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Anti-Harassment Policy
Basic Approach to Harassment Prevention
The University considers it important to create and maintain an environment in which all students, faculty, staff, and related persons affiliated with the University are respected as individuals and are able to engage in learning, extracurricular activities, education/research, and other tasks based on the principle of mutual trust without being subject to harassment.
Harassment is a violation of the dignity and honor of the victim and constitutes an infringement of their human rights. The University adopts a firm stance on harassment prevention in order to safeguard the rights of all students to engage in learning, research, and extracurricular activities in a conducive environment, as well as the rights of all faculty and staff to engage in education/research and other tasks in a conducive environment. In the event of harassment, we will make every effort to take prompt and appropriate action in response to the incident.
The University will establish consultation points of contact for students, faculty, staff, and others who have been subject to harassment to file complaints and seek consultation without fear. Furthermore, all harassment-related complaints will be handled accordingly following the appropriate investigation and prudent intervention, including the implementation of strict disciplinary action. In the course of this, special attention will be paid to respecting the privacy of those concerned and ensuring the confidentiality of information. In addition, efforts will be made to promote harassment prevention and public awareness through training and education.
Definitions of Various Forms of Harassment
Harassment is defined as any behavior engaged in against the will of the victim with respect to the latter's gender, social status, race, nationality, creed, age, occupation, physical characteristics and other attributes, or their various personality traits, that causes disadvantage or discomfort for them and undermines their dignity.
Harassment at universities that compromises learning, extracurricular activities, education/research, or the work environment includes sexual harassment through sexually suggestive behavior; academic harassment through behavior in relation to studying, education, or research; power harassment through behavior based on one's superior status or position in the organization, etc. Here, we describe two forms of harassment that may be particularly relevant to students.
(1) Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment refers to any sexually suggestive behavior engaged in against the will of the victim that takes advantage of a relationship related to education/research or work or as a condition for participation in such activities in the university, thereby causing disadvantage or discomfort for the victim and compromising their work/study or the education/research environment. Sexual harassment can be broadly classified into the following two categories. Sexual harassment also includes behavior engaged in based on the perception that roles should be assigned according to gender, sexual harassment and stalking among individuals of the same sex, as well as other sexist behavior engaged in against the will of the victim.
Sexual Harassment Involving Compensation or the Perpetrator's Status
This form of sexual harassment involves making sexual requests or advances to the victim in relation to education/research, guidance/advice, employment, administration, or other activities in exchange for benefits or with the threat of disadvantageous treatment. In addition, depending on whether the victim complies, they are afforded benefits or disadvantageous treatment in performance evaluation, graduation review, or personnel appraisal for promotions, salary increases, etc.
Sexual Harassment Involving the Environment
This form of sexual harassment involves repeatedly making sexual requests or engaging in sexually suggestive behavior that unjustly interferes with an individual's ability to carry out their tasks, causes discomfort, or compromises their work/study or the education/research environment.
Sexually suggestive behavior here refers to actions or utterances that are sexual in nature carried out based on sexual interest or desire, whether on or off campus. However, sexual harassment can manifest in various ways, including physical contact, sexual violence, eye contact, sexual jokes, etc., and there are cases in which it may be difficult to determine if sexual harassment has occurred due to differences in individual perceptions and subtle nuances.
Examples of utterances that are sexual in nature
Asking questions about sex-related facts, such as, "Have you ever had sex before?" or "When was the first time you had sex?", including sexual jokes and sexual banter.
Examples of actions that are sexual in nature
Forcing a person to enter into a sexual relationship, such as, "Let's go out tonight" or "Let's go to a hotel."
(2) Academic Harassment
Academic harassment refers to a person in a position of authority, superiority, or advantage in an education/research setting, such as a faculty member, taking advantage of or deviating from their status, position, or authority to engage in inappropriate education/research-related behavior or guidance, whether consciously or unconsciously, in relation to a person in a subordinate or disadvantaged position against their will, thereby significantly interfering with or compromising the research efforts or education/research environment of the person receiving guidance, etc.
However, it is important to fully consider the fact that a wide range of education/research-related guidance exists, and there are cases in which it may be difficult to determine if academic harassment has occurred due to differences in individual perceptions from the perspective of those receiving guidance and subtle nuances. In addition, academic harassment may be deemed to have occurred if the behavior in question creates an environment that makes it impossible for the person concerned to conduct education/research smoothly in the education/research setting to which the person belongs, even if it is not uncommon for those providing guidance to engage in such behavior unconsciously.
Examples of specific behavior that constitutes academic harassment
Engaging in behavior related to guidance and advice pertaining to education/research that impedes the research efforts or interferes with the research of the person receiving guidance, including by unjustly refusing to provide guidance or hindering the completion of their degree.
