Code of Conduct

Code of Conduct for Meetings and Events

The Society for Research in Psychopathology (SRP) is committed to providing an inclusive and harassment-free environment in which all attendees feel welcome and can engage in productive and collegial exchanges of ideas. Attendees are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully, and refrain from actions or statements that could be reasonably construed as harassing or personally disparaging, including but not limited to the conduct described in “Harassment Defined” below.

Scope of Code

This code applies to all participants, staff, guests, and vendors at all official SRP events, including the annual meeting, committee meetings, social events, or other activities that are expressly sponsored or promoted by SRP, whether held in public or private facilities, as a condition of attending the event.

This policy is an expression of SRP’s values and commitment to a safe and productive experience for all participants and attendees at its official events. This policy is not an acknowledgement, admission, or description of SRP’s legal obligations with respect to any of the subject matters addressed herein, nor does it create any such legal obligations.

Harassment Defined

Harassment includes verbal, physical, and visual acts that create an intimidating, offensive, or hostile environment. Harassing conduct can take many forms and includes, but is not limited to, the following: slurs, epithets, derogatory comments, insults, degrading or obscene words, jokes, demeaning statements, offensive gestures, or displaying derogatory or demeaning pictures, drawings, or cartoons based upon an individual’s sex, race, color, national origin, religion, age, physical or mental disability, perceived disability, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Sexual harassment includes making submission to or rejection of sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature a condition of, or factor in, participation or enjoyment of benefits, meetings or events, or when such conduct otherwise has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with a person’s ability to benefit from and enjoy or participate in the meeting or event. Sexually harassing conduct in particular includes all of these prohibited actions, as well as other unwelcome conduct that is sexual in nature, such as unwanted sexual advances; lewd propositions or innuendos; leering; making sexual gestures; making sexually suggestive or graphic comments or engaging in inappropriate sexually-oriented conversation; displaying sexually suggestive objects, graphics, pictures, or posters, whether physically or over the Internet, except those graphics that are a part of scientific discourse (i.e., where the scientific subject is sex); making or using derogatory comments, epithets, slurs or jokes; the sexual touching or display of one’s own body; or unwanted physical touching or assault, as well as impeding or blocking movements.

Sexually harassing conduct can be by a person of any gender identity that is directed at another person of any gender identity. Conduct that begins as consensual in nature may become harassment if one party withdraws consent. Sexual or other harassment prohibited by this policy is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The above list of prohibited behaviors is not a complete rendering of what may be deemed sexual or other harassment prohibited by this policy. It is impossible to define every action or word that could be interpreted as harassment. However, SRP has a "zero tolerance" policy toward discrimination and all forms of harassment, even if it is not specifically referred to or defined in this Code, or is not legally actionable as sexual or any other form of harassment.

Prohibited Behaviors

Prohibited conduct at SRP meetings includes, but is not limited to:

• Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory or derogatory speech or actions.
• Derogatory or prejudicial spoken or written comments or images related to race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or other personal characteristics.
• Real or implied threats of physical, professional, financial or reputational damage or harm. Note that reporting and investigations of potential code of conduct violations do not violate this code.
• Sexual harassment as defined above.
• Inappropriately disrupting or interfering with presentations or other events (e.g., repeatedly interrupting presentations, interference with others attendance at a talk/program) .
• Violence or threats of violence.
• Any retaliatory actions against reporting parties or those involved in implementing the code of conduct will themselves be considered violations of the code of conduct.

See the full policy and reporting process here.