Who can be affected by sexual harassment?

Anyone can be affected by sexual harassment.

All genders can be affected, men or women as well as transgender and non-binary individuals. However, the largest group of affected persons in terms of numbers is women; according to an expert report by the federal anti-discrimination office ("Sexual Harassment in the Higher Education Context - Protection Gaps and Recommendations", Berlin, August 2015), 60% of all women in Germany have experienced some form of sexualized discrimination by the age of 15.

In the university setting, personal closeness within the framework of an individual mentoring system or the strongly hierarchically organized academic work creates unique forms of dependency.

According to an EU-wide study on sexual harassment and violence against female students ("Gender based Violence, Stalking and Fear of Crime", according to the expertise of the anti-discrimination office, see above), in Germany, 54.7% of the female students surveyed - that is, every second female student - had been sexually harassed during their studies; 3.3% had even been subjected to sexual violence. One third of the attacks came from within the university environment; the assaulting persons include teachers and other university employees as well as fellow students.

It is not only people in their education or training phase, but also superiors, teachers, administrative staff or temporary university employees that must be protected from harassment or assault.

Any form of sexual assault is unacceptable at Trier University.