ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ

Getting support for harassment, sexual assault or a hate crime, whether recent or historical, can be really daunting. At BNU, we realise it is very important for victims to be given their own choices when deciding on support options. 

If you think you have been a victim, it may be hard to know what to do or how to feel. Remember that what happened was not your fault. What you do next, however, is your choice. 

Think 

Are you in immediate danger or do you need urgent medical care? If so, you can call 999. 

Finding a safe space. â¶Ä¯ 
 
If possible, try and find somewhere you feel safe. If this isn't possible and you are on campus you can call security on 01494 605 070. 

Talk 

Speak to a friend. Talking things through with someone you trust can sometimes help. 

If you're not sure whether you want to report to the police yet, you might choose to speak to someone at  or by calling 0300 1234 148. They will offer you free specialist emotion support and practical advice, in the event of any crime, to help you cope and recover. 

If you have been a victim of a sexual assault you might choose to go directly to the University’s nearest  Here you can have a medical examination carried out and forensic evidence can be stored for a future date should you choose to report an attack. They will also offer you specialist support. It's good to take a friend or trusted person with you if you can. 

If you’re off campus, you can find the nearest SARC  

If you feel ready to tell someone in the University, you can report the incident via the University’s . We are here to listen to you, in confidence, and will help you access resources and make an informed decision about next steps - if and when you choose to. If you don’t want to inform the University, try to think about getting support from other organisations. 

Reporting to the University 

You are encouraged to report any incident to the University so that emotional support and practical help can be provided. You can report the incident via the University’s . 

Reporting to the Police, Victims First or SARC 

• If you're thinking of reporting an incident to the police or speaking to someone at Victims First,  have produced a great report of what hate crime is and how to report. 
•  will give you advice on reporting. Call 0300 1234 148  
• You can report to the Police by calling 101 or visiting your local station. 
• If you are thinking about  going to the SARC, Rape Crisis have  of things to think about, including preserving evidence. 

The police will assign you a Specially Trained Officer (STO) who will support you, no matter who you are, or what happened, they’ll refer you to more help and crisis services if needed. 

Anonymous Reporting 

If you don’t want to report to the police, you can also report the incident anonymously by calling Crimestoppers at any point on 0800 555 111 or use their online . 

By reporting harassment, sexual assault, or a hate crime, you are actively sharing information and not appropriating harassing or abusive behaviour. Once you report a range of actions take place to help the victim and any witnesses to identify and deal with the person responsible, preventing it from happening again. 

These actions may include: 

• Advice and information for victims 
• Support for victims through any criminal prosecution 
• Rapid removal of offensive remarks 
• Gathering of photo evidence of online harassment 
• Extra home security for victims 
• Extra CCTV to identify people involved and help with evidence 
• Tenancy enforcement against people responsible for hate crime 
• Police investigation to gather evidence 

Most commonly the report is carried out using a form which is filled in with as much or as little information as the person wants to give. However, if only a very small amount of information is shared, there might be limitations to the support and investigation that will take place. 

Usual information asked for will include: 

• Details of the incident and description of what happened 
• Details of person making the report (name, address, contact details, ethnicity, religion ( if religious incident)) 
• Victim/complainant details if different from the person making the report 
• If known details of perpetrator 
• Details of witnesses 
• Any evidence such as:  
• Photos 
• Videos 
• Texts 
• Any medical/forensic evidence 
• What level of response the person making the report wants i.e: 
• Wants a multi-agency response 
• Wants to discuss the options further prior to further action being taken 
• Wants no further action taken at this stage 
• Victim not present - their wishes are not known 

If you or someone you know from the university has been a victim of harassment, sexual assault, or a hate crime, there are support services to help you deal with what has happened. These include: 

• Multi Faith Chaplaincy 
• University Counselling Service 
•  – staff can help with academic adjustments and accommodation changes. 

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  (A national charity providing advice and support to members of the LGBT community.) 
•  (Call free, in confidence, 24 hours a day on 116 123) 
•  
•  

If someone discloses to you that they have experienced any form of sexual violence, believe, and listen to them. Make sure you tell them it was not their fault and let them be in control of their decisions around reporting or getting support for the incident, whether it is current or historical. 

If you are a staff member receiving a disclosure, you must report this though . All disclosures are treated with the utmost confidence. 

The discloser doesn’t have to access external services if they contact the University, but we can help them with this should they decide to. 

If someone discloses an incident of sexual violence to you, please remember that this information is highly confidential. Only pass on information on a ‘need to know’ basis, and always with the person’s permission. 

If you are worried that they or others are at harm from the perpetrator or themselves, confidentiality can be breached as part of the University’s safeguarding policy. It is important to contact a member of staff such as your tutor or line manager. If you are concerned for an individual’s immediate safety or that of others, you should discuss this with them before any confidential information is disclosed to a third party. If you, or they, are in immediate danger contact the police on 999 or campus security on 01494 505 070. 

Unnecessary disclosures to multiple parties could result in disciplinary action. Information may only be shared on a ‘need to know’ basis, with the consent of the survivor after explaining who you are telling and why, unless it is an emergency.