What is sexual and gender-based violence/sexual harassment?
Have you experienced inappropriate sexual behaviour as a victim or a witness and you are not sure how to handle the whole situation? You can contact the of Charles University PhDr. Kateřina Šámalová, Ph.D.
What should I do if I feel I have been harmed by sexual or gender-based violence?
What should I do if I witness sexual or gender-based harassment?
How does Charles University deal with cases of sexual and gender-based violence?
Where can I find more information?
It refers to inappropriate and unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, whether verbal, non-verbal, or physical. Within the academic environment, it may involve an abuse of authority by faculty members towards students, occur between students, between faculty members, from students towards faculty, or among staff. However, such behavior is not limited to university premises and may also take place in other private or public settings.
This may involve the following in particular:
Sexual advances.
Offering benefits for intimate contact or, on the contrary, threatening someone if they refuse (e.g. credits, exams or good grades, promotions, financial rewards, or other benefits).
Intimate touching.
Sharing intimate photos.
Various forms of psychological pressure, such as different treatment based on gender.
Materials depicting persons as sexual objects.
Exhibiting and distributing pornographic materials.
Inappropriate comments relating to a person’s body and appearance.
Suggestive jokes.
Humiliating or embarrassing remarks.
Attention in the form of harassing e-mails.
Expressing an offensive, hostile, and degrading stance towards a certain gender.
Cursing, mocking, and gestures with sexual undertones.
Bullying and threatening and hostile behaviour.
Offensive, unwanted, and unrequited verbal and non-verbal behaviour.
Physical assault.
All of these circumstances can create an unpleasant academic or work environment and atmosphere between students and teachers or employees and superiors, or between students or employees. They can take place during class and outside class during consultations, internships, or various excursions outside the school premises. In the case of employees, this can happen during working hours, at the workplace, but also in other circumstances.
Has someone confided in you that they have been a victim of sexualized violence?
If the affected person wishes to address the matter, support them in seeking the appropriate type of help. Do not take any action against their will or without their knowledge.
If someone has confided in you that they feel harmed by sexualized or gender-based harassment, you can:
Reassure them that you believe them and that you value the trust they have shown.
Assure them that what happened is not their fault.
Keep in mind that everyone reacts differently (rationally or, conversely, by “freezing”).
Avoid asking too many questions. For some, talking about their experience may be helpful, but for others, sharing details can be retraumatizing,
Give the affected person the freedom to choose, as they are under no obligation to report the situation or take any action. It is best to phrase suggestions as offers.
Seek support for yourself if you find the process emotionally challenging, for example by contacting CU Point Counseling Services.
First of all, you must understand that such behaviour is unacceptable, and it is necessary to protect yourself against such behaviour. Tolerating such behaviour or blaming yourself, quitting a course, or abandoning your studies completely or resigning from your position as an employee will not help the situation.
If you need advice on how to handle a situation, how to report it, or simply want to talk and clarify your thoughts, several options are available to you.
Directly at Charles University, you can contact:
Charles University Ombudsperson, PhDr. Kateřina Šámalová, Ph.D. – receives various submissions related, for example, to inappropriate behavior at the university. The procedure for submitting a report can be found HERE.
Ethics Committee (in cases where the harasser is a university employee).
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We guarantee anonymity, and no further action will be taken without your consent. All submissions will be handled seriously and confidentially. |
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Organizations outside CU:
Persefona – resolves the issue of domestic and sexual violence, including assistance to its victims, based in Brno.
Bílý kruh bezpečí – helps victims of crimes, including sexual violence.
Rosa centre – helps women – victims of domestic violence.
Thank you for not being indifferent to your surroundings. We can propose the following steps depending on the situation:
Ask the person you consider a victim if they feel comfortable in the situation or if they need your assistance.
Express disagreement. It is often difficult for the victim to understand that they are being harassed. Hence, it might be good if you explain the situation yourself, even if you feel that it does not concern you personally. You are indicating to those persons that they are not alone in defending their rights.
If it is difficult to discuss at the moment, ask at a later time and offer your assistance if you feel it is appropriate to do so.
Advise the person to contact the of Charles University PhDr. Kateřina Šámalová, Ph.D. If you have any doubts or questions, you can contact Counselling services.
If someone confides in you that they feel harmed by sexual or gender-based harassment, you can:
Reassure the person that you believe them and that you appreciate the trust they have shown.
Reassure the person that what happened is not their fault.
Think about the fact that everyone reacts differently (rationally or irrationally).
Ask the person in question if they want help resolving the situation and possibly contact us.
Don’t ask too much. Some people may find it helpful to talk about their experience, but others may find it traumatic to share the details.
Let the person choose for themselves. There is no obligation to report the situation or resolve it in any way. It may be good to formulate your sentences as an offer.
Seek help for yourself if the whole process is difficult for you, e.g. contact CU Point’s counselling services
Charles University upholds a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of sexual harassment or gender-based violence.
Every employee and every student has the right to expect professional conduct from others and is, in turn, responsible for their own behavior towards others. All members of the university community share a personal responsibility to adhere to the following principles:
Treat others with respect.
Do not tolerate any form of harassment and, if you witness such behavior, speak up and address it.
Support anyone who feels they are a victim of harassment, including connecting them with external assistance and psychological support for submitting a formal complaint, if needed.
Charles University’s goals in this area are:
To promote a safe environment in which people are treated fairly and with respect.
To declare that harassment is unacceptable and that everyone who is part of the university is involved in creating an environment free of any form of harassment.
To provide support to students and staff members who feel harassed.
To provide a clearly defined mechanism through which complaints can be resolved.
Comprehensive information at the European level on gender-based violence can be found here.
You can find more information about sexual harassment here.
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