A student is always fears complaining about someone in authority. The thought about the consequences he/she might face always crosses the mind. On the other hand, sexual harassment is something that must never be allowed in any setting. A student might never complain about this to anyone fearing any consequences or the fact that he/she doesn't know who to go to in such cases. This comic shines light on many of those points and reassures us that there is always someone to go to while also being anonymous.
Comments by faculty members and students showing different views on the comic strip and the topic in general
Shameless and nerve retching acts like this demand social awakening. It's necessary to bring alarming situations like these out in the open so that the culprit is penalized and justice prevails. It would be a life lesson for others who would dare to harass and also it would serve as a stepping stone to many victims who couldn't get the courage to speak about these kinds of incidents in the past or future. It is good to know that there are many strict laws, that are being imposed for such situations and many private organizations are educating people to raise their voice because even in rare cases "THIS IS NOT OKAY".
Being sexually harassed is one of the worst things that can happen to a student. Many students do not report these incidents out of fear, and the perpetrators go unpunished to repeat the same scenario again and again. This has to stop, students should be made aware of all the help they can get when someone is sexually harassed.Strict action must be taken against the perpetrator, so that such incidents do not repeat themselves.
Unfortunately, sometimes harassment happens, and most of the time it does not help to keep quiet about it. When we as faculty officials are notified about such an incident, we first of all help and support the victim, regardless, whether the person accused is a student, a faculty member or a person outside the university. There are several steps that can be taken. If the accused is a university member, the incident is investigated by the university, and different measures can be taken that range from a written warning to an exclusion from certain facilities or even from the university itself. Filing the complaint with the police and seeking legal charges is also an option, where we can accompany. The most important thing is to seek help and support from someone you trust
You can contact the awareness team if you need another student to listen, accompany you or help you find the right place to address your issue. The awareness team exists to help other students who experience(-d) discrimination, harassment or who are disadvantaged in any other way. Please don't be shy to contact us :)
The story portrayed is is to the point, but just confuses me if the equal opportunities officers or any help at the university only applies when such incidences have a connection with the faculty. Can these resources be used even in cases of between students or people outside the university? From personal experience, being an international student sometimes complaining to the police or things like that can be daunting since we have no idea of the repercussions or complete awareness of the law and our rights.
Answer from Equal Opportunities Officer :
You can always contact us as equal opportunity officers, when you experience harrassment. Regardless of where it occurred. We are here to support you.