relation to sexual violence and harassment. Others may feel that they will not be
taken seriously or the university will not respond to a report effectively.
105. Furthermore, effective reporting mechanisms will improve the institution’s
ability to record data efficiently, which in turn allows for enhanced monitoring
and evaluation of policies and processes.
106. The evidence repeatedly highlighted the need for a systematic institutional
response, including an institution-wide reporting procedure. The existence of
devolved university structures in the UK may have impacted on the extent to
which institutions have established this. One university is intending to establish
a centralised reporting office to streamline the process and enable the
centralised collection of data. This approach may not be appropriate to all but
would allow for greater ownership of data, which should help to increase an
institution’s own awareness of the extent of any problems affecting its students.
107. Key considerations for an effective reporting procedure:
Is advice on how to report an incident straightforward and easily accessible,
whether the student is a victim or a witness?
Are there alternatives to formal reporting in the first instance? The idea of
going to the police or through formal disciplinary procedures can be a barrier
to reporting and result in a student feeling unable to seek support.
Who is the report made to and how is it recorded?
Is a member of staff clearly identified to the student?
Are the relevant staff properly trained to support students once initial
disclosure has been made? (Students will often choose to report to a familiar
tutor despite signposting to a specialist who they may not know.)
Is the student provided with the option to make an anonymous report?
Is advice provided on options once a report has been made?
Has the reporting procedure been developed to take account of known barriers
to reporting?
Does the reporting procedure signpost students to available support?
Does the reporting procedure enable effective inform ation sharing within the
university thereby minimising the risk of individuals having to disclose on
multiple occasions to different staff members?
Does the reporting procedure make clear that the university will not contact
the police without the student’s consent unless there is a serious risk of harm
to the student or someone else? Universities should only in exceptional
circumstances report to the police contrary to the wishes of the victim. This
may be justified if disclosure is necessary to protect the victim or others from
harm or to prevent a further crime taking place60. In deciding whether to make
Under the Data Protection Act 1988, universities will need to be able to justify the disclosure of
information about a victim that is made to the police without their consent.
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