Engaging in behavior that constitutes an abuse of power, including behavior that involves taking advantage of one's superior position in an education/research setting to force the victim to perform chores unrelated to their education/research against their will.
Taking advantage of one's superior position or status in an education/research setting to unjustly misappropriate the results, etc., of the victim's research/education against their will.
Other examples of specific actions that constitute academic harassment include recommending expulsion or retention, discriminatory practices in providing guidance, hindering one's degree completion, discriminatory practices in providing career advice, grading in an unfair manner (between faculty members and students), discriminatory practices in promotion, recommending retirement (between faculty members), as well as repeatedly engaging in behavior beyond the scope of providing guidance that undermines one's dignity, discriminating against certain persons in favor of others, imposing requirements that are stricter than necessary, etc.
*The above examples are not meant to be exhaustive, and they do not imply that academic harassment has not occurred if the behavior in question does not fall under any of these descriptions.
Harassment Consultation Points of Contact and Counselors
The University has appointed consultation points of contact and counselors to help victims of harassment seek redress and resolve issues, so as to address their complaints and consultation requests in a prompt and appropriate manner. Complaints and consultation requests will be handled by the counselors and consultation points of contact appointed by the Harassment Prevention and Response Committee described below.
Individuals with complaints or consultation requests may directly approach the consultation points of contact below or get in touch by phone, email, etc. We also accept consultation requests from third parties who have witnessed harassment, consultation requests regarding harassment by persons outside the university in relation to job hunting, etc., as well as consultation requests from individuals who are unsure if harassment has occurred but who experience distress. Anonymous consultation is available.
All harassment-related consultation requests received by consultation points of contact and counselors in the University, as well as all harassment-related consultation requests received in person by faculty and staff, will in principle be reported to the Harassment Prevention and Response Committee with the consent of the consulting party in question, and the appropriate action will be taken in cooperation between the two parties.
・Consultation points of contact:
Academic supervisors, advisors, Educational Lecturers, administrative offices of the respective schools and programs, Educational Affairs Section, Student Affairs Section, Health Consultation Office, Student Placement Section, International Relations Section, and other administrative departments.
・Email address for harassment-related consultation requests: harassment@ml.kochi-tech.ac.jp
・The contact information of each counselor is available on the following website (campus-only access).
Harassment Consultation Points of Contact
Harassment Prevention and Response Committee
The Harassment Prevention and Response Committee conducts investigations and interviews to ascertain the necessary facts and determines from a fair and neutral standpoint any support or action that may be required. The Committee determines if the incident in question involves serious human rights violations or acts of violence, whether it is urgent, or whether it is a minor issue arising from misunderstanding or a lack of awareness that requires further liaising, before deciding on the policies and methods for handling the case to resolve the issue.
In view of maintaining human relations and relationships of trust at the University, harassment-related issues should ideally be resolved through counseling, mediation, or liaising upon mutual agreement between the parties concerned, in principle. However, in the event that the parties concerned are unable to reach a mutual agreement and the issue could not be resolved despite liaising efforts, or in the event that the harassment is serious and deemed by the Harassment Prevention and Response Committee to warrant disciplinary action, etc., the Committee may submit an investigation report and recommend disciplinary action, etc.
Harassment Prevention and Response Committee: In the Generel Affairs Section of the Administrative Services
Prohibition of Disadvantageous Treatment in Relation to Complaints and Consultation Requests
Victims who file harassment-related complaints or consultation requests, as well as cooperating parties who assist in the ascertainment of the relevant facts, shall not be subject to threats, intimidation, or other forms of retaliation or disadvantageous treatment by the accused party. In the event of such conduct, disciplinary action will be recommended.
Confidentiality
In handling harassment-related issues, the utmost consideration must be given to the privacy of those concerned. All personnel, counselors, etc., involved in the process of handling harassment-related complaints or consultation requests, as well as all faculty and staff who receive such consultation requests, are obligated to protect the privacy of those concerned and ensure the confidentiality of information. They are strictly prohibited from divulging any information obtained in the course of their duties without just cause, except in cases where they have obtained the consent or approval of the individuals concerned.
This strict obligation of confidentiality is the basis for building and maintaining relationships of trust that allow anyone to engage in consultation without fear regarding any issue. Protecting the confidentiality of information also allows those filing complaints to discuss the matter openly and honestly.
Responsibilities of Students, Faculty, and Staff Concerning Harassment
All students, faculty, and staff must not engage in harassment, whether on or off campus, and they must faithfully comply with the University's regulations, etc. Besides striving to maintain a positive environment based on mutual trust with other students, faculty, and staff in their daily work or education/research setting, they must also alert others when they encounter any behavior that may be perceived as harassment.