Sexual Harassment & Misconduct
What is sexual harassment and misconduct?
Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment. It also includes less favourable treatment due to rejecting or submitting to such conduct.
Sexual misconduct: Sexual misconduct (as defined by the Office for Students: Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Condition E6) means any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature and includes, but is not limited to:
- sexual harassment;
- sexual assault; and
- rape. i.e. sex without consent, as defined within the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Sexual misconduct can take many forms, but the important thing is that it is any sexual behaviour which disregards a person’s informed consent. It covers behaviour by an individual or a group which violates a person’s dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It can be a single incident, or a string of persistent behaviour. You don’t need to have objected to a certain kind of behaviour in the past for it to be unwanted and constitute sexual misconduct. Examples of sexual misconduct can include, but is not limited to:
- Unwanted sexual advances
- Unwanted sexual contact
- Sex without consent
- Propositions and sexual advances Unwelcome touching (under or over clothing), hugging, massaging or kissing
- Upskirting (the action or practice of taking photographs or videos up an individual’s skirt or dress without consent, typically for the purpose of sexual gratification)
- Making promises in return for sexual favours
- Making unwanted sexual comments or degrading remarks
- Sending unwanted emails/texts/images of a sexual nature
- Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
- Sexual posts or contact on social media
- Recording and/or sharing intimate images or recordings of another person without their consent
- Any attempt to persuade or coerce you to consent to anything sexual
- Spreading sexual rumours about a person
- Making sexual comments or jokes
- Displaying sexually graphic pictures, posters or photographs
- Suggestive looks, staring or leering, sexual gestures including showing sexual organs to another person
- Intrusive questions about a person’s private or sex life or a person discussing their own sex life
- Repeatedly following an individual
Anyone can be targeted by sexual misconduct, regardless of gender or sexuality. It does not matter if you have previously consented to sexual acts with that person, or with others. Whatever the circumstances, nobody has the right to force you to have sex or touch you without your consent. If this happens to you, it’s important to remember it’s not your fault.
You may also have heard or seen the terms ‘sexual assault’, ‘sexual violence’, or ‘sexual harassment’. These all have separate but overlapping meanings, and if there is a term which feels most appropriate to describe what you have experienced, we encourage you to use whatever language feels best for you.
If you have experienced any form of sexual misconduct, you are not alone, and we are here to support you. There is further information about the support available to you via the University and national and local services here.
If you are thinking about reporting or disclosing an incident, you can find out more information here:
Our policies and procedures relating to sexual harassment and sexual misconduct can be found here: Policies and Procedures.
What is consent?
Consent is when everyone involved gives permission for something to happen and is comfortable with it happening. Consent is about setting and respecting boundaries and checking in regularly if things are not clear. The FRIES acronym is a simple way to remember what’s required for sexual consent. Alternatively, you may find the video resource below helpful.
Consent should always be given freely without fear, pressure, coercion or manipulation. It can’t be given by someone who’s incapacitated, like if they’re drunk or high.
Example
You meet someone on a night out and you really like them, but you’re not ready for things to progress physically yet.
They keep asking you repeatedly, and you like them so much that you eventually say yes to make them happy. In this scenario, because you’re pressured, consent is not freely given.
Consent can always be revoked – you’re allowed to change your mind at any time about what you’re okay with.
Example
You’re getting physical with your partner, and even though you’ve had sex together before, for some reason you’re just not feeling it right now.
You tell your partner you’re not into it and say you want to stop. In this scenario, you gave consent and then revoked it.
You can only consent to something if you know all the details of what you’re agreeing to before, during, and after.
Example
A sexual partner says they’ll use a condom. Partway through, they take it off without you knowing because they say it feels better.
In this scenario, you didn’t agree to have sex without a condom so consent was not informed.
When it comes to sex, you should only ever do things that you really want to do.
Consent means the presence of a ‘yes’ – whether it’s verbal or non-verbal – rather than the absence of a ‘no’. Nobody should feel pressured, uncertain, or hesitant.
Example
You’re trying something new with your partner. They seemed a little hesitant at first and you aren’t sure if they’re having a good time, but they haven’t said they don’t like it, so you keep going.
In this scenario, you don’t have full consent because you don’t have any verbal or non-verbal cues that your partner is enthusiastic.
If you’re not sure your partner likes what you’re doing, you should always check in with them to make sure they’re comfortable.
Giving consent to do one thing doesn’t mean that you’re okay with doing anything else. Never assume someone is okay with doing something if you haven’t asked first.
Example
You agree to go to someone’s bedroom to make out. They start taking their clothes off and touching you. In this scenario, your partner doesn’t have your full consent.
They should have checked in with you to make sure you were okay with doing more than kissing without making assumptions about what you would be okay with.
Without consent, any kind of sexual activity is assault or rape.
Give, get and take back consent
If you or someone you know is a survivor or victim of sexual violence, find out more about the confidential support available to you on our How to Access Support pages.
What is condition ‘E6’ Harassment and Sexual Misconduct (Office for Students)
The ‘E6’ Office for Students Condition of Registration, came into effect on 1 August 2025 and mandates that higher education providers in England must protect students from harassment and sexual misconduct.
This condition requires universities registered with the Office for Students to establish clear policies and procedures for addressing incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct, including training, support, and reporting pathways. The condition also placed a ban on the use of non-disclosure agreements in relation to allegations from students relating harassment and sexual misconduct from students.
What is the Worker Protection Act?
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023, often referred to as the Worker Protection Act 2024, came into effect in October 2024. The Worker Protection Act places a legal duty for employers to proactively take reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment of their employees.
You can read more about the requirements of the Worker Protection Act here.
Policies and Procedures
- Staff Grievance Policy
- Public Interest Disclosure Procedure (‘Whistle blowing’ procedure)
- Safeguarding Policy
- Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
- Lone Working Procedure
- Personal Relationship Policy
- Alcohol Drug and Substance Misuse Policy
- Risk Assessments
- A-Z Human Resources Useful Forms
- Dignity at Study
- Student Disciplinary Procedures
- Student Complaints Procedure
- Freedom of Expression Code of Practice
- Staff policies
- Student policies