Welfare

The Importance of Welfare

Whenever large numbers of people come together, it is the responsibility of every event organiser to ensure a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all individuals and to affirm that every person is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. This principle can be summarised under the broad term Welfare.

The Code of Conduct of ELSA reflects the core values of the association, especially supporting ELSA's commitment to pursuing its vision. Therefore, it provides practical guidance to ELSA members and all other individuals participating in ELSA events, serving as a framework for preventing and addressing unacceptable behaviour.

Prohibited behaviour

In addition to the purpose of the Code of Conduct and the mechanisms set out therein for achieving that purpose, it is likewise important to clarify which forms of behaviour contravene the Code of Conduct. These categories are regulated in Chapter 6 of the Code of Conduct and include: 

• Bullying: Repeated and unwanted behaviour aimed at, or resulting in, victimising, humiliating, undermining or threatening an individual or group of individuals and/or causing psychological/physical harm; i.e. physical bullying, verbal bullying, social/relational bullying, cyberbullying, work-related bullying.

• Harassment: A form of discrimination that includes unwarranted conduct with the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity, victimising, humiliating, undermining, threatening them or creating a hostile, degrading, or offensive environment, based on i.e. their age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, family status, marital or relationship status, physical or mental disability.

• Sexual harassment: May include but is not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, unwelcome physical closeness or touch, asking for sexual favours, pressuring someone into performing sexual acts, unwelcome efforts or pressure to develop a romantic or sexual relationship, unwelcome comments about an individual’s body or sexual activities, threatening to engage in an unwanted sexual act, unwelcome jokes or teasing of a sexual nature.

• Violence: Any action that intentionally harms or injures another person, including physical aggression, deliberate coercion of another individual to use inappropriate substances (drugs, alcohol) and sexual violence (rape, sexual assault, sexual activity without consent).

• Behaviours not explicitly mentioned: Conduct that is not expressly mentioned may also constitute a violation if it is inconsistent with the purpose and principles of these rules; likewise, behaviour that is prohibited under the criminal law of the country in which an event takes place may also be considered a violation.

Procedures

Whilst this is also helpful for participants, it is essential for welfare officers at an event to be fully aware, both before and during the event, of the welfare procedures – particularly in the unpleasant event of a breach of the Code of Conduct. Therefore, we have provided a quick step-by-step guide on how to deal with such situations. For more detailed information on the procedures, please take a look into Chapter 7 - 9 of the Code of Conduct.

Report

A report can be submitted by either the victim or a witness of an incident that constitutes a possible breach of the Code of Conduct. The submission can be made towards the welfare officers in various ways, such as in person, by phone or by email (welfare@elsa.org or assistant.welfare@elsa.org). Additionally, it can also be made anonymously via the anonymous report form.

Once a report has been filed, the first thing you need to do is to make sure that the victim is safe. This covers not only the situation of a personal report, but also situations where a report has been made via a means of remote communication, in which case you must contact the affected person as soon as possible to ensure that they are safe from possible further harm.

If the affected person requires immediate support, priority should be given to providing comfort and reassurance rather than attempting to resolve the situation immediately. Before taking any further action, confirm that the potential affected person is comfortable with proceeding. Their consent should be obtained before asking additional questions or undertaking any further steps. 

If a report is submitted by a witness or another third party, the identity of the reporting individual should be kept confidential. The affected person should then be contacted directly and informed of the report.

Investigation

The investigation should only commence once the affected person has been given the opportunity to access support, where needed. Therefore, you should first of all ask the affected person whether they would like assistance in contacting the relevant national authorities or support services. If they wish to do so, and where appropriate, help them access the available services in the country where the potential violation occurred or where they are currently located. This may include, for example, psychological support services or victim support helplines. 

The report should contain as much detail as possible relating to the potential violation. To ensure that the information is accurate and complete, this should be done as soon as possible. This includes, where available, the date, time, and location of the incident, the names of any witnesses or other individuals involved, and the contact details and role of the person submitting the report. Additional relevant information should also be recorded where appropriate. 

To be able to schedule an oral meeting with the person as well as the accused person to seek detailed information about the facts, the Director for Welfare of ELSA International must be informed whenever a potential violation is reported. Where the affected person does not consent to the sharing of the report's details, only an anonymised version should be submitted for statistical and monitoring purposes. To facilitate this process, a separate report form for OC Welfare Officers has been specifically made.

Further measures

Where the reported conduct appears to constitute a less serious violation (i.e. verbal bullying or verbal or written harassment), mediation may be initiated with the consent of the affected person. If the affected person agrees, inform the alleged responsible person that an official complaint has been received and arrange a mediation meeting. Before the mediation, ask the affected person about their preferred outcome and, where appropriate, seek to achieve it through the mediation.

Where the reported conduct appears to constitute a more serious violation (i.e. physical or sexual harassment) and requires review by the Ethical Committee, you should, with the consent of the affected person, contact the Director for Welfare, who will take the necessary further action. 

Under the standard procedure, decisions on possible disciplinary measures are taken by the Ethical Committee in accordance with Chapter 9 of the Code of Conduct, taking into account the context of the case. In cases requiring immediate action, an appropriate interim measure may be taken, such as issuing a reprimand or warning, or excluding the individual from the Social Programme.