Social Safety and Transgressive Behavior

ETF Leuven aims to be a safe work and study environment for all. Safe means that staff members, students and guests treat each other with integrity and respect. There is room to address each other when things do not go as they should. We condemn and seek to prevent any form of transgressive behavior, including unwanted sexual behavior, violence and harassment, and any form of exclusion, hatred, abuse of power or discrimination.

In situations where this does occur, we speak to each other about it and act appropriately.

Social safety code of conduct

Read here the complete social safety code of conduct applicable at ETF Leuven. The procedure for reporting transgressive behavior at ETF Leuven is part of this code of conduct.

Procedure for reporting transgressive behavior

The following explains how to make a report of transgressive behavior and how it is followed up at ETF Leuven. The detailed text of this procedure can be found via this link.

What is transgressive behavior?

Transgressive behavior includes any act that affects the integrity of a person, including

• abuse of power
• unwanted sexual behavior
• violence
• harassment
• exploitation

What you experience as transgressive is subjective and can be different for everyone. As soon as something does not feel right to you, it is important to discuss it and possibly report it.

Who can you contact?

A report of transgressive behavior can be made to the Internal Support Service of ETF Leuven, but also to an external support service.

Internal Support Service

At ETF Leuven you can make a report of transgressive behavior to the Internal Support Service . You can also contact them with questions about or experiences with transgressive behavior.

The Internal Support Service consists of:
The confidant for students: Anne-Catherine Pardon
( / +32 (0)16 30 83 59)
The confidant for staff: Elsie Wilms 
( /+32 (0)16 30 83 58)

Thus, students can contact Anne-Catherine Pardon.

Staff members, volunteers within ETF Leuven, externally funded researchers, external lecturers, guest professors and doctoral students working at ETF Leuven and guests visiting ETF Leuven, can contact Elsie Wilms.

The confidant will actively listen to your story and provide a safe environment for sharing questions, emotions or doubts, considering your specific needs.

You can contact a confidant immediately after your experience or a (long) time later. There is no deadline for this.

What questions can you ask the confidants?

• You want to find out whether someone has engaged in transgressive behavior with you or someone else.
• You are confronted with transgressive behavior.
• You wonder whether you yourself have exhibited transgressive behavior and what you can do about it.

What can the confidants do for you?

• The different steps
• Confidant and/or care team
• Pursue recovery and/or take action
• In case of acute risk or multiple reports about one particular person

When a report is made, a file is always created in order to follow up the case properly, with respect for your privacy. It is possible to register a report anonymously if desired.

The confidant will not pass judgment and will take no action without your permission. You also have the option to just vent without taking further action.

External Support Service

If you would rather make an external report, you can contact the Flemish Reporting Center for Transgressive Behavior. On this website you can find further information on how employees of the center can help, advise and support you.

Forms of transgressive behavior Abuse of power occurs when you use the power you have acquired (when you have more access to certain resources than others) at the expense or disadvantage of those who have a trust or authority relationship with you. Source and examples. Unwanted sexual behavior refers to any form of unwanted verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct with sexual connotation that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, offensive, humiliating or offensive environment. Violence refers to any act in which a student, staff member or guest is threatened or physically assaulted psychologically or physically within a work situation or educational context in higher education. Harassment refers to an unlawful set of multiple, similar or diverse behaviors outside or inside the higher education institution, which take place over a period of time, the purpose or effect of which is to affect the personality, dignity or physical or psychological integrity of a student, staff member or guest or to create an intimidating, hostile, insulting, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment manifests itself particularly through words, threats, actions, gestures or written communication. These behaviors may relate in particular to age, marital status, birth, wealth, religion or philosophical belief, political opinion, trade union membership, language, current or future health condition, disability, physical or genetic characteristic, social origin, nationality, so-called race, color, ancestry, national or ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Exploitation includes financial and material exploitation (including theft) and labor exploitation.