WhatsApp Group Code of Conduct
Each member of the WhatsApp group should familiarise themself with these points and contact the committee if they have any suggestions or queries regarding it.
Discussion
Bath Gender Equality is first and foremost a support group. As such, we have a responsibility to keep the WhatsApp group a supportive and safe environment.
Therefore, we ask you to keep your comments considerate and productive.
When challenging another’s opinion (even if you heavily disagree), challenge the point and not the person making it. Personal attacks are not acceptable.
Also, comments that discriminate or perpetuate hate on the grounds of race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation (or another characteristic) are not appropriate.
When making a comment around a ‘sensitive subject’ please take extra care to consider how the phrasing of your comment may be interpreted. With these subjects, it may not be appropriate to play devil’s advocate.
When participating in discussions, please do so with the intent of supporting others or engaging in healthy discussion. Do not phrase your comments in a way that attempts to shame, humiliate, or undermine others.
If you feel another user’s comments are inappropriate or could be construed as personal attacks, message a member of the committee and we will respond to this. Remember, don’t feed the trolls!
Warnings/Disciplinary Action
All users of the group should abide by this code of conduct. If an individual does not, this may result in disciplinary action being taken against them. This action can be taken entirely at the discretion of the committee and may include, depending on the severity of the offence, any of the following:
- A private message to the individual explaining why their actions have broken the code of conduct and, if applicable, how they can avoid doing this in the future
- An article/ comment being deleted from the page.
- A comment being made on a thread from a committee member outlining that a comment is inappropriate
- A member being banned/ blocked from the group and prevented from rejoining
- For more serious breaches, the university may take further disciplinary action
If you feel the code of conduct has been broken by another member, please contact a member of the committee. Alternatively, please contact the page administrators.
If you have breached the code of conduct, it may be appropriate to make an apology to those concerned (in a low-level incident, this may be enough to prevent further disciplinary action).
General Advice
- It can be difficult to communicate intent over the internet. Please bear this in mind.
- It may be better to withdraw from a discussion rather than continuing out of a sense of obligation. Know your limits!