Student support

Create a safer, more respectful university community – one action at a time.

What Is an Active Bystander?

An active bystander is someone who notices when something isn’t right—like bullying, harassment, or unsafe behavior—and chooses to act in a safe, positive way.

“You don’t have to be a hero. Just don’t stay silent.”

Spot the Signs

Be alert to:

• Inappropriate jokes or comments
• Pressuring someone to drink or take drugs
• Unwanted touching or sexual attention
• Exclusion or mocking based on identity
• Someone looking uncomfortable or afraid

“If something feels off, it probably is.”

The 5 D’s of Bystander Intervention

1. Direct
   • Speak up calmly and clearly.
     • “That’s not OK.”
   • “They said no.”
2. Distract
   • Interrupt the moment.
     • “Hey, can I borrow you for a sec?”
3. Delegate
   • Get help from others.
   • Ask a friend, staff, or security.
4. Delay
   • Check in afterwards.
     • “Are you okay?”
     • “Do you want to talk?”
5. Document
   • Record details (if safe) and share with the person affected.
   • Never post publicly without consent.

Is It Safe to Step In?

Your safety comes first. If it feels risky, choose distract, delegate, or delay.

“Even a quiet check-in can make a big difference.”

Common Concerns

• “What if I make it worse?”
• “If you’re respectful and focused on support, you’re helping.”
• “It’s not my business.”
• “A safe campus is everyone’s business.”
• “Someone else will step in.”
• “Don’t assume. Your action could change everything.”

Support & Reporting

If you or someone you know is affected:

• Police or emergency services (in urgent cases)
• Access support and know how to report by emailing studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk or pop into the Student Success Hub from the first floor of the library and over the bridge across the atrium.
• Students’ Union advice and support

Get Involved

Look out for training, campaigns and activities to get involved in!

• Consent & Tackling Harassment online training
• Campaigns and events
• Active Bystander Training

What is Harassment, Bullying, Discrimination and Victimisation? 

Harassment: 

‘Harassment’ has the meaning given in section 26 of the Equality Act 2010 . It is any behaviour that is unwanted and could reasonably be considered as violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them is potentially harassment. unwanted incident or conduct related to a protected characteristic which has the purpose or effect of: 

• violating a person’s dignity; or  
• creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. 

Some examples of harassment include but are not limited to: 

• The use of derogatory terms and offensive comments 
• Assault or other non-accidental physical contact, 
• Ostracising, ignoring and staring 

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Bullying: 

Bullying may be characterised as offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour, or misuse of power through means intended to undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient. Power does not always mean being in a position of authority, but can include both personal strength and the power to coerce through fear or intimidation. Bullying can take the form of physical, verbal and non-verbal conduct. Non-verbal conduct includes postings on social media outlets. Bullying may include, by way of example: 

• shouting at, being sarcastic towards, ridiculing or demeaning others 
• physical or psychological threats 
• overbearing and intimidating levels of supervision 
• inappropriate and/or derogatory remarks about someone’s performance 
• abuse of authority or power by those in positions of seniority 
• deliberately excluding someone from meetings, communications or presentations without good reason. 

Legitimate, reasonable and constructive criticism of performance or behaviour, or reasonable instructions given to staff, students or third parties in the course of their employment, work or studies will not amount to bullying on their own. 

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Discrimination: 

Discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly because of who they are or because of a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership or pregnancy and maternity.  

Types of discrimination: 

Direct discrimination: Treating someone less favourably because of who they are, especially if it’s because of a protected characteristic as listed above.  

Discrimination by perception: This is a form of direct discrimination, and is when someone thinks you have a characteristic and treats you less favourably, regardless of whether you actually have that characteristic. For example if someone mistakenly thinks you are part of a religious group and treats you less favourably because of this, it would still be discrimination, even though you aren’t in that religious group. 

Discrimination by association: This is also a form of direct discrimination, and is when someone treats you less favourably because you have an association with someone else who has a protected characteristic. For example, if you are treated differently because you have family members with disabilities, this is still direct discrimination against you.  

Indirect discrimination: When a provision, criteria or practice is applied in the same way for everyone, but this has the effect of putting people sharing a protected characteristic at a disadvantage. It doesn’t matter if there was no intention to disadvantage that group. What matters is whether that action does disadvantage that group in some way. An example of this could be a dress-code or rules on appearance which might indirectly discriminate against individuals or groups of a particular religion, belief or gender. 

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Victimisation:  

Treating someone less favourably because they have made a claim or complaint of discrimination, or helped someone else to make a complaint (under the Equality Act), or made a disclosure (whistleblowing) under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998, or in either case the affected person is believed to have made or helped make, or is believed that they may make or help make a complaint or disclosure. 

