18.9.2020

Do not stay alone if you experience harassment

BLOG

The Student Union has two harassment contact persons who provide help and guidance to students and organisations operating under HYY in harassment cases. Our harassment contact persons Tiia Niemi and Jaakko Kalske shed some light on the basics of the harassment contact persons’ work.

 

What are the harassment contact persons?

The harassment contact persons are employees of the Student Union who advise and support students who have encountered harassment, bullying, discrimination or any other kind of unequal treatment. Any contacts with the harassment contact persons are entirely confidential, and the persons work under obligation of secrecy. However, harassment contact persons do not act as judges in any situation nor do they hand out punishments. They will not try to resolve the situation for you either – instead, they will strive to help it be processed constructively as well as to support you in the process.

 

When should I contact the harassment contact persons?

You can always contact the harassment contact persons if you are unsure of the behaviour you have experienced or witnessed and would like to receive support with processing the matter. Simply having the desire to discuss what you have experienced is sufficient reason to contact us!

If the person harassing you is a staff member at the University, you can also contact the University’s harassment contact persons.

Student organisations may also turn to the harassment contact persons if they need help with resolving their own harassment situations.

 

What happens when I contact the harassment contact persons?

Each case is different, and the harassment contact persons will try to find the solution that suits your situation. Everything happens on the terms of the person who contacted us. If you prefer, the matter will remain between you and the harassment contact persons.

To help resolve a harassment case, the harassment contact persons will offer you advise on how to bring the issue up and process it. If you like, you can meet the harassment contact persons to discuss the matter, and we can also join you as a support person in the meetings where the harassment case is processed.

The harassment contact persons can also direct you to other services if needed.

 

You can reach both harassment contact persons by email at hairintayhdyshenkilo@hyy.fi.

Jaakko Kalske, 050 537 3798, jaakko.kalske@hyy.fi (until November 9, 2020)

Topias Tolonen, 050 477 4543, topias.tolonen@hyy.fi (from November 19, 2020)

Tiia Niemi, 050 543 9608, tiia.niemi@hyy.fi

 

How to act in a harassment situation

  • Tell the bully (or someone else) that their behaviour is inappropriate. Tell them that you do not approve of their behaviour and ask them to stop. The person may simply not understand that they are behaving in an offensive manner. It is important to bring the matter up with someone so that it can be dealt with constructively.
  • If the harassment continues, write down what happened and when, who were present and what was said. If the harassment occurs through messages, for instance, save them. This makes processing the matter later easier.
  • If harassment occurs in connection with teaching, contact the teacher responsible for the course or another member of staff.
  • If the bully is a member of staff, contact their superior, the dean or vice dean or the University’s harassment contact persons.
  • If harassment occurs in events, in organisational activities or on social media, contact – depending on the situation – the harassment contact person for the event, the board of your organisation, the board of the faculty organisation (and within these two, the person in charge of equality or the harassment contact person in particular) or HYY’s harassment contact persons, for instance.
  • If you need discussion help, you can also contact the FSHS.

You can seek help from the party you feel is the most natural for yourself!

 

More information:

Check out the equality guide for organisations on Moodle.

Further information on equality: equality.fi

You can also report discrimination to the non-discrimination ombudsman.