Bullying and harassment hurts individuals and the wider community.
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving the misuse of power that can make a person feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened. 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 may include but is not limited to:
- shouting at, ridiculing, demeaning or being sarcastic towards others
- physical or psychological threats
- overbearing, intimidating levels of supervision
- inappropriate and/or derogatory remarks about someone
- abuse of authority or power by those in positions of seniority
- deliberately excluding someone from meetings or communications without good reason
Harassment is unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity, or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment can be physical, verbal or non-verbal and can be intentional or unintentional.
Harassment may involve sexual harassment or be related to a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy / maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic / national origin, religion / belief, sex / sexual orientation.
Some forms of harassment are considered a Hate Crime or Incident (link) i.e. any act of violence or hostility against a person or property that is motivated by hostility or prejudice towards a person/s due to a particular protected characteristic.
Examples of harassment may include:
- Unwanted physical conduct or ‘horseplay’, including touching, pinching, pushing, grabbing, brushing past someone, invading their personal space and more serious forms of physical or sexual assault
- Offensive or intimidating comments, gestures, insensitive jokes / pranks
- Mocking, mimicking, belittling a person’s disability
- Racist, sexist, homophobic, ageist jokes
- Derogatory / stereotypical remarks about a particular ethnic or religious group or gender
- Outing or threatening to out someone as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans
- Ignoring or shunning someone, e.g. by deliberately excluding them from a conversation or social activity.
- It can also include treating someone less favourably because they have submitted or refused to submit to such behaviour in the past.
- A person can experience harassment even if they were not the intended target, e.g. someone may feel harassed by racist jokes about an ethnic group.
Both can be in person, online or via other forms of communication, e.g. postings on social media. Online Bullying - Social Media Providers
Electronic harassment can occur via digital platforms or communication technologies, for example, email, instant messaging, social networking websites (e.g. Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), or text messages. When sending emails or other electronic communications, please consider the content, language and appropriateness of such communications.
What's the difference between Bullying and Harassment?
Both bullying & harassment involve harmful, intimidating behaviour, but there are key distinctions:
Repetition vs. Single Incident
- Bullying typically involves a repeated pattern of behaviour aimed at humiliating or harming a specific target.
- Harassment can occur with a single incident or repeated actions and is defined more broadly as unwanted conduct that creates an intimidating or offensive environment.
Intent and Effect
- Bullying is usually intentional and targeted, focusing on exerting power or control over someone.
- Harassment may be intentional or unintentional. In some cases, the individual may not be aware that their behaviour has a detrimental impact or causes offence to another person. However, even if someone didn’t mean to offend, the effect on the target (or anyone else who feels affected) can still be considered as harassment.
Scope of Behaviour
- Bullying often involves direct aggression, physical, verbal, or psychological, aimed at undermining the victim.
- Harassment includes a wide range of unwanted behaviour (touching, offensive jokes, belittling comments, exclusion, etc.) that violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile environment.
University work or study related events
Under the Dignity at Work and Study Policy, staff and students who attend work- or study- related events (whether organised by the University or attended as university representatives) such as, conferences, social events, field trips, training sessions etc. must ensure that they do not engage in any behaviour that could be perceived as bullying or harassment.
This policy also covers conduct towards people who are not members of the University (such as applicants, contractors, patients and other members of the public who visit University sites or use University services).
What is not bullying or harassment
It is important to make the distinction between inappropriate behaviour, which will not be tolerated, and normal conversations that staff and students are expected to have with each other.
Transparent and fair discussions about matters that are appropriate. For example:
- candid feedback (which may include identification of areas of work where an individual is underperforming or failure to meet the standards of behaviour expected by the University); such feedback should be factual and constructive
- respectful collaboration and sharing of ideas and views between individuals, when people may not always agree; constructive discussions and debates are to be encouraged.
More information on bullying or harassment and procedures surrounding this can be found in the University Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the Non-Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Procedure.
*Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) also provide information on unlawful harassment