AS General Instructions for Harassment Cases

General

The guild defines harassment in Code of Conduct (CoC) (only in Finnish) sections 1 and 2, and these sections are explained more in the Plan for Equality (only in Finnish).

All cases reported to the Confidential Counselors are processed under the conditions of the person concerned and the sections defined by the CoC. Confidential Counselors from AS are committed to act in cases of harassment confidentially and with respect for all parties.

In all guild events, the general responsibility lies with the organizer of the event, but the prevention of harassment and a safe environment is the responsibility of each member of the guild and those participating in the event. Whenever possible, we aim for considered and low-profile measures.

For a guild member in the event of harassment

Operation 101:

1. If the situation allows, talk to the harasser and ask them to stop. In case of an emergency, call 112.

2. Notify the event organizer or a Confidential Counselor. You can send a message on Telegram, reach them in person or use the Anonymous Contact Form.

3. Talk to the Confidential Counselor or event organizer about the situation and make an effort to support their actions regarding their requests.

How to contact a Confidential Counselor: instructions

Confidential Counselors are volunteers, just like other guild officials. They're not professionals or get paid for what they do. It's very important that you honor their requests about how they'd like to deal with the case you're contacting them about. For example, they might ask you to contact another Confidential Counselor, if they don't have the resources to deal with the case at that time. They also might often ask for your permission to discuss the case with other Confidential Counselors, the Responsible Confidential Counselor, or for example some of the guild's board members - whichever they feel would be appropriate for the situation. You don't have to give them permission, but this might make it much easier for them to do their job and handle the situation in the best way possible.

Confidential Counselors strive to answer all contact requests as soon as possible, but they can't always react instantly.

Confidential Counselors are happy to answer any questions about the Code of Conduct and other related guild matters, if you need to clarify anything. You can send questions about these things even if you don't have a harassment case you need to report.

General instructions

Harassment is not the fault of the person who experienced it, and you don't have to struggle with it alone. It is important that the incidents of harassment that have occurred come to the awareness of Confidential Counselors. If you are the target of harassment or you observe harassment, take action to express to the harasser that you want them to stop. It is always better to intervene in the situation than to watch from the sidelines, even if you are not sure what the right course of action is. If you don't want to intervene alone, you can do it together with a friend. If you notice harassment at the event, you can contact the organizer of the event or the Confidential Counselor who may be present during the event. The organizer can help clarify the situation. You can also contact about a harassment case anonymously, via the Google form linked later in this document. The answers are handled by Confidential Counselors and you can either leave your name on the form or stay anonymous. You can always contact the guild's Confidential Counselors or AYY's harassment contact persons. You can contact us even if you are not sure whether the situation you are facing is harassment. If the situation requires further investigation, it is recommended to keep, for example, social media conversations related to the incident saved. However, sharing them in general is not advisable. If the case of harassment meets the characteristics of a crime, contact the police. If you receive criticism about your own activities, accept it constructively.

Other information

The role of the Responsible Confidential Counselor is to both act as a Confidential Counselor and also lead the group of Confidential Counselors. She can be contacted in the same way as the other counselors.

In 2023, the confidentiality counseling activity in the guild is developed and kept up (along with the Confidential Counselors) the guild's Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson. This means they're involved in developing the activity, act as a communication link between the Counselors and the board of AS, and maintain communication about how well the confidentiality counseling activities are working in the guild. If you wish, you can contact them via email: Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.

Ayy’s harassment contact persons can be reached at hairinta@ayy.fi and additional information can be found from Ayy's webpage.