Help us create a safer student life!

A national study has been conducted where students' and staffs’ experiences regarding discrimination, bullying, and various types of harassment have been mapped. The survey is based on the study- and work environment at the different universities around Sweden.

The Student Union has together with JU reviewed JU's results from the study where a total of 957 students and staff have answered about 45 questions. Each university has received its individual results already, but the national result will be published on May 20th.

Unfortunately, the results show that many students and staff have experienced discrimination, bullying, or harassment in their study- and work environment (read more here for the exact results External link, opens in new window.).

The questions that we ask following the information from the study are:

1) How come we did not know that there were so many that has experienced this?

Neither the Student Union, student associations nor JU has before this study been aware of how many have experienced this. That we have been unable to discover this on our own is a serious shortcoming, which needs to be resolved as quickly as possible. First, it´s important to find out why we do not know and there may be several reasons to why; for example, people might be afraid of reprisals if they report, they do not know where to report incidents or they know or know that others feel that they have not been taken seriously once they have reported.

When it comes to students, we believe, the Student Union and student associations, that it is foremost an information problem. Students do not know who to turn to report an incident. In addition to this, we see shortcomings in the system itself that students are supposed to use to report incidents and this in can also prevent students from reporting.

2) What can we do to improve the situation?

Firstly, we believe that there must be clear information about where you as a student turn to if you have experienced discrimination, bullying, or some sort of harassment.

Secondly, we believe that the system that you as a student are currently supposed to use to report incidents must be improved immediately so that there is a point to even report.

Third, we see that we need more information about WHERE students are exposed to these things. We believe that students largely identify themselves as students throughout their study period, which includes their social life and not just when they are on campus for lectures, seminar rooms, and group work.

Depending on where students are exposed to these incidents, there are different things that the Student Union and the student associations can do:

• If it is in an educational context that these incidents occur, we can present this to JU and each of the schools and drive the question against JU to see a change.
  
• If it is in social life that these incidents occur, we can more directly change things as the Student Union together with the student associations and all subgroups create large parts of the student’s social life
  

Therefore, we need your help in identifying if, and WHERE, you experience discrimination, bullying, and different types of harassment! Answer our short survey and help us work for an inclusive student life where everyone can feel safe!

Signed

Sophia Fröberg Liljenberg, President Jönköping Student Union
Erika Falk, President HI TECH
Victoria Balika, President LOK
Henriette Tang, President Hälsosektion
Isaias Morales, President JSA