Frequently asked questions

No Space For Hate is an approach towards dealing with incidents of hate and harassment.

At a support appointment with a Harassment Adviser, you can discuss any incidents of hate and harassment which have affected you or others and find out more about reporting to the university through a range of options. The support appointment can also include signposting to both internal and external support.

If you are sure you wish to make a formal report to the university, you can contact DMU Security to report the behaviour.

Following the Healthy DMU social media channels and keeping an eye out on the Healthy DMU Hub and MyGateway are good ways to keep up-to-date with events.

Staff workshops are bookable via the hub and a student workshop can be delivered upon request – contact nsfh@dmu.ac.uk for more information about these workshops.

You can find out more about hate crime and incidents through this online course from the Centre for Hate Studies.

You can speak to a Harassment Adviser about microaggressions by calling 0116 207 8309 or emailing them nsfh@dmu.ac.uk to arrange an appointment.

Each case bought forward will be reviewed individually and in accordance with our NSFH policy and student regulations. We do not employ a one-size-fits-all approach.

Yes. We will offer advice to students who have been victims or witnesses to hate and harassment no matter where or when it happened.

If students wish to anonymously disclose information to the university, they are able to do so through our anonymous disclosure form. The university will not be able to investigate any reports received via this form, however, telling us about what has happened helps us monitor the prevalence and type of issues DMU students are experiencing, in order that we can make better use of resources available.

Hate incidents

Hate incidents and hate crimes are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. For example, verbal abuse directed towards someone because of their actual or perceived disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Hate incidents can include but are not limited to:

• Verbal abuse
• Physical attacks
• Threats of violence
• Hoax calls/abusive messages/hate mail
• Online abuse
• Displaying or circulating discriminatory literature
• Harm or damage to things such as home/pets/vehicles
• Graffiti and arson
• Malicious complaints

Harassment

Harassment is a course of action (not an isolated action) that amounts to unwanted conduct, directed at a specific person or group, that is intimidating, hostile, humiliating, or offensive, whether or not that was intended.

Examples may include:

• Offensive or intimidating comments or gestures
• Unwanted physical conduct or ‘horseplay’, including touching, pinching, pushing, grabbing, brushing past someone, invading their personal space and more serious forms of physical or sexual assault
• Mocking, mimicking or belittling a person because of their individual characteristics
• Patterns of behaviour that are received as microaggressions
• Outing or threatening to out someone as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans, or unwanted questioning about a person's identity, including about their sexual orientation or gender identity
• Ignoring or shunning someone because of their characteristics, for example, by deliberately excluding them from a conversation or a social activity.
• Continued invitations to a person to engage in social activity after it has been made clear by that person that such suggestions are unwelcome
• Sending material (either physically or online) that is of a sexual or derogatory nature or that some people may find offensive (See also the university's Email, Internet and Social Media (EISM) Policy).

Microaggressions

'Microaggression' is a term used for brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioural, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative prejudicial slights and insults toward any group, particularly culturally marginalised groups. Examples might include:

• Telling someone "Your English is so good"
• Calling something you find strange "gay"
• Telling a woman she needs to smile more
• Asking a person of colour "Where are you really from?"

You can read more about these terms in the NSFH policy document.

No - a formal report to DMU Security requires you to provide your identity and the person you wish to report will be notified of the allegation. No Space for Hate Harassment Advisers can support you from an emotional perspective if required.