Someone I know has been bullied or harassed. What should I do?

If someone tells you that they are experiencing bullying and harassment, taking a few minutes to listen to them can make all the difference.  You don’t have to know exactly the right thing to say or what to do – just listen. 
 If it really isn’t the right time, arrange a different time and a suitable place to hear them out.  If for some reason you are not able to listen, explain this and offer to help support them in finding support elsewhere. 
 

If you can, encourage them to think through different options they may have.  You could suggest any others which occur, if they will find that helpful, but you don’t need to try to solve the problem. Instead, support them as they make their choices and take their next steps. 
 If you are worried about them, don’t ignore your feelings – get some support yourself to find out what to do next. 
 

We encourage you to tell someone about what’s happening, so that there is a better chance to support you and prevent things like this happening in future.  You have a range of options to report: 
 

You can use this form to let the University know and access support.  In the case of a Hate Incident or Hate Crime, you can also ask us to report it to the police on your behalf.  You can report anonymously if you choose to, although this will limit the actions we can take, it’s still helpful to have the information. 
 
 

You can also: 
 

Harassment, stalking, and criminal behaviour targeted at you because of a protected characteristic are all illegal.  Even apparently minor actions if they are unwanted, and repeated, can be the subject of legal action.  You can contact the police by: 
 
 

Find out what support is available to you if you think you have been bullied or harassed.