Have you experienced inappropriate behaviour?
The confidential counsellors are there for you
Can the behaviour I experienced really be considered inappropriate? Will anyone listen to me? Will what I say stay confidential? When you experience inappropriate behaviour, reporting it can be a daunting step. Please know that you can always reach out to the confidential counsellors at Inholland. They will listen to you, will not judge you and will try to resolve the matter together with you. Jurgen Dorrenboom and Annemiek Salomons are the confidential counsellors for students. Annemiek explains how she supports students.
First off, what is inappropriate behaviour?
Annemiek: ‘Inappropriate behaviour is any type of behaviour that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Such as being ridiculed, not being taken seriously by someone in a position of authority, being verbally abused - in person or online - or suffering physical aggression, discrimination or sexual harassment.’
Reporting inappropriate behaviour can be a daunting step to take. You may feel vulnerable. Please know that you can always share your experience; we are there for you.
Confidential meeting, with the student in control
‘When you experience inappropriate behaviour as a student, it’s important that you can share what has happened to you, that you feel heard and get support from someone who looks at the matter with you’, Annemiek says. ‘As a confidential counsellor, I’m there to support students. I listen, share ideas and offer advice. I give students room and pay attention to how they experienced a situation. But I never take action without their consent. When you report something to me as a student, you're always in control of the process. And everything you tell me will of course stay confidential, as I have a duty of confidentiality.’
Providing support
‘What I can do for you as a student counsellor: help you deal with the emotions you feel, help you to talk about the situation you experience and to figure out how we can change that situation, or support you in a meeting with the person your report relates to. I can even go to the police station with students if they decide to report a matter to the police. In addition, I can refer students to the student counselling service when they are struggling with their academic progress, or to health or social services outside of Inholland.’
We are there for every student who wants to share their experience. You can always email or phone me or Jurgen, or walk in when we’re available.
Referrals through study coaches
Annemiek wants to raise awareness about the availability of confidential counsellors. ‘And that awareness campaign will need to be repeated with each new cohort of students. Study coaches play a key role in referring students to us, and therefore need to be fully aware of our role. So it’s important that we stay in close touch with the study coaches.’
This video is in Dutch
Contact details of confidential counsellors for students
- Annemiek Salomons (campuses in Alkmaar, Haarlem, Amsterdam, Diemen, Amstelveen, Delft and The Hague) annemiek.salomons@inholland.nl, +31 (0)6 491 41 545
- Jurgen Dorrenboom (campuses in Rotterdam and Dordrecht) jurgen.dorrenboom@inholland.nl, +31 (0)6 523 75 662
The confidential counsellor is the first person you can turn to when you experience inappropriate behaviour, such as intimidation, sexual harassment, bullying, ostracism, threats, stalking, aggression, gossiping, being ridiculed or blackmail. You can also turn to the confidential counsellor when you feel depressed or suicidal. For more information, go to our knowledge base on IRIS.