Preventing and Responding to Harassment and Sexual Misconduct
Guildhall School is committed tackling harassment and sexual misconduct.
We treat all reports of inappropriate, unwanted, abusive or violent behaviour with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity, and provide our students and staff with ongoing support.
Introductory Statement
Quick links:
Reporting Options Support Service What Happens After You Report
This is Guildhall School’s single, comprehensive source of information on harassment and sexual misconduct, in line with the Office for Students’ Condition E6. It brings together relevant policies, procedures, support services, reporting mechanisms and preventative initiatives in one place, designed to prevent and respond to unacceptable behaviours of harassment and sexual misconduct.
We understand that incidents of harassment and sexual misconduct occur across society, including within higher education settings. We are firmly committed to creating and maintaining a safe, inclusive and respectful environment across for all our students and staff. Our approach prioritises the prevention of harassment and sexual misconduct, alongside providing clear and accessible support for those who experience it.
The information is organised into clear sections to help you find what you need quickly and confidently, whether you're seeking help, guidance or wishing to understand our approach.
This page and some linked resources discuss sensitive themes including sexual misconduct, harassment, and other forms of harmful behaviour. Please proceed with care and ensure you have appropriate support if needed.
What is Harassment and Sexual Misconduct?
We know that when you're seeking support or trying to understand your options, the language around harassment and sexual misconduct can feel overwhelming. At Guildhall School of Music and Drama, we aim to use clear, respectful, and supportive language.
We use the term 'sexual misconduct' in our internal processes, rather than legal terms like 'rape' or 'sexual assault'. This does not reflect how seriously we take the behaviour. What’s reported to us may also be a criminal offence.
We use 'misconduct' because, unlike the criminal justice system, we cannot determine whether a crime has been committed. Our role is to assess whether our internal rules have been broken.
We are committed to supporting students who have experienced behaviour that may constitute a criminal offence, whether they choose to report it to the police or not. If a student is pursuing or considering legal action, we will offer tailored support throughout that process.
Full definitions with examples are provided in the Student Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct policy.
Key terms we use:
Harassment is unwanted behaviour related to a protected characteristic (like race, gender, or disability) that violates someone’s dignity or creates a hostile environment.
General examples of harassment:
- Making offensive jokes about someone’s race or religion
- Repeatedly misgendering someone after being corrected
- Mocking a person’s disability or using ableist language
- Sending unwanted messages that target someone’s identity
Higher education specific examples:
- A lecturer repeatedly misgendering a student despite being corrected
- A peer making racist jokes during group work
- A staff member mocking a student’s accent or disability
- Repeated unwanted comments about a student’s religious clothing
Sexual misconduct is a broad term used in higher education and professional settings to describe any unwanted sexual behaviour. It may also be referred to as sexual violence or sexual abuse, depending on the context. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but within Guildhall School, we use “misconduct” to reflect our role in assessing breaches of internal policies and to ensure the language used remains inclusive.
Sexual Misconduct is any unwanted sexual behaviour, ranging from inappropriate comments, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and sexual violence. It often involves a lack of consent and may occur online or in person, with or without physical contact
General examples of sexual misconduct
- Making sexual jokes or comments in a public or professional setting
- Repeatedly asking someone out after they’ve said no
- Sending or sharing sexual images or messages without consent
- Pressuring someone to engage in sexual activity
- Engaging in sexual activity with someone who is unable to give informed consent (e.g. due to intoxication or age)
- Coercing someone into sending sexual images or videos
- Unwanted touching or physical contact of a sexual nature
- Asking intrusive questions about someone’s sexual history or preferences
- Making someone feel obligated to engage in sexual behaviour in exchange for support or favours
- Sharing sexual content or comments in group chats or online platforms
Higher education-specific examples of sexual misconduct
- A student persistently asking another out after being declined
- A lecturer making sexual jokes during a seminar
- A peer asking intrusive questions about someone’s sexual history during group work
- A student being manipulated into sending sexual images to a peer or staff member
- A student engaging in sexual activity with someone who is unconscious or intoxicated at a university event
- A staff member initiating sexual activity with a student who is emotionally dependent on them
- A supervisor threatening to delay a student’s dissertation if advances are rejected
- A student sharing explicit images of another student without their consent
- A peer making unwanted sexual comments in a university group chat
- A staff member failing to declare a personal relationship with a student they assess
Consent means freely and clearly agreeing to sexual activity. It must be informed, enthusiastic and can be withdrawn at any time.
