Sexual Harassment/Bullying/Stalking

Information on the Safety Concept "Walk Safe"

Walk Safe is a concept to improve safety for women on the Neuenheimer Feld Campus – especially at night-time.

• Flyer Walk Safe programme
• Security escort service of the University: 06221-545555
• Security escort service of the University Hospital: 06221-5639971
  (in case of emergency: 06221-566500)
• Reception areas of the Department of Surgery (Chirurgische Klinik), the Children's Hospital (Kinderklinik), the Head Hospital (Kopfklinik) and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) are manned around-the-clock
• After dark, passengers on bus lines 31 and 32 can also leave the bus in-between regular stops in the Neuenheimer Feld district in order to avoid long walks in the dark
• Information on the Women's Night Taxi for women from the age of 14 between 22 and 6 o'clock
• Prevention measures and workshops by the Studierendenwerk

Contact and Service
 

For a confidential conversation, for advice on how to resolve a burdensome situation or for information on legal aspects or university-internal procedures, you can get in touch with the contacts listed below. On this point, see § 4 (9) of the Landeshochschulgesetz Baden-Württemberg (State University Law Baden-Wuerttemberg), which may be translated as follows: “(The contact persons) are not bound by directives. Without prejudice to the responsibility of university bodies and committees, they see to it that members of the university are protected against sexual harassment. Information on personal and factual circumstances of those affected must not be passed on to third parties or processed otherwise without their prior consent.”

Prof. Dr. Peter Kirsch
Zentralinstitut für seelische Gesundheit, Mannheim
Phone: 0621 1703-6501
Email: peter.kirsch@zi-mannheim.de

Prof. Dr. Christiane Schwieren
Alfred-Weber-Institut für Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Phone: 06221 54-2953
Email: christiane.schwieren@awi.uni-heidelberg.de

Annika Werner, M.A.
Phone: 06221 54-7798 
Email: annika.werner@uni-heidelberg.de

Deputy:
Charlotte von Knobelsdorff
Phone: 06221 54-3927
Email: charlotte.knobelsdroff@uni-heidelberg.de

Additional contact points and complaints offices (in German)

Lawyer of trust for questions related to sexualised discrimination, sexual harassment and violence

Help in Case of Violence against Women and Violence against Children

Survey results on the topics of sexual harassment and sexual violence

Fair Conduct

Behaviour that violates another person's dignity and integrity often entails discrimination of that person at their place of work or study. As stated in the Guideline on Fair Conduct, Heidelberg University does not tolerate such behaviour. Instead, it emphasises the importance of treating each other with respect and appreciation. All members of the University, especially those in leadership, managerial or teaching positions, see it as their responsibility not to tolerate or ignore discrimination and harassment.

Senate Guidelines on Fair Conduct

 
What's that? - Harassment

​A person is being harassed or sexually harassed if he or she is the object of sexually motivated, unwanted actions that humiliate him or her and violate his or her dignity.

The following acts are cited as examples of sexual harassment in the General Equal Treatment Act (Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz, AGG § 3, Abs. 4):

• unwelcome sexual actions and requests for such actions
• unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature
• comments of a sexual nature
• unwanted exposure to pornographic materials

What's that? - Bullying

​
​Bullying has been defined by the German Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht, BAG decision from 15 January 1997) as systematic hostility, harassment or discrimination either among employees or by superiors. It is aided and abetted by stressful situations at work, which may be the result of excessive or too low demands being made on a particular employee or group of employees, of work organization processes or the behaviour of superiors.

What's that? - Stalking

​
​In the German Criminal Code (StGB § 185, § 238) stalking is described as a crime punishable with up to three years of imprisonment or a monetary penalty. The following actions are considered to be stalking:

• repeated watching, following or lying in wait for a person
• unwanted communication by phone, email, mail, or notes
• harassing or threatening a person or persons close to him/her
• unwelcome gifts or ordering of goods

Information package

Our information package offers orientation concerning established  internal procedural regulations in cases of sexual harassment, bullying and stalking for affected persons and contact persons.

The information package offers:
 

1. A form for documentation of conversations with affected persons
2. Information on conducting conversations with affected persons
3. Infographics of the internal procedural regulations at Heidelberg University

The brochure "combating sexual harassment, stalking and bullying- support and prevention" provides information on procedures for dealing with degrading behaviour, on the legal basis for dealing with sexual assaults and on dealing with bullying, stalking and discrimination. The brochure also describes how university members can react in critical or disturbing situations.

Laws and Provisions

• University Law of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg (LHG) § 4 (4), § 62 (3)
• General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), § 1, § 3, § 12, § 13, § 14, § 22
• Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, Sections 1 and 2
• German Criminal Code, § 185, § 238
• Protection against Violence Act, § 1

Further Reading

• "Was tun bei sexueller Belästigung am Arbeitsplatz?" Leitfaden für Beschäftigte, Arbeitgeber und Betriebsräte;  Antidiskriminierungsstelle des Bundes
• "Lebenssituation, Sicherheit und Gesundheit von Frauen in Deutschland." Report commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMSFSJ)
• Grundsatzpapier zu Sexualisierter Diskriminierung und Gewalt an Hochschulen (bukof-Kommission)