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If you are in immediate danger or need emergency medical assistance, dial 999 immediately and return to this page later. This system is not linked to emergency services. 

Information about self-swab kits

Concerns have been raised by specialist organisations about sexual violence self-swab kits, or “rape kits”, marketed to collect evidence after rape or sexual assault.

The Royal College of Physicians and the National Police Chiefs’ Council state these kits shouldn't replace specialist support services.

For advice, contact the Specialist Wellbeing team or see the Sexual Misconduct section.

Any form of abuse is never okay.  If you have been affected by or experienced physical or verbal misconduct, we encourage you to seek support. 

We are here to support you. We understand you may be experiencing a range of emotions, and that this can be a challenging time. 

Some forms of physical or verbal misconduct may be considered hate crimes; such behaviours may also breech the Equality Act 2010 and the University’s EDI policy.

Banner heading: Urgent support

  • Are you in immediate danger or need urgent medical help? If you are in immediate danger or have been seriously injured, call the emergency services on 999 (or 112 from a mobile phone). Report and Support is not an emergency reporting tool.
  • Find a safe space. If an incident has happened, and you are able to, try to get to a safe place.
  • Call Campus Security if you are on campus - 01227 823333.

Banner heading: What to do now

  • Seek medical care. Get medical advice for any injury, even if it does not seem serious. You can contact NHS 111, your GP or A&E, depending on the urgency.
  • Tell someone you trust. This could be a friend, family member, member of staff or University Specialist Staff. You do not have to deal with it alone.
  • You do not have to decide what to do immediately. You can access support without making a formal report, see the Support section below for more information.
  • Consider reporting when you feel ready. The reporting report options below explain the ways you can report to the University, the Police or anonymously.
  • Keep any information or evidence, if it is safe or you feel comfortable doing so. This could include screenshots, messages, photographs of injuries or details of witnesses. Do not put yourself at risk to collect evidence.
  • Look after your wellbeing. You may feel shocked, frightened, angry, numb or unsure how you feel. These are all understandable responses.

Banner heading: Get support

  • Specialist Wellbeing Team During office hours, the Specialist Wellbeing Team provide practical support and advice to anyone who has experienced an incident and would like support. Support is available at both Medway and Canterbury campuses. You can book an appointment with the Specialist Wellbeing Team by emailing KentSSW@kent.ac.uk, or by calling 01227 823158 from Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
  • Counselling Service Students are able to access support from the University's counselling team within Student Support and Wellbeing.  Counselling provides a safe space to address the impact that an incident has had on you.  All counsellors are fully qualified members of BACP, BABCP, or UKCP, and adhere to ethical guidelines. Counselling can be accessed by emailing: counselling@kent.ac.uk or by calling 01227 823206.
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Mental Health Advisers can offer advice and support if an incident has affected your mental health. If you need urgent support, please call 01227 826573 or email KentSSW@kent.ac.uk and ask for an on-the-day appointment.
  • SpectrumLife Providing in the moment support online, text or telephone. Call 0800 0318227 and press option 1, or text or WhatsApp 'Hi' to 07418 360780.

Banner heading: reporting options

  • Report and Support. Report and Support is the University’s online reporting tool. You can choose to make an anonymous report or request support from an adviser. Requesting support does not automatically start a formal complaint. You can receive confidential support without making a formal report. The option you choose determines what happens next: anonymous reports help the University understand patterns and concerns, while requesting adviser support allows an adviser to contact you to discuss your options. No formal investigation will be triggered without your consent, but you can still access support.
  • University Procedure. If you would like to discuss your options informally before deciding if you want to make a formal complaint to the university, you can do so by submitting a named Report and Support report. Further details can be found on the Student Appeals, Conduct and Complaints page along with the steps and procedures to follow if you choose to make a formal complaint.
  • Reporting Anonymously via Crimestoppers. If you are worried about a reporting process, and would prefer to report anonymously, you can report to Crimestoppers. Crimestoppers is an independent charity that enables people to share information about crime anonymously. Crimestoppers will send your report to the relevant local police force. Find out more on the Crimestoppers website.
  • Police. For non-emergency support dial 101.  To find out more about the support available from Kent Police, visit the Kent Police website.

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What is Physical or Verbal Misconduct?

I think someone I know has experienced physical or verbal misconduct

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There are two ways you can tell us what happened

Make a named report and speak to an adviser or Give an anonymous report