- A student clearly saying “yes” to sexual activity after discussing boundaries
- A student stopping sexual activity when their partner says “no” or becomes unresponsive
- A student checking in with their partner during intimacy to ensure ongoing consent
- A student respecting their partner’s decision to stop at any point
Abuse of power is when someone in a position of authority uses their role to influence or pressure a student – for example, offering academic benefits in exchange for personal or sexual attention.
- A lecturer offering better grades in exchange for romantic or sexual favours
- A supervisor threatening to delay a student’s dissertation if advances are rejected
- A staff member failing to declare a personal relationship with a student they assess
- A department head using their influence to isolate a student who ended a relationship
Bullying is behaviour that is offensive, intimidating or malicious – even if unintentional. It often involves a misuse of power and can happen in person or online.
- A student repeatedly excluding another from group projects
- A peer spreading rumours about a student’s personal life
- A staff member publicly criticising a student in a demeaning way
- A student sending hostile messages to another via university platforms
Policies and Procedures
Full policies can be found on the harassment and sexual misconduct section of the School policies page.
The Student Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct aims to prevent and address sexual misconduct, harassment or bullying by fostering a supportive community where all members can thrive. It outlines clear definitions of unacceptable behaviours, procedures for reporting incidents, and the support available for affected individuals.
The Staff and Students Relationships policy addresses personal relationships between staff and students. It prohibits staff from establishing or attempting to establish an intimate personal relationship or a close personal relationship with a student, as defined in the policy.
The policy aims to prevent conflicts of interest and abuse of power, ensuring that any potential or actual conflicts are managed effectively.
Guildhall School does not and will not use non-disclosure agreements to prevent the investigation of reports of sexual misconduct or harassment, or to prevent responsible whistleblowing.
Reporting Options
Report + Support is the School’s online platform for reporting concerns related to harassment, sexual misconduct, and other forms of inappropriate or abusive behaviour. Students and staff can use the system to:
- Make a report with contact details to receive tailored support and explore informal or formal options
- Submit an anonymous disclosure if they do not wish to be identified
All reports are initially treated as disclosures and received by our Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Service, which sits within Student Services.
You can access the service at: https://reportandsupport.gsmd.ac.uk
You can submit a report anonymously via Report + Support. This helps us identify patterns and areas for improvement, such as training needs.
We won’t be able to contact you or offer direct support. Remember reporting with your name does not automatically initiate a formal process. Find out more information here: Make an anonymous disclosure - what happens next?
All reports received through Report + Support are initially treated as disclosures. Disclosing means sharing your experience to access personal support. At this stage no investigation will begin and no disciplinary action will be taken.
Formal reporting is a formal notification that you would like the School to formally investigate your report under the Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure (where you are reporting the conduct of another student) or the Student Complaints Procedure (where you are reporting the conduct of a member of staff). You are in control of what happens next and support is available either way.
Some reports of harassment or sexual misconduct may involve behaviour that could constitute a criminal offence. Students can access internal support and receive guidance on their reporting options, including how to report to the police if they choose to do so.
We will support students throughout this process, whether they decide to report immediately, later, or not at all.
We also support students who have experienced harassment or sexual misconduct outside of School, including incidents involving individuals who are not Guildhall School staff or students. This applies whether the incident happened recently or in the past, and whether or not the student chooses to report to the police.
For more information on reporting to the police, visit: https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-the-police/report-a-crime-incident/
If you're in immediate danger, call 999.
What Happens After You Formally Report to the School
If you decide that you would like to formally report to the School, your disclosure will be treated as a formal report and handled in the first instance by the Student Conduct, Appeals & Complaints team. Where you are reporting the conduct of a member of staff, those reports will be handled alongside Human Resources and in line with the City of London Corporation’s Staff Disciplinary Procedure.
To help you understand the process and help you make an informed decision, we have created a brief outline of the formal process.
Full information about the formal process is outlined in the Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure (where the reported person is a Guildhall School student) or in the Student Complaints Procedure (where the reported person is a member of staff).
Alongside support services and any other relevant School teams, an officer from the Student Conduct, Appeals & Complaints team may conduct a risk assessment to establish if any preventative measures can be put in place to support you and the person you are reporting. Normally this would be a Formal Non-Contact Agreement to ensure that you and the person(s) you are reporting are supported.
A Formal Non-Contact Agreement is a formal letter issued to both you, as the reporting party, and the person(s) you are reporting. It provides information about what is expected of you in terms of contact, which will normally be limited to that which is essential for your training and study.
Depending on the circumstances of the case, other preventative measures may be considered and applied. The School aims to act fairly and reasonably when imposing any preventative measures.
Preventative measures can also help protect the integrity of the formal investigation.
