⚠️ Need urgent help?
- How can we support you?
- Our commitment to a safe community
- What is consent?
- How to report incidents and get support for sexual violence
- If you have been the victim of historic violence or abuse
- University policy regarding sexual violence and harassment
How we can support you?
What happened is not your fault, and you can choose what support feels right for you.
If something has happened, you can:
- Talk confidentially to a Student Support Advisor
- Get wellbeing or counselling support
- Report an incident if you want to
- Get help accessing external specialist services
👉 Report an incident using Speak Up
👉 Contact Student Wellbeing email: studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk
Our commitment to a safe community
The University of Hertfordshire recognises that sexual violence and harassment can affect anyone, regardless of identity.
We are committed to:
- A zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct and violence
- Providing supportive and confidential help to students
- Taking reports seriously and responding appropriately
What is consent?
Consent means agreeing to something freely and clearly.
For sexual activity, this means:
- Everyone chooses freely to take part
- Everyone has the capacity to make that choice
- Consent must be given every time
Consent:
- Cannot be assumed from past experiences
- Can be withdrawn at any time
- Must be given without pressure, fear, or manipulation
If consent is withdrawn, the activity must stop immediately.
👉 Learn more: Rape Crisis England and Wales - sexual consent
💙 If you think you may have experienced sexual misconduct, assault, or harassment, it can be difficult to know what to do or how to feel. What happened was not your fault. Support is available, and what you do next is your choice.
Reporting an incident
You can report harassment, domestic abuse, or sexual violence through the University’s Speak Up system.
You can choose to:
- Report with your name
- Report anonymously
- Ask to be contacted by a support adviser
👉 Report using Speak Up
Support if something happened in the past
If you experienced sexual violence or abuse before university or earlier in life, you can still get support.
You can:
- Email studentwellbeing@herts.ac.uk to speak with a Student Support Adviser (EDI and Sexual Violence)
- Ask for mental health or counselling support
- Request contact through the Speak Up system
You may also choose to report to the police using their non-emergency number 101, but this is entirely your decision.
External specialist support
Independent organisations can provide confidential help.
- Herts Rape Crisis
- Mankind(support for male survivors)
- Beacon - Hertfordshire Victim Care Centre
- Victim Support