Sexual Misconduct, Harassment and Intimate Personal Relationships between Students and Staff
Everyone can expect to work and study in a safe environment, free from bullying, harassment and other forms of inappropriate or intimidating behaviour.
We also understand that intimate personal relationships between staff and students within an academic setting must be professional, have boundaries, and above all they must be consensual.
Fairfield School of Business has policies and reporting procedures in place to protect the wellbeing of its community and the integrity of the academic awards it delivers.
Please note that we are currently consulting on changes to our policies and reporting procedures in response the Office for Students’ (OfS) requirements. To learn more about these requirements, or the work that the OfS does to promote the interests of students in higher education, please visit:
Our Dignity-Policy sets out guidance for responding to instances of harassment or other harmful behaviour. Anyone who has experienced or witnessed this behaviour can report it confidentially in person or via email:
- Students and visitors can raise a concern with any member of FSB staff,
- Students and visitors can also use the School’s complaints procedures,
- Employees should raise the issue using FSB’s grievance procedures, which can be found in the Employee Handbook, or may contact the School’s HR department: hr@fairfield.ac for guidance.
We have given some examples below to help you to recognise these kinds of behaviours and understand why they are harmful.
Guidance for staff on maintaining appropriate relationships with students at FSB can be found in the Employee Handbook (we will soon publish and promote a comprehensive policy and declaration process for personal relationships).
If you are concerned about the wellbeing of anyone at Fairfield School of Business, please refer to our Safeguarding-Policy.pdf
Where to find help outside of FSB:
Rape Crisis England & Wales
24/7 Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222
https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/want-to-talk/
Brook
Advice on sex and consent
https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/sex-and-consent/
The Mix
Support for young people in the UK and guidance around sex & relationships
https://www.themix.org.uk/sex-and-relationships
GALOP
Advice and support for LGBT+ victims and survivors of abuse and violence.
National helpline – 0800 999 5428
The Survivors Trust
A national organsiation supporting support services in the UK.
Free, confidential helpline available 7 days a week – 0808 801 0818
Samaritans
A national organisation supporting service in the UK. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Call 116 123 for free
Samaritans | Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy | Here to listen
Harassment:
Harassment is any unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. A single incident can amount to harassment.
Harassment is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010 if it relates to age, disability, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, or if it is conduct of a sexual nature (sexual harassment).
Sexual Harassment:
Sexual harassment (or sexual misconduct) is any form of unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment. Sexual harassment may include, for example:
- unwanted physical conduct or “horseplay”, including touching, pinching, pushing and grabbing.
- unwelcome sexual advances or suggestive behaviour (even if the harasser perceives it as harmless).
- Sexual harassment is complex and may not always be obvious or follow an easily recognisable pattern. It is important to note that:
- a person can experience unwanted conduct from someone of any gender.
- conduct may be unwanted even if the person subject to it does not expressly object to it.
- sexual interaction that is invited, mutual or consensual is not sexual harassment because it is not unwanted; and
- sexual conduct that has been welcomed in the past can become unwanted.
Bullying
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened. Bullying may be a pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident.
Bullying may include overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision or inappropriate derogatory remarks. Legitimate and constructive feedback related to academic or work-related performance is unlikely to amount to bullying.
