My behaviour has been reported
It can be very distressing if you have been accused of bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct or other harmful behaviours.
It’s important to be aware that the university will not make assumptions and will not consider a person ‘at fault’ until an accusation has been investigated. All those involved in a complaint will be treated fairly and offered advice and support.
It’s good practice to take time to reflect on the other person’s perception of your behaviour. Even if you feel that your behaviour was well-intentioned, your words or actions may have hurt or offended another person, and this may be thought of as an opportunity for learning, or perhaps for a change of approach.
- You are likely to need advice and support to understand the complaint: find a way to discuss the matter with someone you trust, such as your line manager, a head of department or mentor, Student wellbeing, registry or doctoral centre, your supervisor, HR or your Trade Union to provide appropriate support.
- Listen carefully to the complaint and to the particular concerns expressed.
- Stop the behaviour that’s been complained about straight away; if you are deemed to have bullied or harassed somebody after their objection to your behaviour was made known to you, this will be seen as a more serious issue.
- If you feel you are being unjustly accused, consider asking for mediation from HR or the registry or doctoral centre. Supported informal discussions involving you, the person alleging ill-treatment, and a trained mediator may enable you to discuss the issues and find a way forward.
Students: What happens when something is reported?
When a report is made about a student or staff member, there are procedures that will be followed. The reporting party may wish to speak to an advisor to discuss their options for informal or formal resolution.
If informal resolution is pursued, then the reported person will be contacted to try and resolve the matter in line with our Dignity and Respect Guidance 2026
If the matter proceeds formally, the reported behaviour of a student will be investigated in line with our Student Policies, and the reported behaviour of a member of staff will be investigated under the Staff Grievance Procedure.
Student Support (School of Advanced Study):
A range of support is available to you from the registry (taught.degrees@sas.ac.uk) who can direct you to student wellbeing, or from the doctoral centre at research.degrees @sas.ac.uk
You may wish to contact student wellbeing directly to receive some counselling support Health and Wellbeing | School of Advanced Study | University of London
You can also access: TalkCampus - Talk Campus is an app-based peer support network that is free for University of London students to give and receive mental health support anonymously, or to call the crisis line to speak to a trained clinician anytime 24/7 who offer support in 26 different languages.
Student Support (University of London Worldwide, Online and Distance)
For information on wellbeing support offered to University of London students, please visit Support and wellbeing | University of London
TalkCampus - TalkCampus is an app-based peer support network that is free for University of London students studying at one of our Recognised Teaching Centres or online, to give and receive mental health support anonymously, or to call the crisis line to speak to a trained clinician anytime 24/7 who offer support in 26 different languages.
Global Directory - explore crisis services based all over the world for you to find more local, immediate help.
Consent Collective - for University of London students based at one of our Recognised Teaching Centres or studying online, you can access video resources created for anyone curious about their own behaviour or has been accused of causing harm. These include:
- Looking at our shadow: why it’s painful to receive feedback about our behaviour
- The art of giving and receiving feedback
- Why being good at consent means being good at rejection
Staff Support:
A range of support is available to you through the HR.