Examples of victimisation include: 

• Being labelled a troublemaker 
• Being left out 
• Not being allowed to do something 

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I think I have experienced harassment, discrimination or victimisation or know someone who has. If you or someone else is in immediate danger: 

On Birmingham Newman University Campus: 

• Call 999 
• Call Security on 0753551928 or 
• Press your nearest emergency alarm button. A map showing the emergency alarms across campus can be found here: Maps » Newman 

Off Birmingham Newman University Campus: 

• Call 999. 

The University takes incidents of harassment, discrimination and victimisation very seriously. If you believe you have experienced such behaviour, or think you know someone who has, you can find out more information about your options to report, disclose, access wellbeing support or speak to an advisor here: Disclose and Support/.

Practical tips 

• Keep a note of what has happened – the time, date, where and anything that will help with an investigation, e.g., details of any witnesses to the incident(s)  
• Ask any witnesses if they would be prepared to come forward and record their details if you have them. 
• Bring a friend with you if you decide to go in person to report the incident to the police 
• Get advice from the police or another specialist agency on how you can keep yourself safe. 

Take care of yourself 

It’s important that you take care of yourself. Harassment, discrimination or victimisation can have a long-term and serious effect on your emotional and physical health. If you’ve heard something distressing or if something is troubling you, confidential help is available. Please look for support: Support 

Report it 

• Reporting harassment, discrimination or victimisation stops it from getting worse, stops it from happening to others and helps make communities safer.  

• You can tell us about your experience using by making a report or a disclosure:
  • Students
  • Staff
  • Visitors, contractors and members of the public
• The police have created an information page outlining your reporting options. If you want to report something non-urgent to the police you can call 101. 
• Birmingham City Council have information on reporting a community safety concern.   

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Policies, Procedures and Guidance: 

Public Interest Disclosure Procedure (‘Whistle blowing’ procedure) 

Birmingham Newman University Commitment to Equality and Diversity 

Staff Dignity at Work Policy 

Dignity at Study (student) 

Lone worker Policy 

Drugs and alcohol policy (staff) 

Safeguarding Policy 

Reporting Options 

If you have experienced harassment or sexual misconduct, Birmingham Newman University is committed to supporting you. You have control over what steps you take, there are several ways to report the incident, if you choose to do so. 

Below we will outline how you can report to the police, the University, or access support without making a formal report. 

It’s your choice. It’s completely up to you whether or not to report what’s happened, but you might find it helpful to talk to someone so you are not alone. There are a few options: 

• Reporting to the Police 
  In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger, you should dial 999. 
   
  If you feel it is not an emergency, you can still report the incident to the police by calling 101 or by using the West Midlands Police Live Chat or find your local police force. An officer will take some details and should issue you with a crime reference number. There are specially trained staff and units within Police forces that can support you through the reporting process. Find out more about your options for reporting sexual violence to the police. 
   
• Speak to an Adviser 
  Students can email studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk to arrange to speak to a member of the team, or they can pop into Student Success on the first floor of Dwyer Building, across the bridge from the Library. It can take up to 2 working days (Monday – Friday) for us to respond to emails, but if you visit us or call us we will do our best to find someone to speak with you on the same day or next working day (Monday – Friday) wherever possible. 
   
  Any queries will be signposted to the most relevant person in the team, including our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) if the incident relates to sexual violence. 
   

• Complain about Sexual Misconduct specifically 
  This reporting form can be used to report incidents of sexual misconduct against students or staff specifically. The form will be submitted to the complaints team who will review your report and consider whether formal disciplinary action can take place. The team may also signpost you to other support that is available (such as our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers) if appropriate. 
• Submit a formal complaint 
  A formal complaint against students or staff about sexual misconduct or harassment (sexual and not sexual) can also be made under the usual complaints procedure. The complaints team will deal with the report with the relevant disciplinary action. The team may also signpost you to other support that is available (such as our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers) if appropriate. 
   

If you need any further information, advice or support on any of these reporting options, you can contact complaints@newman.ac.uk or studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk. You can also contact the Students’ Union Advice team on su-advice@newman.ac.uk if you have any queries relating to the complaints processes or any support in submitted a report. 

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Report vs Disclosure – Know the Difference

Disclosure

By making a disclosure, you are telling an individual(s) within the University about your experience, either indicating that you do not want the University to take further action at this moment in time, or being aware that if you choose to disclose an incident(s) anonymously, the University may not be able to take action based on the information provided. 

The University’s disclosure routes include: 

• Speaking to an Advisor within Student Success about your experience. You can arrange this by emailing studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk or visiting the Student Success Hub through the top floor of the Library, over the bridge over the atrium. 

