Contact Point unacceptable behavior

UHasselt students, staff and visitors can contact the Contact Point. Do you have questions, would you like to obtain more information or have you yourself experienced unacceptable behaviour and would you like to make a report? Then you can contact the Contact Point for unacceptable behaviour. This applies to incidents on or of University grounds.

If you are a staff member or doctoral student, you can contact the confidential mediators for UHasselt staff.

When you feel your boundaries are crossed by another person's behaviour, we speak of unwanted or unacceptable behaviour.  Whether behaviour is acceptable or not, is in itself a subjective matter. What is acceptable behaviour for one person is not necessarily so for another. Cultural and societal norms can play a role in what behaviours are or are not acceptable. unacceptable behaviour can include bullying, discrimination, crossing cultural boundaries, unwanted sexual behaviour, violence (psychological, physical, verbal or sexual).

(Cyber) bullying is behaviour with the purpose or effect of affecting the dignity and integrity of a person and creating an unsafe and hurtful culture. Bullying behaviour can manifest itself in words, gestures or actions that occur repeatedly. It may also involve systematically gossiping about or socially isolating someone.

Discrimination occurs when you are treated unequally, disadvantaged or excluded on the basis of personal characteristics. These characteristics may include nationality, origin, skin color, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability, etc.

Any form of verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct with sexual connotation that has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity or creating an offensive, humiliating or hurtful situation.

If you are psychologically or physically attacked, harassed, threatened or stalked, we speak of violence (e.g., swearing, verbal threats, physical violence,...).

Initial contact is by e-mail: meldpunt@uhasselt.be or you can fill in the online registration form.

Please include your phone number if you prefer to be contacted by phone.

The confidential counsellors (for students and staff) at UHasselt take care of reports in the mailbox. Your report will be handled discreetly and confidentially by Sabine, Philip or Annelies (the confidential advisors for students at UHasselt).

We are happy to help you!

The confidential counsellors are bound by professional confidentiality. The counsellors have a shared professional confidentiality in order to be able to call on each other's expertise and offer you the best possible help/approach.

Philip, Sabine or Annelies will contact you and invite you for a confidential conversation. You are free to accept the invitation. If you accept the invitation, the conversation will take place online or at a discrete location agreed upon with you. If you wish, you may also bring a confidant.

During this conversation, the counsellor listens to you, and together you discuss the report. You and the counsellor clarify your question or report. The different possibilities for follow-up can be discussed. Together you decide whether or not you wish to take the next step. A report can be completed without further follow-up. You are not obligated to anything. You determine the further course of action. The counsellor will not take any action without your permission.

If you do wish to take further steps or start a procedure the confidential counsellor will guide you through this process.

There are no ready-made answers so we perform customized work together. We look for what might be a possible solution for you. This may include, for example:

- Support in addressing the person who stated the undesirable behaviour, whether or not in the presence of / or by the confidential counsellor

- A mediation session.

- Guidance towards a formal procedure with the police or another authority, outside or within the university (pdf, 29 KB). The Contact Point of unacceptable behaviour cannot file a complaint with the police or an authority, but can support you if you wish to do so.

- A referral to a competent authority outside the university (UNIA, Flemish Human Rights Institute) or within the university. (pdf, 291 KB)

- A referral to psychological help.

The counsellors register every report anonymously. This allows us, in case of multiple reports about the same situation, what can be done and if follow-up is needed.