Recognising professional boundaries & sexual harassment as a postgraduate

Session 1 - In-person at G10, Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens, London WC1H 0EG

This is the 1st session 10am - 12.30pm

PGRs are likely to encounter issues relating to sexual harassment and professional boundaries during their studies or careers, whether as bystanders, GTAs, conference participants or through being targeted for harassment themselves. However, shared understandings of appropriate boundaries in higher education are often lacking. At the same time, power imbalances between staff and PGRs create a context where sexual harassment and other abuses of power is more likely to occur.

The aims of this session are therefore:

• To support PGRs to recognise sexual harassment and other boundary-blurring behaviours that may be experienced by themselves and/or their peers

• To introduce the concept of professional boundaries

• To enable PGRs to better recognise and respond to inappropriate behaviours in different academic contexts

• To ensure PGRs understand how to raise concerns relating to these issues or to report them

This interactive session is relevant to PGRs current role, and has the added value of being relevant to their future careers, whether inside or outside of academia, as issues around equity, equality, diversity and inclusion are receiving increased attention in the workplace. Led by trainers with expertise in this area, the session draws on recent research evidence and includes discussion of an anonymised case study of boundary-blurring behaviours in higher education.

The case study, along with details of how we will hold a safer space, will be shared a few days in advance of the session.

The session is delivered in-person