Reporting university harassment anonymously

Short answer

Yes, in almost all cases you can. Since 1 August 2025 a new regulatory requirement (Office for Students condition of registration E6) applies to registered higher education providers in England, and it specifically requires universities to accept third-party reports and to give clear information about anonymous reporting. Most universities already offer both routes, typically through an online “Report and Support” style tool that lets you choose between reporting with your name attached and reporting anonymously, and that also accepts reports made on behalf of someone else or by a witness. What varies is not usually whether you can report, but what the university can realistically do with the report afterwards.

The regulatory position for universities in England

Condition E6 requires each registered provider to publish a single comprehensive source of information explaining where and how a report of harassment or sexual misconduct can be made, and to provide a range of reporting mechanisms, including in person and online.

Two features of E6 are directly relevant to your question. First, providers must accept reports from third parties, for example on behalf of a student who has experienced harassment or sexual misconduct, or on behalf of a witness, including through third-party reporting centres. Second, where a provider offers anonymous reporting, it must implement and explain it clearly, and must remove unnecessary barriers that make complainants or witnesses less likely to report.

So the framework is designed to make reporting easier, including anonymously and through others. Note that E6 applies to providers in England. Welsh universities are regulated separately (currently by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, moving to the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research), so the exact regulatory hooks differ in Wales, but most Welsh institutions offer very similar reporting tools in practice.

Anonymous reporting versus a named report

It is important to understand the practical difference, because it strongly affects the outcome.

An anonymous report usually means you do not give your name or the accused person’s identifying details, or you withhold enough that the university cannot connect the report to individuals. This is valuable for the university because it feeds into pattern-spotting, prevalence data, risk assessment and prevention, and it may prompt broader safeguarding action. However, an anonymous report generally cannot trigger a formal disciplinary investigation against a named individual, because a fair process almost always requires the university to know who is complaining, to gather evidence, and to put the allegations to the accused so they can respond. Acting on an anonymous allegation to discipline someone would usually breach basic fairness and could itself be challenged.

A named or “disclosed” report means the university knows who you are. This can still be handled sensitively and with confidentiality, and you can often ask for support without immediately triggering a formal process. A named report is what allows the university to investigate, take protective or precautionary measures, and potentially discipline the accused.

Many universities’ tools therefore present two clear options: report anonymously (information only, limited action possible) or report with contact details (support and possible investigation).

Third-party and witness reports

Under E6 the university should accept a report made on behalf of the person affected, or by a witness. In practice, if you are reporting on behalf of a friend, the university will usually want to make contact with the person directly affected before taking any formal action, both to check consent and because that person’s own account and cooperation are normally needed for any investigation. A witness report can be very useful evidence and can also trigger safeguarding action even where the person affected has not themselves reported.

Confidentiality and its limits

Confidential is not the same as anonymous. If you make a named but confidential disclosure, the university will normally try to keep the information within a small number of relevant staff and to act only with your agreement. But confidentiality is not absolute. A university may need to override it where there is a serious and ongoing risk to you or to others, a safeguarding concern, a risk to a child or vulnerable adult, or a legal obligation. If you want to understand exactly how far confidentiality extends, ask the university’s student support or safeguarding team to explain their policy before you disclose the details.

Reporting to the police

Reporting to the university is separate from reporting to the police. Sexual misconduct may also be a criminal offence. You can report to the university, to the police, to both, or to neither, and a university disciplinary process is not a substitute for a criminal investigation. If you want the option of a criminal case preserved, early preservation of evidence matters. You can also seek specialist confidential support, for example from a Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Rape Crisis, or the university’s own specialist advisers, without committing to any formal report.

Practical next steps

1. Find your university’s reporting tool. Search the institution’s website for “Report and Support”, “report harassment”, or the single comprehensive source of information required under E6. This page should set out every route, including anonymous and third-party options.

2. Decide what you want to achieve. If your priority is that the university takes formal action against a named person, an anonymous report will usually not be enough, and you should consider a named report. If your priority is flagging a concern, supporting someone else, or contributing to prevention without exposing yourself, an anonymous or witness report is appropriate.

3. Ask about consequences before you decide. You can usually speak to a student support adviser or the university’s harassment and sexual misconduct team on a confidential, no-commitment basis to understand what each route would trigger, what confidentiality applies, and what support is available.

4. Preserve evidence. Keep messages, emails, screenshots, dates, times, locations and the names of any witnesses. This helps whether you later pursue an internal process or a police report.

5. Consider support alongside reporting. University counselling, a students’ union adviser, or an external specialist service can help you decide, and support does not require you to make a formal complaint.

Key point to take away

You can almost certainly make an anonymous or third-party report, and registered English providers are now required to enable this. The real decision is what outcome you want. Anonymous and third-party reports are excellent for support, safeguarding and prevention, but if you want the university to investigate and potentially discipline a specific person, you will usually need to make a named report so the process can be fair to everyone involved.