If you chose to speak to an Advisor within Student Success, they will be able to provide you with advice and guidance about the options available to you so that you can make an informed choice on what you’d like to do next. Specifically, Our Sexual Violence Liaison Officer (SVLO’s) are available on campus to provide confidential support to students affected by sexual violence. They offer guidance, help you understand your options, and connect you with appropriate services both within and outside the university. SVLOs are trained to listen without judgment and ensure you feel supported throughout your journey. The university SVLO’s are Tammy Oyekanmi  and  Jas Purewal. 

Please be aware that there may be occasions where you disclose something to an individual where they are unable to keep the information you have disclosed confidential. They may be obliged to inform the University’s Designated Safeguarding Officer for staff of a disclosure if: 

• You are under 18 / an ‘adult at risk’ (a defined within the University’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedure Safeguarding Policy) 
• If the disclosure involves or may impact an individual who is under the age of 18 / an ‘adult at risk’ (as defined within the University’s Safeguarding Policy and Procedure Safeguarding Policy) 
• If the individual who has received your disclosure suspects that you are at risk of causing harm to yourself or others 

In addition to this, in certain circumstances, the University may judge that action is required even if the person disclosing an incident(s) is not requesting any. 

Report

By making a report, you are formally informing the University about your experience(s) (usually regarding another student or a member of staff) with the purpose and/or intent of instigating action under one or more of the University’s relevant policies and procedures. 

For the purposes of sexual misconduct and harassment, the main reporting options are mentioned above, but also listed here: 

• Reporting form for reporting sexual misconduct specifically 
• Submitting a formal complaint using the Student Complaints Procedure

If you choose to Speak to an Advisor they can tell you more about each of these policies and procedures and what is involved within the reporting process.  

How do I report a member of staff? 

If you wish to report a member(s) of staff, you should use the same forms listed above. As always, you can also speak to an adviser if you require any support or assistance, by popping into the Student Success Hub or emailing the team at studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk  

How do I report another student? 

I If you wish to report a member(s) of staff, you should use the same forms listed above. As always, you can also speak to an adviser if you require any support or assistance, by popping into the Student Success Hub or emailing the team at studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk 

How will you handle my information? 

Any information that you share with the university in connection with incidents of harassment and/or sexual misconduct will be handled sensitively and fairly, in line with our privacy policies, GDPR legislation and confidentiality agreements. There will be times where we need to share information with other members of staff and in the case of an investigation, we may need to share information regarding a case with the other party. There may also be occasions where we need to share confidential information, especially if there is a safeguarding concern or if any parties are on a professional course with fitness to practice or other professional requirements. 

Reporting Options 

If you have experienced harassment or sexual misconduct, Birmingham Newman University is committed to supporting you. You have control over what steps you take, there are several ways to report the incident, if you choose to do so. 

Below we will outline how you can report to the police, the University, or access support without making a formal report.

It’s your choice. It’s completely up to you whether or not to report what’s happened, but you might find it helpful to talk to someone so you are not alone There are a few options:

• Reporting to the Police 
  In an emergency or if you are in immediate danger, you should dial 999.
   
  If you feel it is not an emergency, you can still report the incident to the police by calling 101 or by using the West Midlands Police Live Chat or find your local police force. An officer will take some details and should issue you with a crime reference number. There are specially trained staff and units within Police forces that can support you through the reporting process. Find out more about your options for reporting sexual violence to the police.
   
• Speak to an Adviser 
  Students can email studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk to arrange to speak to a member of the team, or they can pop into Student Success on the first floor of Dwyer Building, across the bridge from the Library. It can take up to 2 working days (Monday – Friday) for us to respond to emails, but if you visit us or call us we will do our best to find someone to speak with you on the same day or next working day (Monday – Friday) wherever possible.
   
  Any queries will be signposted to the most relevant person in the team, including our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) if the incident relates to sexual violence.

• Complain about Sexual Misconduct specifically 
  This reporting form can be used to report incidents of sexual misconduct against students or staff specifically. The form will be submitted to the complaints team who will review your report and consider whether formal disciplinary action can take place. The team may also signpost you to other support that is available (such as our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers) if appropriate.
• Submit a formal complaint
  A formal complaint against students or staff about sexual misconduct or harassment (sexual and not sexual) can also be made under the usual complaints procedure. The complaints team will review your report and consider whether formal disciplinary action can take place. The team may also signpost you to other support that is available (such as our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers) if appropriate. 

If you need any further information, advice or support on any of these reporting options, you can contact complaints@newman.ac.uk or studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk. You can also contact the Students’ Union Advice team on su-advice@newman.ac.uk if you have any queries relating to the complaints processes or any support in submitted a report.

What is sexual harassment and misconduct? 

Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a sexual nature that violates someone’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading or offensive environment. It also includes less favourable treatment due to rejecting or submitting to such conduct.  

