Help in case of abusive behaviour

Here, you can read about VIA's policy for abusive behaviour. You can find out how - as a student at VIA - you can reach out and get help if you experience abusive behaviour.

At VIA University College, we place great emphasis on treating each other with respect and decency. We find harassment, bullying, violence, discrimination and all other forms of abuse strictly unacceptable.

VIA encourages you to seek help and guidance if you find that someone is behaving unacceptably towards you. For example, if you feel excluded from study groups, receive offensive comments, feel discriminated against on the basis of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, or if you experience unwanted sexual attention or physical assault - such as punches, kicks or anything of the sort.

What to do as a VIA-student, if you experience abusive behaviour:

Say no. If a fellow student or employee at VIA is abusive, the first thing to do is to say "no" in the situation. You have every right to do so!

Show your support. VIA encourages students and others with knowledge of abusive acts to act by showing support and care for the victim(s).

Talk to someone. If you experience situations that you find offensive, VIA recommends that you talk to someone, such as other students. You can also contact a student counsellor, the student pastor, or the head of education for your programme. 

VIA is ready to help. If you contact your study counsellor, the student pastor, or your education leader with your experience, he or she will act on the information and you can be sure to get good help. As the victim of abusive behaviour, you are not responsible for where and how to follow up.

Who is the right person to contact? In the overview below, you can see whom to contact. You have the option of contacting professionals both in- and outside of VIA - whether you have experienced abusive behaviour at VIA or during your internship. 

Get help if you experience abusive behaviour 

As a VIA student, you can contact the people below if you have been violated or if a fellow student has been subjected to an abusive act.

Inquiries will usually be treated confidentially. However, there may be cases where the law requires that information about the inquiry be disclosed. In rare cases, it may be necessary to disclose information about the inquiry.

  • Your study counsellor

    He or she can talk the experience through with you, and together you can agree on what should happen next. The study counsellor from your programme can refer you to various partners, who can help you further. The study counsellor is subject to confidentiality and your conversation is fully confidential. You can find contact information for your study counsellor here. 

    Your Associate Dean of Education:

    He/she handles any reports of abusive acts and ensures you the right help and support - if the situation can't be resolved among those directly involved. If the abusive behaviour involves your associate dean of education, you can contact the dean of your education. Due to the Public Access to Information Act, the leader cannot always guarantee anonymity for students who contact him/her. Find the contact information here.

    Student pastor:

    If your campus has a student pastor, he or she can offer conversation, counselling, and guidance and get you more help if needed. Your request is confidential and subject to full confidentiality.

    Student Counsellor at VIA:

    The local student counsellors can offer talks and counselling and help you in the situation. The conversation is confidential and subject to confidentiality.

    Find the contact information here:

  • • Student Counselling Service: This service provides free social and psychological help to students of higher education. You can get help with mental challenges as well as more practical issues. The Student Counselling Service is available for all students who study at a SU-approved higher education.

    • The Student Council's legal aid: Offers free and impartial advice in cases such as harassment, bullying, violence and discrimination. The Student Council's legal aid is independent of VIA and can, among other things, act as your attendant in official meetings. Legal aid has the duty of confidentiality, so no information is passed on without your consent.

    • The student chaplains at Aarhus University, VIA, and Navitas: The student chaplains are available for conversations with all students, regardless of faith. The conversations can be about any type of consideration and problem you may have. The chaplains are subject to confidentiality.

  • • Police: Can help, support, and advise you if you are the victim of a crime, or have witnessed a crime, or are a relative to a victim. 

    • The Danish Working Environment Authority's hotline: Provides advice and guidance if you have experienced bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, in the workplace or your internship. When you contact the hotline, you will talk to an employee, who is trained at answering questions about abusive acts. You can call anonymously.