Sexual harassment, misconduct and violence

• Sexual harassment is unwanted and unwelcome words, conduct, or behaviour of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, embarrassing, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for the recipient. It is a misuse of personal or institutional power and often based on a person’s gender although it is rarely about sexual desire.  
• Sexual harassment can range from behaviour that stems from obvious to subtler behaviour less obvious to either the person responsible for the behaviour or to the recipient. Often the impact is not felt or witnessed immediately. The impact may go beyond the recipient to people who see or hear what happens or who try to offer support. 
• Sexual harassment can include but is not limited to: catcalling, following, making unnecessary and unwanted physical contact, sexual jokes and comments, giving unwelcome personal gifts, wolf-whistling, leering, derogatory comments, unwelcome comments about a person’s body or clothing, unwelcome questions about a person’s sex life and/or sexuality, engaging in unwelcome sexual propositions, invitations and flirtation, making somebody feel uncomfortable through displaying or sharing sexual material.
• Sexual harassment does not necessarily occur face to face and can be in the form of emails, visual images (such as sexually explicit pictures on walls in a shared environment), social media, telephone, text messages and image based sexual abuse, such as revenge porn and upskirting. 

• Sexual assault is a criminal offence, contrary to UCL grievance and disciplinary procedures. A person commits sexual assault if they intentionally touch another person sexually, and the person does not consent.
• Sexual assault involves all unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature and ranges from pinching, embracing, groping and kissing, to rape and sexual assault which involves penetration without consent.  
• Consent is agreeing by choice and having the freedom and capacity to make that choice.   A person is free to make a choice if nothing bad would happen to them if they said no.  Capacity is about whether someone is physically and/or mentally able to make a choice and to understand the consequences of that choice.   

The legal definition of rape in England and Wales is when someone intentionally penetrates another person's vagina, anus or mouth with their penis, without that person's consent. Consent means agreeing by choice, freely and with understanding, and it can be withdrawn at any time. The law applies to people of any gender or age and includes situations like marital rape and acquaintance rape, with the crucial element being the absence of the complainant's freedom to choose and give consent.

Sexual misconduct is a form of harassment and is unacceptable behaviour of a sexual nature. It can include: sexual harassment, sexual violence, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, grooming; coercion or bullying with sexual elements.

Gender-based violence (GBV) is harm perpetrated against a person due to their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity. GBV stems from societal norms and often disproportionately affects women, girls, and marginalised groups. However, men and non-binary people can also be affected and will receive equal support. UCL is committed to supporting all survivors, acknowledging that marginalised and male individuals may face extra challenges in accessing help. 

If you have been affected by gender-based sexual violence or misconduct, please call the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line on 0808 500 2222 or start a free online chat. 

Spiking is a serious criminal offence which can sometimes coincide with incidents of sexual assault, harassment and/or misconduct.

Please read our dedicated page Support for spiking to learn about the definitions, symptoms, legislation and consequences of spiking. This page also explains how to report spiking and the support available for survivors of spiking at UCL and with our external partners. 

• Based in the UCL Casework Team (separate to Student Support and Wellbeing Services), ISVAs can provide emotional and practical support, information and guidance to you irrespective of whether you are reporting or considering reporting incidents of Sexual Misconduct to the University. This team is most suitable where the person who harmed you is part of the UCL community (staff member or student).
• To access support, email  to arrange a confidential appointment. The UCL Casework Team is responsible for the administration and investigation of complaints and non-academic misconduct. casework.isva@ucl.ac.uk

• UCL’s Counselling Services offer up to six sessions of free therapy, you should register for Counselling. Appointments are confidential and available to all students. You can request that your adviser is male, or non-binary, and your preferred language (this may involve a slightly longer waiting time).
• If you would like to speak to someone about the support options available to you, please call the Student Support and Wellbeing Services Phone Line on +44 (0)20 3108 8836 during office hours.
• You can talk to someone about how you are feeling, by calling the UCL 24/7 Support Line on +44 (0) 808 238 0077 and speaking to an adviser. If you are calling from outside the UK, you should call 00 353 1 518 0277. 

• An adviser from UCL’s Crime Prevention and Personal Safety Team can offer advice and also support you if you wish to report to the Police.
• You can arrange an appointment by emailing  crimeprevention-personalsafety@ucl.ac.uk
• Your Student Support and Wellbeing Services adviser can help you to meet with them.

In January 2026, Students’ Union UCL launched a new service to support students who have experienced sexual violence at any time in their lives. This service may be helpful for when you are not ready to disclose your experience to services inside of UCL. 

The Sexual Violence Liaison Officers (SVLOs) give students options and access to support, expanding existing provisions at UCL for anyone who experiences sexual violence and gender-based abuse, whether on or off campus, or in the past. 

Learn more about the SVLOs and how to access support.

London Survivors Gateway is open to survivors of any gender who are aged 13 and above and live, work, or study in London. The Gateway connects those who have survived any form of sexual violence at any point in their lives with specialist support services. Their website also includes a detailed list and map of specialist services available to survivors in each of the London boroughs.

Galop provides advocacy, advice and emotional support for those people of any gender who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans, and have been affected by hate crime, sexual violence, domestic abuse, or issues with the police.

Imkaan is the only UK-based umbrella women’s organisation dedicated to addressing violence against Black and minoritised women and girls. They provide information about specialist by and for Black and minoritised women in London and the UK. They support people who self-identify as female.

The Revenge Porn Helpline supports people of any gender aged 18 and over in the UK who are experiencing image-based abuse, also known as revenge porn. They can provide confidential advice on reporting to social media platforms or the police, help with the reporting and removal of content, and signposting towards legal advice. 

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust is a personal safety charity and supports people of any gender dealing with stalking and harassment. The National Stalking Helpline was set up by the Trust in 2010. It has helped over 65,000 victims since its inception and is the only service of its kind globally.  

The My Body Back Project offers cervical screening, contraceptive care, STI testing and maternity care for survivors of sexual violence. Their services are for people of any gender.

Safeline is a specialist sexual violence and abuse charity which offers counselling and therapy, independent sexual violence advocates and an online self-guided help programme to people of any gender.

Respond provide support for anyone with learning differences and autism who are affected by abuse and trauma. This can include specialist sexual violence advocacy and psychological support.

Mosac provide information and support for parents or carers of children who have been sexually abused. 

NSPCC provides Childline, a 24-hour service which provides counselling, information, and advice to children or young people of any gender.

Rights of Women is a charity that provides free confidential legal advice and information to women on the law in England and Wales with a specific focus on violence against women and girls.

Respect advance best practice on work with domestic abuse perpetrators, male-identifying victims and young people who use violence and abuse. 

StopSO provides specialist therapy across the UK to sex offenders and those who have yet to act on their ‘troubling thoughts’.

They also work with families, helping them come to terms with being related to a sex offender, and Survivors of offending.

The offer therapy and ongoing support.  There is a cost to the service, although those on low incomes may be able to receive free therapy.

Women’s Aid is a national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. They work with people who self-identify as female and children.

Mankind offers help for people who self-identify as men who have suffered from unwanted sexual experience and offers counselling, therapy groups and self-help resources.

Bright Sky is a mobile app and website for anyone experiencing domestic abuse, or who is worried about someone who might be. Includes a questionnaire to assess the safety of a relationship, plus a section on dispelling myths about domestic and sexual abuse. 

Download the Bright Sky app.

Survivors UK provides counselling, therapy and online support for male, trans and non-binary students and those who have identified as male in the past and experience sexual violence or abuse. You can speak to a trained adviser in confidence via SMS text or via individual web chat.