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Danish universities taking hard look at sexual harassment

Christian Wenande
February 13th, 2018


This article is more than 6 years old.

A group of female students pen open letter to their rectors

A #MeToo card has been raised against the government, but can it go away quietly? (photo: Pixabay)

Denmark’s universities are teaming up with the student organisation DSF to investigate the extent of sexual harassment on their campuses.

DSF has heard from students who have been harassed by other students, as well as from university employees.

“Among other things, there are examples of unpleasant experiences at Friday bars and on intro trips,” Sana Mahin Doost, the head of DSF, told DR Nyheder.

“But it’s also very frequent between students and teachers, where an unequal power balance is being abused.”

Doost hoped that the findings of the investigation will be released to the public sometime this spring.

READ MORE: Big Danish ballet name suspended in US in wake of sexual harassment accusation

University backing
Today, Information newspaper will print the open letter penned by almost 50 female students to the rectors of their universities in an effort to raise awareness about harassment on campuses.

The universities aren’t shirking the issue and were quick to link up with DSF to better shed light on the problem.

“Now we must wait and see what this survey is going to reveal. But from the universities’ side, there is a clear interest in continuing the dialogue with students,” Jesper Langergaard, the head of university organisation Danske Universiteter, told DR Nyheder.

“What can we do to shed light on this issue and to make the students feel safer at university?”


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Moreover, 21 percent of those surveyed admitted to medicating their kids with paracetamol, such as Panodil, before sending them to school.

The FOLA parents’ organisation is shocked by the findings.

“I think it is absolutely crazy. It simply cannot be that a child goes to school sick and plays with lots of other children. Then we are faced with the fact that they will infect the whole institution,” said FOLA chair Signe Nielsen.

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At the Børnehuset daycare institution in Silkeborg a meeting was called where parents were implored not to bring their sick children to school.

At Børnehuset there are fears that parents prefer to pack their kids off with a pill without informing teachers.

“We occasionally have children who that they have had a pill for breakfast,” said headteacher Susanne Bødker. “You might think that it is a Panodil more than a vitamin pill, if it is a child who has just been sick, for example.”

Parents sick and tired
Parents, when confronted, often cite pressure at work as a reason for not being able to stay at home with their children.

Many declare that they simply cannot take another day off, as they are afraid of being fired.

Allan Randrup Thomsen, a professor of virology at KU, has heavily criticised the parents’ actions, describing the current situation as a “vicious circle”.

“It promotes the spread of viruses, and it adds momentum to a cycle where parents are pressured by high levels of sick-leave. If they then choose to send the children to daycare while they are still recovering, they keep the epidemic going in daycares, and this in turn puts a greater burden on the parents.”