying or on behalf of a friend, fellow student or colleague.

Informal Reporting

An informal report is where you speak to someone, such as a Student Support Officer or a Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) about your experiences without necessarily wishing for that report to be investigated any further.

• Who can I talk to about sexual violence?

By making an informal report you can access support and notify the University about what has happened without asking them to take action.

For incidents of sexual violence you will be allocated an SVLO as a first point of contact, who will give you time to decide what kind of support you might like to access. You will not be forced to make an informal report about your experiences unless you choose to do so.

Formal Reporting

A formal report is a way of lodging an official complaint against a fellow student or member of staff which will be investigated and can potentially be followed up with actions against that person(s) or interventions. The University will investigate the report under the appropriate University policy:

• Sexual Harassment, Bullying, Misconduct and Violence Policy

Making a First Disclosure

A first disclosure is the first time that you have told another person what has happened to you. If the incident you are describing constitutes a criminal offence then should you wish to report to the police, a copy of your first disclosure can be requested by the Crown Prosecution Service as a piece of evidence. It is important that any statement is documented in a clear and factual way. Where possible, we would encourage that your first disclosure is taken by the campus police, or a local Sexual Assault Reporting Centre (SARC) such as Serenity, who have specialist training in this area.