If you are concerned about your own behaviour, you can seek advice and support. You may simply wish to learn more about what is inappropriate or abusive in order to recognise if you are exhibiting this type of behaviour. Alternatively, you may already be concerned or have been accused this and be looking for advice and support on how to change your behaviour or attitudes and ensure that you are able to have safe and fulfilling relationships in future.
It can be difficult to recognise and acknowledge that you currently or have previously behaved in a way that is inappropriate or abusive, directly impacting someone else. It is important, however, that you are willing to do so, and with the right support you can look to change your behaviour and attitudes for the better. Not only will this improve the health and wellbeing of those around you, but it will also help improve your own mental health and wellbeing, allowing you to feel happier within yourself.
There are a number of examples of behaviour that may have made someone else feel victimised, distressed or scared. This behaviour could occur in any form of relationship/inter-personal contact as a ‘one-off- event’ or continuously over a period of time. Anyone could be affected by this behaviour, regardless of whether you know them or not.
Inappropriate and abusive behaviour may include:
- Making indecent or offensive remarks or gestures intended to undermine their confidence
- ‘Negging’ – making emotionally abusive or derogatory comments about someone
- Invading someone’s personal space or touching them inappropriately without their consent
- Demanding sexual acts or making them do things without their explicit consent
- Sharing, or threatening to share, intimate images of them
- Hurting or threatening to hurt them physically, emotionally or sexually
- Controlling behaviour such as enforcing demands about how they act, what they wear, where they go, and monitoring their social activities by accessing personal accounts and restricting who they speak to
- Persisting to contact/harass them when they have explicitly expressed that they do not want contact, either in person or online
- Stalking or threatening to stalk them and/or their family or friends
This is by no means an exhaustive list, and inappropriate and abusive behaviour can take many other forms.
All students and staff have an obligation to inform the University of any criminal offences they have been convicted of, by completing the Criminal Offence Disclosure Form. This is partly to protect others, but also allows us to provide you with the right support.
Information on the University’s Disciplinary guidelines and procedure for dealing with complains can be found below:https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/students/doc/discguidelines.pdf (Students)https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/docs/hr/policies/DisciplinaryCode.pdf (Staff)https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/about/policies/complaints.htm
UK Specific
The That Guy campaign launched by Police Scotland encourages men to talk openly with their male friends and relatives about behaviour that’s damaging to women and puts men at risk of offending. To find out more about potentially dangerous behaviours, see the campaign video or visit https://that-guy.co.uk/.