‘Lack of guidance’ on dealing with university harassment complaints

Warning over “huge level of risk” taken on by staff overseeing cases

Staff who deal with sexual harassment complaints in universities are having to take high-risk decisions without sufficient support due to a “lack of clear guidance” in the sector, an expert has said.

During a launch event on 22 June for a report into sexual harassment and gender-based violence in universities, Anna Bull, director of research at The 1752 Group—which researches sexual misconduct in UK higher education institutions—said that one of her main findings was that “response staff handling these reports…are carrying a huge level of risk” individually or in a team.