How to report Gender-based Violence | University of Strathclyde

We have a network of more than 20 First Responders who are trained by Rape Crisis to support anyone who gets in touch.

A First Responder will ensure you are safe, will listen to you without judgement, support you, point you to additional services within the University, and can help you to connect with expert organisations.

There are two ways you can let us know about Gender-based Violence (GBV) you've experienced or witnessed:

a disclosure, where you might want to tell someone about something that has happened to you, or something you're concerned about, but do not wish for action to be taken
a report, the first formal step in raising an incident with the University or the police. You also have the option to remain anonymous but it means the Report & Support Team won't be able to contact you to provide support

If seeking support, especially if you're from the LGBTQIA+ community or someone who engages in sex work, we understand that you may be fearful of information in your report or disclosure being revealed or used against you. We respect your right to protect information about yourself. Information disclosed in your report will not be shared outside the small group of staff that respond to reports without your consent or before you are ready to tell your own story. Our focus is on a safe and supported disclosure and, in cases of sexual assault or gender-based violence, we would not normally pursue any disciplinary processes if you disclose such things as drug or alcohol consumption within your report. Exceptions to this are where we consider there are serious risks of harm to you or to other people, and cases relating to fitness to practice, professional standards, or conditions set by regulatory bodies.

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The process of reporting GBV

Step 1

Use our online Report & Support facility to submit a disclosure or report.

The Report & Support Response Team manage this service, 9am-5pm Monday-Friday. Any questions or queries relating to Report & Support should be emailed to report-and-support@strath.ac.uk.

Submit a report

Step 2

If you submit a disclosure or a report, the information you give will only be viewed by the Report & Support Response Team, who'll then assess how best to respond. If you're a student, we will not share information with your Department or Faculty unless there are serious safety concerns.

Step 3

If you provide your contact information in your Report & Support form, a member of our Report & Support Response Team will be in touch to discuss the next step, which is usually that you'll be introduced to one of our First Responders. Our First Responders are trauma-sensitive trained to support any person reporting gender-based violence, to help explore options. We will not normally take any action without your agreement unless there are serious safety concerns.

Step 4

The Report & Support Response Team will connect you to any other support services you require. For example, they can arrange for you to be supported by our on-campus Rape Crisis provision, connect you to people in your Department if you require academic support, or link you to the Student Funding & Financial Support Team if your finances or accommodation have been affected.