Safer space principles

Safety includes psychological, social, and physical elements. Different people have different needs for safety. If you apply the principles on this page, it is a good starting point. However, it is always important to discuss other needs people may have.

Inclusive behaviour

• Everyone has a role in making Hanken welcoming. This is why it is important that you 
  • don’t make jokes or comments that discriminate against people or groups. 
  • try to stop any person who is discriminating against people or groups. 
  • say something when “the way things are” is unfair to people or groups.    
• Some of us have more power than others. That is why it is important that you
  • think about if your job or role at the University gives you power over others.
  • think about how your power might make another person think, feel, or act.
• We can all include others through language. This means that you can
  • use the pronouns (he/she/they) that other people prefer. 
  • use gender-neutral terms to avoid misgendering people 
    • e.g. ‘they’ instead of ‘he or she’ or ‘firefighter’ instead of ‘fireman’ 
  • invite others to join conversations. 
  • ask others what language they prefer to use. 
  • explain inside jokes so everyone can join in on the fun. 
  • explain acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon so everyone understands. 
• Our tone, style, and body language are also important. Pay attention to people around you. If someone seems uncomfortable, you can try to 
  • adjust how close you stand to others. 
  • speak more slowly. 
  • invite others to give their opinions or perspectives.

Learning and sharing

• If you make a mistake, that is ok. When you make a mistake, it is important to 
  • try to understand the mistake. 
  • ask or think about how it affected others. 
  • fix any harm you may have caused.  
• You show that you are listening and learning from others when you 
  • listen attentively. 
  • don't interrupt their speech with words, facial expressions, or sounds. 
  • check that you understand what they said before responding. 
• Everyone does not know the same things. That is why it is important to 
  • check what people already know. 
  • share what you know. 
  • explain what you mean. 
• When you disagree with something a person says 
  • talk about the ideas you disagree with. 
  • do not link the disagreement to any personal characteristic of the person. 

Be kind

• If someone says or does something that upsets you, you can
  • ask a clarifying question. 
  • check if you yourself may have made some assumptions about the situation.  
• When someone has harmed or offended you, you can give feedback. When doing so,  
  • tell that person what behaviour or words offended you. 
  • tell the person how the behaviour or words made you think or feel. 
  • don't judge them. 
  • let them fix the harm.

Assumptions and boundaries

• No characteristic of a person can tell you what a person thinks or feels. Avoid making assumptions about people based on their personal characteristics.
  • A person can have personal characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, and political belief.
  • Some characteristics are visible.
  • Most personal characteristics are not. 
• People have very different personal physical boundaries. To respect these boundaries:
  • ask for permission before touching or hugging a person.
  • don't comment on a person’s appearance.   

Let other people speak for themselves

• Only share what you know to be true. If you don’t know if something about a person is true or not, don’t share it with others. 
• Avoid judging people based on things you have heard about them.