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If you need immediate urgent help call 999. In non-emergency situations you can also contact the NTU Security team, available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, on 0115 848 2222.
Any form of sexual misconduct, assault or harassment is never okay.

What is sexual misconduct? 

The term ‘sexual harassment’ captures only some of the possible abuses of power that may occur. Sexual misconduct more specifically raises issues of unequal relationships, consent, and the prevention of equal access to education, opportunities, and career progression.  
 
The following are considered as examples of sexual misconduct (this is not an exhaustive list): 
• sexual intercourse or engaging in a sexual act without consent; this is rape or sexual assault 
• attempting to engage in sexual intercourse or other sexual act without consent
• sexual violence, rape or sexual assault
• stalking
• sharing or distributing private sexual materials of another person without consent through any medium (for example: images, video, voice recordings, text message, letters, emails, etc)
• intimidation, or promising resources or benefits in return for sexual favours
• kissing without consent
• touching inappropriately without consent
• inappropriately showing sexual organs to another person
• making unwanted remarks of a sexual nature 
  

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is a criminal offence and contrary to the Student Code of Behaviour and NTU's Dignity and Respect Policy. A person commits sexual assault if they intentionally touch another person, the touching is sexual, and the person does not consent.  
  
It involves all unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature and ranges from pinching, embracing, and kissing, to rape and sexual assault which involves penetration without consent. Consent is agreeing by choice and having the freedom and capacity to make that choice. A person is free to make a choice if nothing bad would happen to them if they said no. Capacity is about whether someone is physically and/or mentally able to make a choice and to understand the consequences of that choice.  
 

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome words, conduct, or behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, embarrassing, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the recipient. It is a misuse of personal or institutional power and often based on a person’s gender although it is rarely about sexual desire.  
 
Whether the harasser intended to be offensive or not is irrelevant. The limit of acceptable behaviour is up to the recipient to decide. A single incident or persistent behaviour can amount to harassment.  
 
Sexual harassment can range from behaviour that stems from obvious to anyone or subtler behaviour less obvious to either the person responsible for the behaviour or to the recipient. Often the impact is not felt or witnessed immediately. The impact may go beyond the recipient to people who see or hear what happens or who try to offer support. 
 
Sexual harassment can include but is not limited to: catcalling, following, making unnecessary and unwanted physical contact, sexual jokes and comments, giving unwelcome personal gifts, wolf-whistling, leering, derogatory comments, unwelcome comments about a person’s body or clothing, unwelcome questions about a person’s sex life and/or sexuality, engaging in unwelcome sexual propositions, invitations and flirtation, making somebody feel uncomfortable through displaying or sharing sexual material. Sexual harassment does not necessarily occur face to face and can be in the form of emails, visual images (such as sexually explicit pictures on walls in a shared environment), social media, telephone, text messages and image based sexual abuse, such as revenge porn and upskirting.  
 
If you have experienced sexual misconduct, assault or harassment, it may be hard to know what to do or how to feel. What happened was not your fault. What you do next is your choice.

Sexual Violence Support

NTU does not tolerate any forms of sexual violence. All students and colleagues deserve the opportunity to study, learn, work and live in an environment free of all forms of sexual abuse. If you, or someone you know, has experienced any form of sexual violence, now or in the past, we have dedicated trained Sexual Violence Liaison Officers who will offer support at your own pace.
 
Such forms of unacceptable behaviour are contrary to the Equality Act 2010 as well as the Student Code of Behaviour and the University's Dignity and Respect Policy. 
 

Help and Support

Think  
  • Are you in immediate danger? If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, you can contact the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone)
  • If an incident has just happened, try and find somewhere you feel safe
  • If on campus, you can use the designated safe spaces or contact NTU security on Tel: 0115 848 2222.
  • If you are not safe in your household and at risk of sexual or domestic violence, there is support throughout Nottingham for anyone who has experienced sexual violence or domestic violence found here: Help and Support - Report + Support - Nottingham Trent University.
 
Report 
  • Students and colleagues can report an incident using the University’s Report and Support system. You can choose to do this anonymously or you can request support from an adviser. If you choose to talk to an adviser, they will be able to talk through the options and support available to you in confidence. 
  • If you choose to make a formal complaint to the University about a student or colleague, there are procedures which set out the steps you'll need to follow (see NTU Student Code of Behaviour and Staff Grievance Policy).
  • If someone you know has been affected, you can encourage them to seek support. Alternatively, you can make an anonymous disclosure, though we will not usually be able to investigate any named individuals unless you provide your contact details.
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There are two ways you can tell us what happened

Report with contact details or Tell us anonymously