NTNU has zero tolerance for sexual harassment, sexual abuse and other abuse of power. NTNU must be a safe place to work and study.Here you can find information on how to report sexual harassment and abuse, and what happens in a reporting process.

Norwegian version: Seksuell trakassering

Topic page: Speak up!

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is often defined as unwelcome sexual attention that is perceived as offensive and objectionable for the person affected. It is common to distinguish between physical, verbal and non-verbal harassment.

1. Verbal harassment: For example, sexual innuendoes and suggestions or comments on someone’s body, appearance or private life.
2. Non-verbal harassment: For example, intrusive staring, body movements, viewing of sexual images, indecent exposure and similar, spoken and/or written.
3. Physical harassment: Everything from unwanted touching, hugging and kissing to assault such as rape and attempted rape. For example, if you feel pressured to have sexual intercourse, or perform sexual acts, with someone who abuses their position or power over others – see Section 295 of the General Civil Penal Code [straffeloven].

Sexual harassment is also prevalent online, in social media, email, text and/or image messaging.

The definition, with additions, is from Arbeidslivet.no.

Film from NTNU about sexual harassment. You can find English captions in the settings.

Report sexual harassment or abuse

If you have experienced sexual harassment or abuse, help is available. You can submit a report that will be handled by a committee consisting of people who are not employed at NTNU.

A report on sexual harassment/abuse should describe

• what has happened
• the date and time
• the place
• the circumstances of the harassment
• and how you reacted

If you are the victim of an abuse you should *report* directly to the police.

How to report incident(s)

Report sexual harassment/abuse

If you don`t wish to notify electronically, you can send a letter to: NTNU, HR- og HMS-avdelingen, v/Even Larsen, 7491 Trondheim

What happens when I report an incident?

Your report will be sent to an external committee, which will assess the situation. The committee consists of four people who are not employed at NTNU.

They will read and consider the report you have submitted. In some cases, the committee will want to collect more information than you have submitted, and they will then contact you in a safe and confidential manner.

When they have obtained the information they need, they will provide an assessment and advice to your employer on what to do next. The report may be forwarded to the police, but it may also be dealt with internally according to employment law.

In some cases, NTNU will be obliged to forward the report. This applies to reports of incidents regarded as criminal offences under the General Civil Penal Code [straffeloven]. The obligation is based on Section 196 of the General Civil Penal Code.

Parties involved in a reported case have the right to explain their side of the case according to the adversarial principle, known as "kontradiksjon" in Norwegian.

Your rights when you report harassment

When you report an incident, you are protected against retaliation. This means that all kinds of negative acts resulting from or as a reaction to reporting of an incident are prohibited.

Employees who report incidents on behalf of others are often not a party to the case. In a case resulting from a reported incident, only the person or persons whom the report addresses or those who are directly concerned in the case are parties to the case.

The person who reports an incident thus does not have the right of access to information about how the employer will deal with the case. The person who reports an incident can ask for information about whether the report will be handled, but not for information about the process itself.

Source: https://www.arbeidstilsynet.no/tema/varsling/ (In Norwegian)

Can I report harassment anonymously/on behalf of someone else?

You can make an anonymous report, but this is not recommended. Anonymous notification will be difficult to follow up and the result may be that the case does not go any further.

Anybody who has been accused has the right to explain their side of the case. This is not normally possible unless the person making the complaint is known to the person accused.

Of course, a report of sexual harassment will be treated in confidence, and as confidential information, by the committee that will consider the case and by NTNU. You can make a report on behalf of others via the notification button.

Do you want to talk to someone before reporting harassment?

Do you need an informal talk about the incident without any obligations? Then you can contact anyone on the list below. They have no obligation to report the matter. You need to do this yourself using the button at the top of the page.

Students can contact

• The student ombudsman
• SiT’s health service in Trondheim | Gjøvik | Ålesund
• The university chaplains in Trondheim and Gjøvik

Employees can contact

• The Occupational Health Service. You can talk in confidence with NTNU’s Occupational Health Services, whose employees are skilled in dealing with harassment issues.
• Your trade union representative.

The Commitee's mandate

• The committee’s mandate (PDF) (In Norwegian)

More information on reporting

• More about reporting incidents
• NTNUs varslingsrutine (NTNU’s procedure for reporting – PDF, in Norwegian) - new of November 2023