The report will first be viewed by an administrator. The administrators will review the report to identify any risks that relate to our duty of care, for example if we felt there was information that would come under our safeguarding policy and a vulnerable individual was at risk of serious harm.
If no immediate risk is identified, no further, direct action can be taken. This is the nature of anonymous reports, in which no identifiable information should be included.
However, the information is helpful for the University to monitor trends and develop responses to challenges.
The anonymous reports allow the University to identify patterns over time, and therefore to develop plans and allocate resources. For example, anonymous reports could prompt the University to initiate anti-harassment or anti-bullying campaigns across schools, faculties, or the entire University.
Although the University may not be able to take action on a particular anonymous report, in many cases these anonymous reports will be the only way the University knows what types of sexual misconduct, harassment, bullying and hate crimes are occurring within our communities. They are thus an essential part of our efforts to end these forms of abuse.
If you choose to submit an anonymous report, know that your concerns will be taken seriously. Anonymous reports may provide the only glimpse of what is actually happening at the University, and as such, are crucial for the University to take action collectively. Indeed, this is why the University has adopted the Report and Support system.
Most importantly, if you see or experienced something serious enough to bother or upset you, the University wants to know about it and we are here to support you.
If you want advice or support or would like to understand how we might act on the information you provide, we strongly encourage you to choose the Request Support from an Advisor option. This will put you in touch with a specially trained and confidential advisor who will work with you to address your concerns and support needs.