Currently Hallam union does not believe that sexual harassment is an issue for it's members. This is a petition to show just how many people agree that it is. The NUS hidden marks report into the experiences of women students states that: a. 97% of women students felt safe on university premises during the day in comparison to 1 in 3 feeling unsafe during evenings. b. 68% of women students have experienced harassment in or around their institution. c. Behaviour such as groping, flashing and unwanted sexual comments has become almost ‘everyday’ occurrences for some women students. d. 12% of women students reported being stalked. e. 1 in 10 women students has been the victim of serious physical violence. f. 1 in 10 victims of serious sexual assault were given alcohol or drugs against their will before the attack. g. Students were the majority of perpetrators in most categories of harassment – the exception being physical violence where 48% of offenders were students. see http://hiddenmarks.org.uk/2010/ for more information. WE WANT HALLAM TO UNION TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIOURS ARE UNACCEPTABLE: • Unwanted sexual comments, including comments about someone’s body or private life. • Unwelcome sexual invitations, innuendoes, and offensive gestures. • Wolf whistling, catcalling or offensive sexual noises. • Groping, pinching or smacking someone’s body. • Moving or grabbing someone’s clothes without agreement. • Exposure of sexual organs without consent. WE ALSO WANT HALLAM TO BECOME A "ZERO TOLERANCE", MEANING THAT IT CAN ACT FORMALLY AGAINST ANYONE WHO BEHAVES IN SUCH A WAY Anyone who is unsure of the severity of this issue in society today can see such on-line pages such as http://www.ohdearism.com/2011/04/08/society-uk-anti-street-harassment/ or http://www.southyorks.police.uk/foi/disclosurelog/20090407. IF SOMEONE IS HARASSED FOR THEIR RACE, SEXUALITY OR RELIGION THEY ARE PROTECTED BY LAW. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS NOT RECOGNISED IN SUCH A WAY OUTSIDE OF THE WORKPLACE. HALLAM UNION NEEDS TO RECOGNISE THE NEED TO PROTECT IT'S STUDENTS, AND ACT IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. PLEASE SIGN AND FORWARD TO OTHERS TO SIGN TOO X

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