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:

  1. sexual harassment;
  2. sexual assault; and
  3. 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.

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