Crisis and problem situations

7. Inappropriate behaviour during an academic dinner party

During academic dinner parties, both the persons in charge of event safety and the songmasters can step in if someone behaves inappropriately. At the beginning of the dinner party, we recommend telling and showing the participants who are serving as the persons in charge of event safety and stressing that people can go talk to them in any situation. Inappropriate behaviour includes inappropriate songs or additional verses, offensive heckling and punishments that violate another person’s integrity.

1. You can react to inappropriate behaviour during the incident itself. An offensive song can be interrupted by initiating a toast, for instance.

2. If the harassment has been aimed at a specific person, this person should be shown some support in the situation. During a break, you should go ask them if they are okay and whether they want further action to be taken.

3. After the incident, the person behaving inappropriately should be told why you acted the way you did.