Support for students who have experienced sexual violence, harassment and hate crime is a specialist matter, and it is not expected that non-specialist staff provide this sort of support. It is possible, however, that a student who has experienced this may decide to disclose it to any member of staff. This guidance is to help staff who may need to have such a conversation and refer the student to our online report and support system
• Listen: to what they have to say and let them take their time. Do not ask any detailed questions
• Believe: People rarely lie about abuse. It is important to believe what the person is saying.
• Respect: It is important to respect their feelings and decisions.
• Recognise: The courage it takes for a person to speak must be recognised and praised.
• Don’t judge: It is important to be accepting of the way in which the person reacts, even if this is not want you expected.
• Remember: It is not their fault.
You should encourage the student to use the online report and support system to contact an adviser, who will be able to provide support and talk through their options. You can report an incident on behalf of them, with their permission, or you can report the incident anonymously. Please be aware that anonymous reports are for statistical purposes only, and we are unable to take any direct action on anonymous reports.