Sexual Assault & Harassment
Middlebury supports an atmosphere of respect and does not tolerate any form of harassment, sexual or otherwise, within the program. This includes, but is not limited to, unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or any intimidating or hostile acts directed toward any individual, regardless of their association with the program. If you experience any type of sexual harassment, regardless of whether the offender has any relationship with our program, please notify your on-site staff immediately so they can develop an appropriate course of action on your behalf.
Studying abroad may increase your risk of unwanted sexual contact. The U.S. Department of State has this to say: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/travelers-with-special-considerations/women-travelers.html Although the site addresses itself to women travelers, it contains information for everyone.
Our on-site staff is your primary resource for advice to keep yourself safe and can also direct you to local support resources. We also have information by site (scroll for your site) about local laws as well as local support resources on our website. Please note that the Italian university system is not set up to provide student life support the way it is in the U.S. If you experience any form of harassment or assault and would like assistance or support in accessing local resources, please notify the Middlebury School in Italy program staff. You may also wish to contact a local support organization like the one listed below, as well as any personal contacts you have in your host city.
To help protect yourself from sexual assault and harassment:
- Do not accept the invitation to visit somebody unless you know them well;
- Do not smile or smile back to people you pass by on the street;
- Move yourself to a crowded place if a person follows you;
- At night, be careful when walking around alone and avoid traveling by hired car by yourself;
- Never take a taxi or hired car if there is another passenger in the car already;
- Never take a taxi that is unregistered.
When in a foreign country, there are very subtle things that distinguish a foreigner from a local, and often these traits are what can call unwanted attention. Culturally, what constitutes harassment may be different, but whether one considers it harassment or unwanted attention, the advice that local experts give is the same. If you experience persistent pestering, although it isn’t accompanied by violent intent, it can be annoying and frustrating nevertheless. Silent indifference is often the most effective policy, as is looking as confident as possible. If you feel threatened, it’s always a good idea to look as though you know where you are going, even if you don’t. Any attempt to hurl Italian insults in the direction of the transgressor is, at best, likely to cause ridicule – and at worst, could well inflame the situation further. The advice given by local professionals is to ignore any unwanted attention and continue on your way. Head towards an area that you are familiar with so that you are not isolated and, if you are being followed, head to a public space and not directly to your home.
In cases such as these and especially if an episode escalates or turns violent, or if you feel threatened in any way, it is imperative that you report the incident. The staff at the Sede is available to help in any way and there are also local resources one can turn to. The following association provides emotional, psychological and legal support:
Florence
Associazione Artemisia
www.artemisiacentroantiviolenza.it
Via del Mezzetta 1
055602311 (Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm)
You can find more information about local resources in the event of an assault on our website, here: http://www.middlebury.edu/study-abroad/health/assault. You may need to scroll down the page for site-specific resources.
