Experiencing Harassment?

Harassment or inappropriate behavior can manifest in various forms, such as verbal or non-verbal insults, sexist or racist jokes, unwanted physical contact, threats, unsolicited communication, exclusion from a community, or otherwise hindering participation in its activities in an inappropriate manner. The experience of harassment is subjective, meaning what is offensive or distressing and perceived as harassment can vary from person to person. Therefore, the most important factor is the individual's own experience of the situation. Tietokilta does not tolerate harassment in any form.

Harassment is never the fault of the person experiencing it, and you don’t have to deal with it alone. It is important that cases of harassment are brought to the attention of the harassment contact persons. If you are targeted or witness harassment, try to express to the harasser that you want their behavior to stop. It is always better to intervene than to stand by, even if you’re unsure of the right way to do so. If you don’t want to intervene alone, you can do so together with a friend.

Especially at larger events, there are often designated on-duty harassment contact persons, who are announced during the event. They can be recognized by their light pink harassment contact person ribbon. These contact persons can always be approached if you experience harassment or inappropriate behavior during an event. You can also report harassment to the event organizers. If you're unsure who to talk to, you can always ask any event organizer for directions.

In addition to event-specific harassment contact persons, the guild has general harassment contact persons who can be reached at any time, for example, regarding harassment or general issues within the guild. However, the general harassment contact persons are not on duty during events and may not be able to respond as quickly as the event-specific contacts or organizers. You can contact them even if you're unsure whether what you experienced qualifies as harassment. For further investigation, it’s a good idea to save any related social media messages or other relevant material. If the harassment incident constitutes a crime, contact the police.

You can report harassment cases to any of the guild's harassment contact persons, and all reported cases will be addressed. The matter is always confidential and will not be discussed with anyone without the consent of the person who experienced the harassment. The harassment contact person will continue investigating the matter and decide on further steps together with the affected party and only with their permission. Depending on the severity of the situation, the following actions may be considered:

• With the consent of the person who experienced the harassment, the person accused of harassment may be informed that their behavior has been perceived as inappropriate. All involved parties are heard equally, and any discussions remain between the harassment contact person and those involved.
• The contacted harassment contact person may also recommend and guide the person who experienced the harassment to, for example, AYY's harassment contact persons, FSHS professionals, or if needed, the authorities. However, it is the decision of the person affected whether to approach these parties.
• If the case involves university staff, the university’s designated harassment officers will be responsible for resolving the situation. The guild’s harassment contact persons can support the individual in this process if they wish.
• If necessary, and with the consent of the person who experienced the harassment, the case may be referred to the guild board for review, in which case the board may consider disciplinary actions mentioned in the Code of Conduct.