Sexual misconduct: Sexual misconduct (as defined by the Office for Students: Harassment and Sexual  Misconduct Condition E6) means any unwanted or attempted unwanted conduct of a sexual nature and includes, but is not limited to:  

1. sexual harassment;  
2. sexual assault; and 

   iii.     rape. i.e. sex without consent, as defined within the Sexual Offences Act 2003.  

Sexual misconduct can take many forms, but the important thing is that it is any sexual behaviour which disregards a person’s informed consent. It covers behaviour by an individual or a group which violates a person’s dignity and creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. It can be a single incident, or a string of persistent behaviour. You don’t need to have objected to a certain kind of behaviour in the past for it to be unwanted and constitute sexual misconduct.  Examples of sexual misconduct can include, but is not limited to:  

• Unwanted sexual advances   
• Unwanted sexual contact  
• Sex without consent  

• Propositions and sexual advances
• Unwelcome touching (under or over clothing), hugging, massaging or kissing  
• Upskirting (the action or practice of taking photographs or videos up an individual’s skirt or dress without consent) 
• Making promises in return for sexual favours  
• Making unwanted sexual comments or degrading remarks  
• Sending unwanted emails/texts/images of a sexual nature 
• Sending sexually explicit emails or text messages   
• Sexual posts or contact on social media  
• Recording and/or sharing intimate images or recordings of another person without their consent 
• Any attempt to persuade or coerce you to consent to anything sexual  
• Spreading sexual rumours about a person 
• Making sexual comments or jokes  
• Displaying sexually graphic pictures, posters or photographs 
• Suggestive looks, staring or leering, sexual gestures including showing sexual organs to another person 
• Intrusive questions about a person’s private or sex life or a person discussing their own sex life  
• Repeatedly following an individual 

Anyone can be targeted by sexual misconduct, regardless of gender or sexuality. It does not matter if you have previously consented to sexual acts with that person, or with others. Whatever the circumstances, nobody has the right to force you to have sex or touch you without your consent. If this happens to you, it’s important to remember it’s not your fault.  

You may also have heard or seen the terms ‘sexual assault’, ‘sexual violence’, or ‘sexual harassment’. These all have separate but overlapping meanings, and if there is a term which feels most appropriate to describe what you have experienced, we encourage you to use whatever language feels best for you.  

If you have experienced any form of sexual misconduct, you are not alone, and we are here to support you. There is further information about the support available to you via the University and national and local services here. 

If you are thinking about reporting or disclosing an incident, you can find out more information here:  

Students: Students 

Staff: Staff 

Third parties, visitors, contractors and others: Third parties, visitors, contractors and others 

Our policies and procedures relating to sexual harassment and sexual misconduct can be found here: Policies and Procedures.  

• Prevention of Sexual Harassment & Misconduct Policy
• Personal Relationship Policy
• Personal Relationship Declaration Form
• Management Plan – Declaration of Personal Relationship
• Ending of Personal Relationship Declaration Form
• Unacceptable Behaviours

Staff Conflict of Interest Guidance 

Safeguarding Policy 

Public Interest Disclosure Procedure (‘Whistle blowing’ procedure) 

We want all students at Birmingham Newman University to feel safe, supported and able to reach their full potential.

We have in place a comprehensive network of support services across the University and externally.

If you are in immediate danger

On Birmingham Newman University Campus

• Call Security on 07535 519 828
• Press your nearest emergency alarm button. A map showing the emergency alarms across campus can be found here: Maps – Birmingham Newman

Off Birmingham Newman University Campus

• If you are off campus, call 999

You can find out information about internal and external support for students in our Advice and Support section.

Our Sexual Violence Liaison Officers, Tammy and Jas can help you with both the emotional and practical aspects of sexual violence support. We will handle your disclosure with confidentiality and discretion, and we will only share information without your consent in serious circumstances where we are required to take safeguarding measures to protect a child, adult at risk, or the wider campus community.

We offer a survivor-led service, which means that we will listen and help you decide what you need going forwards. We won’t make you report to the police if that’s not what you want. We will listen and talk you through the different support options available. 

We support students who have experienced any type of sexual violence or harassment, regardless of whether it happened on or off campus, or whether it happened before or during your studies at Birmingham Newman. Our service is separate to the external Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) service. 

With your consent, we can help you with: 

• Referrals to counselling and medical services 
• Academic and accommodation adjustments 
• Understanding the reporting options available to you 
• Navigating systems and resources within the University 
• Signposting and facilitating referrals to external specialist support 

Please note that our service is available during standard university opening hours and does not operate as a crisis provision. You can contact the Sexual Violence Liaison Officers via the Student Success team on studentsuccess@newman.ac.uk or by visiting the Student Success Hub from the first floor of the Library and crossing the bridge over the atrium.