The University of New South Wales Medical Society (herein MedSoc) aims to engage, enrich and advocate for its 1600 medical student members. It is MedSoc’s ethos that involvement should be an enjoyable and positive experience and thus it seeks to prevent all forms of bullying, harassment and intimidation. MedSoc has a duty to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing of its members are prioritised, especially those in the executive and council who volunteer their time and effort for our student body. By law, our members are protected from physical and sexual harassment. It should also be made known that all behaviour (in person or otherwise) is subject to the UNSW Student and Staff Code of Conduct where applicable. This policy functions to protect MedSoc members from bullying and other forms of harassment by either another MedSoc member, a member of the student body, or an external party, and supersedes the Complaints Policy which is relevant should an external party or MedSoc member wish to make a complaint against the actions of a MedSoc member or the organisation as a whole. This policy applies to behaviour in-person as well as online, and works in parallel to the Social Media Policy. Bullying and harassment are behaviours which a “reasonable person” would consider to be offensive, intimidating or intended to humiliate or threaten. It is unwelcome and unsolicited.
Bullying is repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group or workers, which creates a risk to their mental or physical health and safety. The following types of behaviour can constitute as bullying (the list is not exhaustive):
Harassment occurs when someone is made to feel intimidated, insulted, or humiliated because of any of their protected attributes. These include:
Examples of harassment include but are not limited to: