Principles for protection against sexual violence

Preamble

The Friedensau Adventist University promotes equal cooperation and coexistence among its members and affiliates on campus and at all functional levels. It values trusting, respectful, and appreciative interaction with one another. It is committed to actively combating all forms of discrimination and disadvantage within its area of responsibility and to combating sexual harassment, sexual discrimination, violence, and stalking at all levels.

Misconduct in the areas mentioned above hurts people, creates an intimidating, stressful, and degrading working, teaching, and learning environment, and causes lasting disruption to university operations. Such actions are prohibited under the relevant legal and administrative standards and constitute a violation of obligations under employment contracts, civil service law, and university law.

Members and guests of the Friedensau Adventist University shall be protected within their area of responsibility on the basis of the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG § 3 (4)). Tolerance of such misconduct shall be opposed. The university will take action against such misconduct and investigate any cases that come to its attention. Those affected are encouraged to report incidents, seek support, seek advice, and/or file complaints. Individuals who observe such misconduct are encouraged to speak to those affected and to report such hurtful behavior. They will not suffer any disadvantages as a result. Friedensau Adventist University carries out educational and preventive work. Information is made available in university-wide media such as the student handbook, website, or notices.

The following paragraphs describe the principles for protection against sexual violence.

§ 1 Scope

(1) The principles apply to all members, affiliates, and guests of Friedensau Adventist University who are on the university campus.

(2) They also apply to all university-related events outside the university campus, such as business trips, excursions, celebrations, or company outings. This also includes digital spaces set up by the university, such as video conferences and digital platforms for university-wide collaboration.

§ 2 Definition

(1) The AGG (§ 3 (4)) and the criminal offenses against sexual self-determination (§§ 174 to 184 StGB) are fundamental to the understanding of sexual harassment and sexualized violence.

(2) Forms of sexualized discrimination and violence include, in particular:

sexually degrading language and verbal sexual harassment through intrusive, sexually charged comments (e.g., in the form of suggestive jokes, questions, and comments, remarks about appearance, or the use of unwanted pet names, catcalling),
inappropriate physical proximity and unwanted touching, even if this appears to be accidental,
stalking, including cyberstalking,
copying, applying, or using sexually degrading content on work devices,
distributing sexist texts and images (e.g., posters, calendars, screen savers, email attachments, graffiti, in advertisements for events),
unauthorized photography or filming of intimate areas and distribution of such recordings, as well as distribution of pornographic content that is relevant under criminal law,
sexual assault, sexual coercion, and rape.

§ 3 Prevention

(1) All members and affiliates of the university contribute to the protection of those affected through personal attention. If they witness sexual harassment or sexualized violence, they intervene or report it to the complaints office.

(2) Responsibility for implementing preventive measures lies with the Rectorate, which may also delegate tasks to the following bodies.

(3) The complaints office acts as a counseling and complaints service. The complaints officer coordinates preventive measures in cooperation with the equal opportunities officer and the confidential advisors, works to ensure their implementation, and organizes training courses to raise awareness of the issue.

(4) Sensitive issues of sexualized discrimination are addressed in internal university orientation events for students.

(5) Events organized by the student council also address issues of sexual discrimination and violence.

(6) Guest groups with underage participants submit their own protection concept.

§ 4 Measures

(1) Counseling
The university provides counseling services and trains the people involved in them. The following departments can offer internal university counseling:
The complaints officer, the equal opportunities officer, and the confidential advisors. The Student Council appoints student representatives in the complaints office who also offer counseling.

(2) Complaint procedure
Members, affiliates, and guests of the university who feel discriminated against or harassed by other persons within the scope of§ 1 for a reason specified in§ 2 (2) have the right to complain. They must not be disadvantaged for exercising this right of complaint. The same applies to supporters of the person concerned or witnesses.
Affected persons are free to seek counseling only, to file a complaint directly, orto file a complaint only after counseling has been provided.
For the complaint procedure, please refer to§§ 8 and 9 of the Complaints Office Guidelines of Friedensau Adventist University.

(3) Sanctions
In individual cases, appropriate, necessary, and reasonable measures shall be taken to protect the person concerned or to remedy the situation. Measures and sanctions depend on the position of the respondent under , labor, or university law.

The following measures in particular may be considered:

For employees

Official meeting
Verbal or written instruction
written warning
Exclusion from the use of university facilities
Transfer to another workplace within the university
Ban from the premises
Termination
Withdrawal of a teaching assignment
Structural measures
Criminal complaint by the university

For students and persons without an employment relationship

Meeting
Verbal or written instruction
Warning, warning regarding the study/residential contract
Exclusion from the use of university facilities
Exclusion from participation in courses
Ban from the premises
Initiation of proceedings for extraordinary termination of the study contract, extraordinary termination of the accommodation contract
Structural measures
Criminal complaint by the
university

For guests

Meeting
Verbal or written instruction
Exclusion from the use of university facilities
Ban from the premises
Termination of the accommodation contract
Structural measures
Criminal complaint by the university

§ 5 Reporting and evaluation

Reporting and evaluation by the complaints office and the counseling centers on their activities, the fulfillment of their tasks, and specific cases of discrimination shall be carried out in accordance with the provisions of§ 11 of the university's complaints office guidelines.

§ 6 Entry into force

These principles shall enter into force on the day after their adoption by the Senate. They shall be published on the university's website and handed out to employees upon hiring or taking office.