Disclosing harmful behaviour

Feeling unsafe or threatened at uni is hard – and it can be even harder to make sense of it, name it or know what to do next. You don't have to figure it out alone. Inappropriate or unwanted behaviour, especially when used to intimidate or pressure others, is not okay at AUT. Whatever's happened, we're here to listen and support you, no judgement.

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What is harmful behaviour?

Harmful behaviour isn't always easy to recognise – especially when you're in the middle of it. It can be a pattern of behaviour designed to humiliate or undermine, or a single serious incident. It's often directed at someone because of who they are – their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability or family status.

It can look like a lot of different things, including:

• Attacks against freedom of expression
• Bullying
• Controlling behaviour
• Domestic abuse
• Foreign interference
• Gender-based violence
• Harassment
• Hate speech
• Insults
• Intimidation
• Physical assault
• Scams
• Sexual harm
• Stalking

What does all this mean?

There are many ways this can happen, including:

• Written messages or material
• Spoken communication (in person or over the phone)
• Physical actions, like unwanted touching
• Shared images or media
• Pictures or drawings
• Electronic communication, including cyberbullying or cyber harassment