Statement of policy

IAIA is committed to providing a safe and harassment-free conference/event experience for everyone, including at virtual meetings. IAIA does not tolerate harassment of, or by, IAIA conference/event participants in any form. Conference/event participants or invitees violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference/event without a refund at the discretion of IAIA.

definition of harassment

Harassment includes, but is not limited to, offensive verbal/written comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, national origin, religion, age, marital status, military status, or any other status protected by law; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; and inappropriate description of physical contact. Attendees asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

definition of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional appropriate compliments or other generally acceptable social behavior. Sexual harassment in an online setting refers to written and visual conduct of a sexual nature that is unwelcome and offensive to the recipient.  Sexual harassment may include, but is not limited to:

• sexual flirtations;    
• advances or propositions;
  
• written comments or description of physical actions of a sexual nature;  
• use of sexually degrading words to describe an individual;
  
•  unwelcome displays of sexually suggestive objects or pictures;
  
• sexually explicit jokes; or
• any behavior of a sexual nature which the recipient has requested be discontinued.

Enforcement

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. This policy covers event-related activities and their participants, including sponsors or vendors, and vendor personnel are subject to this policy. In addition, this policy includes all in-person meetings, special meetings, virtual meetings, technical visits, training courses, banquets, and any other IAIA-related gathering. All such participants should refrain from the use of sexualized images, activities, or other material.

If a participant engages in harassing behavior, IAIA retains the right to take any actions to restore the safety and welcoming nature of the event environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender, monitoring the behavior, expelling the offender from the conference/event, and providing protection to the person being harassed.  IAIA may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participant or group. In addition, IAIA reserves the right to refer harassing behavior to the appropriate authorities. Cases so referred may be subject to review, judgment, and potential enforcement/sanction by appropriate jurisdictional authorities.

IAIA participants are to follow these rules at all event venues and event-related social activities, and including when participating in virtual events. IAIA believes participants should follow these rules outside of our officially sanctioned event activities as well. 

reporting

If someone is made to feel unsafe or unwelcome, they should report it as soon as possible. Harassment and other code of conduct violations reduce the value of our events for everyone and will not be tolerated. IAIA wants all registrants to be happy when participating in IAIA events.  If there is an incident, a report should be made either personally or anonymously.

PERSONAL REPORT
A personal report can be made by:

• Sending an email to this address concerns@iaia.org.  This email will be continuously monitored for the duration of the event.
• Contacting a staff member directly who will facilitate reporting.  A staff member can be reached at info@iaia.org.

When taking a personal report, IAIA staff will ensure that the complainants are safe and cannot be overheard. With the consent of the complainant, staff may involve other event staff or IAIA Board leadership to ensure the report is managed properly. Once safety has been ensured, IAIA staff will try to document what happened. This can be upsetting to the complaint, so staff will handle it as respectfully as possible, and inform the complainant that he/she can include someone to support them. The complainant will not be asked to confront anyone, and at the request of the complainant, IAIA will maintain the complainant’s confidentiality to the accused.  However, depending on the severity of the incident, IAIA may be required to report the incident to the appropriate authorities, and will inform the complainant accordingly. In addition, IAIA will help identify local counselling and support services, and provide the complainant with their contact details.                                

ANONYMOUS REPORT

An anonymous report can be made here

IAIA cannot follow up an anonymous report with the complainant directly, but will investigate it and take whatever action is necessary to stop the behavior and prevent a recurrence.  IAIA asks that anonymous reports be as complete and thorough as possible, because IAIA will not be able to contact the complainant for additional information or questions.

resources and assistance

The IAIA team will assist complainants to contact local law enforcement, local counseling and support services, or otherwise assist anyone feeling harassed to feel safe for the duration of the event. IAIA values all of its participants. The following contact information is provided to facilitate reporting:

Organizer email address: concerns@iaia.org

Worldwide Resources:

• University of Minnesota Aurora Center advocates are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 612-626-9111. Their website can be found at this link http://aurora.umn.edu/.
  
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network): There is a toll-free 24/7 hotline for sexual assault crisis counseling and referrals in the United States. The number is 1-800-656-HOPE. It is operated by a non-profit organization, and the website can be found at this link http://www.rainn.org.
  
• You may contact the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the U.S. at +1-888-407-4747 (during business hours) or +1-202-647-5225 (after hours) to get information about what your embassy can do to help.  If calling from outside the US, call +1-202-501-4444.
• A list of rape crisis hotlines around the world: http://www.ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.