What is sexual harassment and misconduct?

Anyone can be on the receiving end of unwanted actions, comments, or gestures leaving them feel intimidated, uncomfortable and vulnerable.

Trigger Warning: The following content discusses topics of sexual harassment and misconduct. If you find these topics distressing, please reach out to your Student Support services.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature. This can include actions, comments, or gestures that make you feel intimidated, uncomfortable and humiliated. Sexual harassment can be a one-off incident or happen repeatedly. Anyone can be a victim, regardless of their gender or sexuality.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported where they are. No one should be made to feel uncomfortable due to unwanted sexual behaviour. It's never acceptable.

Know the signs of sexual harassment

These are some behaviours that could be considered sexual harassment:

Unwanted touching, sexual jokes, or comments
Unwelcome sexual advances or suggestions that sexual favours could help you in some way
Giving gifts that make the recipient feel uncomfortable
Wolf-whistling, staring, making unwelcome comments about someone's appearance and drawing attention to someone’s body
Asking unwelcome questions about someone's sex life or sexual orientation
Cat-calling or following someone
Sharing or displaying sexual images that makes someone feel uncomfortable or sharing content that can be considered image-based abuse

What is sexual misconduct?

Sexual Misconduct is a broad term that includes any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature. This is committed without consent or by force, manipulation, or intimidation. Anyone can be a perpetrator, and victims can be of any gender.

For more information, please refer to our Student Sexual Misconduct Policy, which outlines how the University supports students.

Types of sexual misconduct

Sexual assault: This includes non-consensual sex, as well as any unwanted touching of a sexual nature. Coercion or force might also be used to make someone engage in sex.
Sexual harassment: As defined above, this could include actions like catcalling, making unwelcome sexual advances, or sharing inappropriate sexual material.
Sexual exploitation: This is when someone takes advantage of another person in a sexual way without their consent. For example, sharing intimate images without permission.
Sexual intimidation: This involves threats of sexual acts against another person or engaging in behaviour like indecent exposure.

What is consent?

Giving consent means agreeing to something. When it comes to sex, it means agreeing to take part in sexual activity, and it's crucial for everyone involved to have full freedom and full capacity to give consent.

Full Freedom: This means no one should be pressured or forced to say yes. They should always feel free to change their mind at any time.

Full Capacity: This means whether someone is physically and mentally able to make a clear decision and understand what they are agreeing to.

Remember: Consent is needed from everyone involved, for every sexual encounter, every time.

Find out more about consent.

What if you’re victimised?

Victimisation means treating someone poorly or unfairly because they’ve reported bullying or harassment, or someone thinks they might have. This is unacceptable behaviour and could lead to disciplinary action from the University.

How the University reporting policy works

Did you know that a disclosure and formal report are different?

Disclosure: Telling someone at the University about your experience is known as a disclosure.
Formal report: Sharing information about your experience in order to instruct the University to take appropriate action is known as a formal report.

This means you can reach out to someone at the University and receive support without making a formal report if you don’t want to.

The University can also support you in making a formal report.

The University takes your privacy seriously. Your personal information will be kept confidential unless there's a significant risk to you or others. The University usually only involves the police if the affected student agrees. In exceptional circumstances, if there's a serious safety concern to you or others, the University might have to report the incident.

Learn more about our Student Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Sexual harassment and sexual misconduct are never OK.

If you or someone you know has had a negative experience. We want you to know that your University is here to support you. We can offer emotional and practical support and connect you with external services if you need further help.

Where to get support

If you feel like there is an immediate danger or threat to life, please call the emergency services on 999.

Report + Support

If you would like to report something to City, you can use our online reporting platform, Report + Support.

Report + Support makes it easier to confidentially report a wide range of issues so that we can best support you.

Use this tool to report a concern, an incident that occurred, or to make a disclosure about your own or someone else's safety and well-being.

Report a concern or incident

University support

A wide range of support services are also available to students at City.

External support for victims of sexual harassment

Victim Support - a 24/7 independent charity service dedicated to offering specialist and free support to victims of crime in England. Even if you haven’t reported the crime, you can still get support.
The Havens - If you have been the victim of rape or sexual assault within the last 12 months, The Havens can help. They offer urgent medical examinations and can be contacted 24/7. They provide support at three London locations depending on your preference. You don’t have to be referred or speak to the police to use this service.
NHS - You can find your nearest, alternative rape and sexual assault referral centre here. These services provide support to victims/survivors of rape or sexual assault regardless of whether you choose to report the offence to the police. They provide a provide space for interviews and medical examinations. Some may also offer counselling services.
Rape Crisis - 24/7 national Freephone helpline service.
Galop - an anti-violence charity offering emotional and practical support for LGBT+ victims of sexual violence, hate crime or domestic abuse

Please see our Additional Student Support services page for a complete list.

Reporting to local authorities

You can report a crime to the Police by calling 101 (non-emergency number) or on the Metropolitan Police website. You can also reach out to Crimestoppers, a 24/7 independent charity service that allows you to report crimes anonymously.