If you have experienced or witnessed bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or sexual assault, you are not alone and support is available.
It can be difficult to know what to do after something has happened, particularly if you are unsure how to describe what you have experienced. You do not need to be certain about what happened or what to call it before seeking support.
What you do next is your choice. You can seek support, make a report, or simply talk to someone about what has happened.
King’s is committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive and safe environment for all members of our community, both on our campuses and in our digital spaces.
If it has happened to you
Are you safe?
If you are in immediate danger or seriously injured, contact the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone).
You can also contact the King’s Security Team.
If you can, move to somewhere you feel safe and consider whether there is someone you trust who you can contact.
You can get support
You do not have to make a report to access support.
It’s important to take care of yourself if you have experienced or witnessed something distressing or are finding something difficult to manage.
You can access support through:
- The King’s Employee Assistance Programme, which provides confidential support to staff.
- The Staff Wellbeing pages, which provide information about mental health and wellbeing support.
- The King’s Chaplaincy, where chaplains are available to support staff as well as students.
- A trusted colleague, manager or another member of staff you feel comfortable talking to.
You can make a report
If you would like to tell King’s about what has happened, you can make a report through Report + Support.
You can:
- Make a named report and provide your contact details. This allows us to contact you and discuss what has happened, the support available to you and your options for what you would like to do next.
- Make a report specifically to access support. You do not need to be seeking an investigation or formal action. If you would like support following something you have experienced, you can tell us this when making your report and it can be triaged to the appropriate support service.
- Make an anonymous report. This allows you to share information without providing your identity. Anonymous reports can help King’s identify patterns or multiple reports about similar behaviour. However, because we do not know who you are, there may be limits to the support or action we can provide in relation to your individual experience.
If you choose to make a formal complaint about a student or another member of staff, separate procedures set out the steps involved. An adviser can explain your options and help you understand what may happen next.
If you are unsure what happened
You may be unsure whether something was bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or another type of unacceptable behaviour.
You do not need to work this out before asking for help. You can describe what happened in your own words and we can help you understand your options.
You can find more information about:
Some forms of harassment may also constitute a hate crime. You can find out more about hate crime.
If you have experienced sexual assault
If you have experienced sexual assault, you may wish to seek specialist medical and emotional support.
The NHS provides information about what to do following rape or sexual assault, including information about Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs):
NHS: Help after rape and sexual assault
You can also make a report through Report + Support if you would like to talk to someone at King’s about what has happened.
If it has happened to someone you know
If someone you know has experienced bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment or sexual assault, you may not know what to say or how best to help them.
Listen
Giving someone the opportunity to talk and listening without judgement can be helpful.
You do not need to have all the answers. Try to let them decide what they want to share and avoid pressuring them to take action before they are ready.
You can find some useful guidance in these 6 active listening tips.
Give them options
Ask them what they would find helpful and, where appropriate, talk through some possible options with them.
You can encourage them to seek support, but remember that what they do next is their choice.
You can direct them towards the King’s Employee Assistance Programme, Staff Wellbeing pages, or the King’s Chaplaincy.
If they are a student, you can direct them to Student Services Online for information about the support available to them.
If they have experienced sexual assault, you can also encourage them to consider the specialist support available through the NHS.
You can make an anonymous report
If you have witnessed behaviour or are concerned about something that has happened to someone else, you can make an anonymous report through Report + Support.
Anonymous reports can help King’s identify patterns or multiple reports about similar behaviour. However, an anonymous report may limit what action we can take.
You do not need to make a report on someone's behalf if they do not want you to. If you are unsure about what to do, you can seek advice and support yourself.
Look after yourself too
Supporting someone who has experienced something difficult can affect you too. You can seek support yourself if you are worried about someone or would like guidance on how best to help them.
You can access support through the King’s Employee Assistance Programme, the Staff Wellbeing pages, the King’s Chaplaincy, or another trusted person.
Find out more
King’s is committed to preventing and addressing bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct and to creating an environment where everyone can feel safe, respected and included.
You can also find further information about the Equality Act 2010 and King's Dignity at King's – Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy.