Rough Crowd is committed to providing a safe, fun, harrassment-free learning space for all participants.
How to Conduct Yourself
- Respect others’ boundaries and needs. Always ask for explicit verbal consent before engaging or touching someone. Accept permission or refusal with grace. (Go here for more on Consent and Connecting at Rough Crowd – and really, anywhere.)
- Respect your own boundaries and needs and take responsibility for yourself. Stay attuned to your physical, mental, and emotional needs. Feel free to step out of (or even leave) a class at any time, for any reason if you need to. If you’re being asked by someone to engage in something that doesn’t feel right to you, say so.
- Don’t wait for someone to “get the hint.” Try to assertively vocalize your needs. If possible, speak directly to the person you have a concern with about it. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, please contact a staff member to help.
What To Do If You Have A Problem
Feeling harassed or unsafe for any reason is enough to approach an organizer or assistant. Harassment comes in too many forms to list here, and include but are not limited to offensive comments, unwelcome sexual attention, or receiving unsafe play practice.
If you feel like “maybe I shouldn’t say anything,” remember: a person’s inappropriate actions affect everyone in the group, and everyone in the community. Perhaps someone acts inappropriately to you and then moves on to act in a similar manner with someone else because it was not addressed. Perhaps they go on to do that in other groups. We want everyone involved to feel and be safe, and we also want to leave the community just slightly better than we found it: allowing it to be addressed may help to stem the tide with that one individual – and thus help the whole.
If you have something to say, our first priority is to listen.
After listening to the attendee, organizers will discuss with the individual what course of action would make them feel most safe. We can separate individuals, speak to other attendees, provide an escort out, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe during the event.
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately and without equivocation. Organizers may take additional action as deemed appropriate, up to expulsion from the event or group.
If you are being harassed or have any other concerns, you are encouraged to bring the matter to organizers, or tell someone who feels comfortable approaching us for you.
Rough Crowd 