The School ensures that any investigating officers are fully trained in carrying out fair, impartial investigations free from judgement. Reports of harassment or sexual misconduct will only be investigated by a member of staff who has been trained specifically in investigations of this nature. In some cases, the School may need to appoint a specialised investigator external to the School.
Where the responding person is a Guildhall School student, the matter will normally be progressed in line with the Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure.
Where the responding person is a member of Guildhall School staff or a person whose services have been contracted by the School (such as a freelancer), the report will be progressed in line with the Student Complaints Procedure, and in consultation with the School’s Human Resources team.
Where the allegation of misconduct is directly relating to the staff member and their behaviours and actions, the student complaint will be referred to Human Resources as a Stage 2 student complaint and a disciplinary investigation under the Staff Disciplinary Procedure will be instigated.
Following a formal investigation, a case may be referred to be heard by a disciplinary panel.
As the reporting party, you will be expected to act as a witness, meet the panel and respond to any of their questions. As a witness, you will not be present for the entirety of the panel meeting. We will also put measures in place to ensure that you are supported during your participation in the panel.
Any members of staff sitting on a disciplinary panel are appropriately trained to deal with cases of this nature.
For cases where the person whose conduct is being referred is a student, the School will convene a Student Disciplinary Panel under its Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure.
For cases where the person whose conduct is being referred is a member of staff, the School will convene a Staff Disciplinary Panel under City of London Corporation's Staff Disciplinary Procedure.
The School is committed to creating a positive culture where our community feel confident to make a report in the knowledge that we will take appropriate action and inform those affected of the outcome of any investigation.
The reporting person will be informed of the outcome including whether the alleged behaviour has been proven on the balance of probabilities and any remedies or actions that directly affect them. This will include any measures to support them from an academic, work and wellbeing perspective or to alleviate concerns about their safety on campus. The School will not normally disclose the details of any sanctions imposed as these are personal to the responding person. However, information about a sanction may be shared where it directly affects the reporting student and their feelings of safety on campus, for example, where conditions have been imposed on the future conduct of the responding person.
The responding person will receive an outcome including whether the alleged behaviour has been proven on the balance of probabilities, the reasons for the decision and, where relevant, any sanction which has been imposed a result of any disciplinary process. Any sanction will be intended to address the seriousness of the offence, the interests of the reporting student and the wider School community.
Following an outcome taken in a disciplinary case, the reporting student will not have the right to appeal that outcome. However, should they have concerns about how the process was handled, they may submit a complaint via the Student Complaints Procedure.
The responding person will have the right to appeal an outcome of a disciplinary process and they will be provided information about the relevant grounds for appeal in their outcome letter.
Training and Prevention
As part of our commitment to preventing and responding to harassment and sexual misconduct, we ask our students and our student-facing staff to undertake mandatory training. Details of the training you are expected to undertake is outlined below.
We recognise that some participants may have lived experiences related to these topics, and as such, may find certain content challenging to engage with. While participation is strongly encouraged, an alternative option is available for those who may find the content personally difficult.
All students are required to complete mandatory training on consent and on tackling harassment and sexual misconduct. Students will be asked to complete the following training modules prior to starting their course with the School:
- Consent Matters: Boundaries, Respect and Positive Intervention
- Tackling Harassment and Sexual Misconduct (THSM)
These courses are designed by sector-leading experts and are grounded in current research and best practice. They are interactive, inclusive and tailored to the university context.
All staff at the School who work with students undertake annual mandatory training in preventing and tackling harassment and sexual misconduct.
Additional role-specific training is provided for staff who have specific roles, such as those who may act as supporters, staff involved in carrying out investigations or staff sitting on student disciplinary panels.
Support Services
We recognize that experiencing harassment or sexual misconduct can have a significant impact on a student’s wellbeing, studies, and wider life. Whether something happened recently or in the past, here at the School or elsewhere, support is available. You are in control of what support you access and what steps you choose to take.
The School's Sexual Misconduct and Harassment Liaison Service offers confidential support for students affected by sexual misconduct. Further information about the service is available here.
There are also a number of specialist external services that students can access. Details can be found on the School's Report + Support pages.
- External support if you have experienced sexual misconduct or sexual violence
- External support if you have experienced bullying or harassment
- External support if you have experienced domestic violence or relationship abuse
- External support if you have experienced stalking
- External support if you have experienced spiking
The School also offers a range of wellbeing services to support your mental health and personal wellbeing. This includes counselling, mental health advice, and disability support. Further information can be found on the Student Services page.
You can find more information on all the support available on the MyGuildhall intranet once you have joined the School.
Feedback Mechanism
For any feedback, suggestions or queries please contact svlo@gsmd.ac.uk.
Last updated: 11 September 2025
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