Student welfare

Repetitive and intentional negative behaviour towards another person. This can be physical or verbal and could be in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc. Examples may include:

• Spreading malicious rumours
• Unfair treatment
• Regularly undermining someone
• Intimidation.

Discrimination is when a person feels they have been treated differently from others in a disadvantageous manner. Discrimination based on protected characteristics is against the law, however, discrimination for other reasons not connected to a protected characteristic is not considered unlawful but may still be grounds for a complaint. 

Victimisation is when someone is treated less favourably after a discrimination complaint. This can be in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc.

Examples include:

• Not being given the same opportunities as others
• Being labelled a troublemaker
• Not being permitted to do something that others are doing.

A behavioural pattern used by one person to maintain power and control over another person in an intimate relationship.

Intimate relationships include:

• Current partners
• Ex-partners
• Parents and family members or individuals who share parental responsibility for a children.

There is no requirement to be living in the same household. It can be physical or verbal and could be in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc.

A hate incident is any non-criminal behaviour motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s characteristics or perceived characteristics including:

• Race
• Religion
• Sexual orientation
• Trans identity
• Disability
• Subculture.

Not all hate incidents will amount to criminal offences, but it is equally important that these are reported and recorded. 

A hate crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a person’s characteristics or perceived characteristics as already stated. This can be physical or verbal and could be done in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc. This includes any offence to a person or property motivated by hostility or prejudice. 

Honour-based abuse and violence are defined as incidents used to control behaviour within families or other social groups to protect perceived cultural and religious beliefs or honour. Forced marriage is defined as a situation where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage and where pressure or abuse is used to force them into the marriage. This could be in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc.

Examples include:

• Forced marriage
• Virginity testing
• Enforced abortion
• Female genital mutilation
• Physical, sexual and economic abuse and coercive control.

Sexual harassment includes a wide range of behaviours that create an intimidating, hostile, embarrassing, humiliating, degrading or offensive environment for the recipient. Any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature can be verbal, psychological or physical.

Examples include:

• Sexual comments or noises like catcalling and wolf-whistling
• Sexual gestures and innuendos
• Being sent unwanted messages like ‘sexts’ or sexual images including photographs
• Unwanted physical contact, exposure or ‘flashing’
• Revenge porn
• Up skirting.

Sexual violence is defined as any unwanted physical sexual activity. This could be in person or through remote communication such as phone, social media, etc.

Sexual violence can include:

• Rape
• Assault by penetration
• Sexual physical assault
• Coercing someone to engage in sexual activity or forcing them to without consent.  

You can go to the monthly sexual violence support drop-in for information, advice, support or just someone to talk to about any form of sexual violence, harassment, abuse, or rape.