Not only nationally, but also in Nijmegen, sexual transgressive behaviour is an issue. Students and employees of the university who have dealt with incidents (even if the incident is not of a sexual nature or even if they see it happen to someone else), can talk about this to a confidential advisor. But what kind of job is that exactly? Seven questions and answers.

1. What is a confidential advisor?

A confidential advisor is someone that students and employees can contact to share their story, ask questions, and ask for advice, in all confidentiality. Radboud University has a total of twelve confidential advisors, of whom four specifically dedicated for students. ‘We’re independent and neutral, and we’re there to support the person seeking help,’ says Heleen Kloosterhuis, who coordinates the confidential advisor team. ‘We think along about what is actually happening. Sometimes, the offensive behaviour belongs to a grey zone, and the notifier is unsure whether it is transgressive or not. Other times, the behaviour is highly transgressive. If the notifier wishes to take follow-up steps, we explain to them what the options are, and we help and advise them.’

2. What kinds of experiences justify contacting a confidential advisor?

Anything to do with bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and obviously also sexually transgressive behaviour. It doesn’t matter whether the behaviour takes place on or off campus. Nor does it matter whether the person at whom the complaint is aimed is a fellow student, a lecturer, or someone else. If you’re not sure that your experience warrants a talk with a confidential advisor, make an appointment anyway, says Kloosterhuis. ‘Don’t walk around with something that bothers you. Talking about it really helps.’

3. What kinds of follow-up step are there?

They can be very diverse. You could, for example, file an official report with the Executive Board or the Head of a Programme. Another option is to organise an interview with a lecturer who has behaved inappropriately. Ultimately, it is up to the notifier to decide what they want to do.

If the behaviour is a punishable offence, the confidential advisor may recommend reporting it to the police. The confidential advisor can help with this process, and even accompany the notifier to the police station, if it helps. It is also possible to file an official complaint with an external, independent complaints committee.

4. So a confidential advisor never takes steps without the notifier’s permission?

In the case of extremely severe offenses – criminal offences – a confidential advisor may decide to report the incident, for example to the Executive Board. Kloosterhuis: ‘This is something we only do when faced with a crisis of conscience, for example with severe sexual violence. We don’t want the perpetrator to do it again, thereby putting other people in danger.’ She emphasises that in cases like these, the University does everything in its power to guarantee the notifier’s safety.

5. In practice, official complaints concerning undesirable behaviour are filed very rarely at Radboud University? (Only once in the past three years). Why is that?

‘Because going through this kind of a procedure can be quite stressful in itself,’ says Kloosterhuis. A committee has to conduct an investigation, including interviewing both parties. ‘The outcome of this kind of procedure is not known beforehand. A notifier has to be able to provide evidence.’ This is why notifiers increasingly opt for resolving the situation in a different way, for example by talking to the persons responsible, together with the confidential advisor. They can always decide to follow it up and start an investigation.

6. How often do students contact a confidential advisor?

In 2021, 52 students requested an interview, which is more than in previous years. In 2020, for example, only 36 students contacted a confidential advisor. Out of a total of 25,000 students, that is not a lot. Students can also, of course, talk to other people about their situation, for example friends, their GP, or their student advisor. Also, many students are not aware of the existence of confidential advisors. Of the 254 students who completed the Vox survey on sexually transgressive behaviour (see p. xx), 47% reported not knowing where they could report this kind of behaviour within the University, 39% knew more or less, and only 14% knew for sure.

In addition to how relatively unknown the confidential advisors are, another factor that plays a role is that many students experience a high threshold in talking to someone about their experience. ‘Students are often ashamed of what happened, or they blame themselves,’ says Kloosterhuis.

7. Student life doesn’t only take place on campus, but also within student associations. Does the University try to create a safe environment there too?

Quite a lot of the interviews that confidential advisors conduct with students focus on behavioural norms at student associations, says Kloosterhuis. The coordinator observes that associations are increasingly willing to change their approach, but she also sees that there is an older culture of covering up problems.

The University wants to help associations to create a safe culture. In this context, a growing number of associations have appointed a confidential counsellor: a student member who is in direct contact with the University’s confidential advisor. ‘In this way, we try to infiltrate the capillaries of student life,’ says Kloosterhuis. The confidential counsellor follows a short training programme at Radboud University, in which they learn what transgressive behaviour entails, and when they should refer someone to the University confidential advisor.