Bias Reporting: Voice It!
Bias Incident/Harassment Reporting
Bias Incidents, Hate Behavior, Hate Crimes, and Harassment are very serious matters which destroy a sense of community, impede students' ability to be successful at UW-Madison, and often have an impact well beyond any intended victims. The following definitions provide an introduction to the issue of Bias Incidents.
- Hate Behavior is a broad category that includes any behavior or speech that is motivated by bias or prejudice. The following definitions outline different types of hate behavior. These may be thought of different places on the same continuum and all contribute to the sense of safety and respect in our residence halls. Hate behavior is motivated in part or in whole by hostility towards the victim's real or perceived ethnicity, national origin, immigrant status, religious belief, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, political affiliation, race, or any other physical or cultural characteristic.
- A Bias Incident is defined as conduct, speech, or expression that is motivated by bias or prejudice. A bias incident does not involve any actual crime and often may not involve a clear violation of University Housing or UW-System policy. Examples of bias incidents include dry erase messages that are motivated by bias, bias-motivated jokes, or hate material distributed via pamphlets.
- A Hate crime is defined as a crime that is motivated by bias or prejudice. A hate crime involves a clear municipal, state, or federal criminal act. In most cases, University Housing will respond to hate crimes by working with the UW Police Department, dependant on the wishes of the victim of the crime. Examples of hate crimes include damage or vandalism to personal or UW property that is motivated by bias or violence motivated by bias.
- Harassment is defined by University Housing as verbal threats, intimidation, or conduct which: tend to cause or incite a breach of the peace; or are severe or pervasive enough to substantially interfere with a reasonable student's educational performance, opportunities or benefits, or mental, emotional or physical well-being and which actually do so interfere. Harassment fitting the above definition may or may not also be a crime. University Housing will work with the UW Police Department to determine if cases fit the legal definition of harassment depending on the wishes of the victim.
If you feel that you have been the victim of or witness to any of the above, you have the right to report the behavior. Please contact a housing staff member of your residence hall, the Director of Diversity Programs Magpie Martinez at magpie.martinez@housing.wisc.edu, or the Dean of Students office via their website.