Members of staff at NTNU can get advice and support from:
NTNU’s health, environment and safety section (HMS-seksjonen),phone 73 59 80 29.

Students at NTNU should contact:

If you are ever sexually harassed:– Stand up to the person and say that this is offensive behaviour.

Photo: NTNU SA/GT Nergård

The student ministers (studentprestene) at Dragvoll, phone 73 59 81 60
or 922 00 170, or Psychosocial Health Service at the Student Community
Organization (Studentsamskipnaden), phone 73 55 16 60.

– If you find it hard to discuss the matter face to face, write aletter to the person in question and describe how you experienced
the situation.
– Talk to your line manager, the person responsible for the courseor the lecturer.
– Tell someone you trust about the situation.
– Find out if others where you work have had similar experiences.
It is quite common that the same person harasses several people.

www.ntnu.no/likestilling/

Sexual harassment

is abuse of power and is not toleratedBe cautious
NTNU is to be an attractive university,a place where men and women have
have equal opportunities. We must showrespect for each other to achieve this goal.
Sexual harassment is incompatible witha healthy work environment, and with
NTNU's core values of respect and caring.
Harassment is a form of abuse of powerthat simply cannot and will not betolerated.
This brochure is intended for bothstudents and staff. It clearly definessexual harassment and how theseshould be handled.

What is sexual harassment?
«Sexual harassment means unwanted
conduct of a sexual nature, or otherconduct based on sex affecting the dignityof women and men at work. This can
include unwelcome physical, verbal ornon-verbal conduct.
The essential characteristic of sexual
harassment is that it is unwanted by therecipient, that it is for each individual todetermine what behaviour is acceptable tothem and what they regard as offensive.»(Commission of the European
Communities, 92/131/EEC)

great significance, it is important to be
especially careful in multiculturalsituations where people with different
ethnic backgrounds work or study
together. Sexual harassment occurs
when a person uses his or her power toachieve advantages or suppress others.
Are you in doubt about your behaviour?
Think about the sort of reactions thatare caused by your behaviour. Would
you behave just the same if your spouse/partner or children were present?
How would you react if someone else
behaved like you do in front of your sonor daughter?

Gunnar Bovim
RectorCasual remarks, a darting look andslight physical contact are not sexual
harassment unless they are perceived
as such. It depends on the person andthe circumstances. As the social setting
and cultural environment are often ofMyths and facts
Statements such as «there is no sexual
harassment here» and «I wouldn’t
mind being sexually harassed» minimalize and cover up the problem.
Survey upon survey has revealed how
many different types of sexual harassment there are. They can be consciousor unconscious acts, with or without
intent. It is usually men in superior
positions who take advantage of theirstatus and demand sexual attention«Kari»«Per»«Ingrid»- I’m afraid of being looked upon
as someone who creates a hostileenvironment at the Department if I
discuss the way he treats me. Yet
I know that both male and female
colleagues feel that he is a bit
dodgy. Many people have commented on the way he behaves.

– Nearly all of the lecturers aredecent people. I just wish thatthey could get to grips with theproblem. Many of them go to ourparties and we see how theybehave. It is quite a step for a
student to take such matters up
with the Department.

– I don’t think he meant anythingbad, but I reacted very negatively
when he put his arms around me
and congratulated me on myexam grade. Perhaps it had to dowith the circumstances, and theway he did it.

Tondheim, November 2013

It is how sexual harassment is subjectively experienced that decides how it
affects the life situation of the person
involved.

from female students or women inlower-status positions. Such behaviour
may influence the academic progressor career opportunities of such women.
The manager’s responsibility
All managers are to act as soon as they
are aware that sexual harassment hasoccurred.
The manager is to make sure that theharassment is stopped. If the person
who has been harassed agrees, thematter is to be treated confidentially.

«Bente»– One evening my lecturer
entered the reading
rooms. There was nobody there
except us. He stood behind me andstarted stroking my breasts. WhenI asked him how his family wasdoing, he left.