Preventing and Responding to Gender Harassment
Vanderbilt University values being a place where anyone can learn, work and live in a safe and comfortable environment. As a community, we are committed to preventing and responding to gender harassment. The university offers a number of resources to help anyone learn about, prevent and respond to situations involving gender harassment.
As the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says in its 2018 report, “Gender harassment is by far the most common type of sexual harassment. It refers to ‘a broad range of verbal and nonverbal behaviors not aimed at sexual cooperation but that convey insulting, hostile, and degrading attitudes about’ members of one gender (Fitzgerald, Gelfand, and Drasgow 1995, 430).”
All reasonable steps will be taken to safeguard privacy and, when possible, preserve confidentiality. Click on the Resources tab to learn more about your available confidential and private resources, as well as those who may be subject to reporting obligations. In certain circumstances, federal and state laws may limit the level of confidentiality that can be maintained. It is always a good idea to review a resource’s confidentiality level before sharing the details of your concern. In special situations, reporting may be required.