Speak Out Tool
What is Speak Out?
Speak Out is an online, anonymous reporting platform designed for both DCU staff and students. It provides a safe and secure way to share experiences of inappropriate behaviour without revealing your identity.
Important Privacy Note
Because the tool is completely anonymous, the University cannot identify or contact you after you submit a report. However, the platform will immediately direct you to appropriate internal and external supports and provide information on how to begin a formal reporting procedure should you choose to do so later.
What can I report?
You can use this tool to report various incidents, including:
- Bullying and cyberbullying.
- Harassment and discrimination.
- Coercive behaviour or control.
- Stalking and assault.
- Hate crimes.
- Sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape.
What will happen when I report?
The tool is completely anonymous, this means that the University cannot identify or contact you after you submit a report. This tool does not give any identifiable information relating to the incident or perpetrator to the University. This means that nobody will be able to get in touch with you and your speakout report will not trigger any other formal reporting action from the University. Your speakout report is used to monitor trends, improve university policies and inform educational interventions.
What if I want to formally report?
The platform will immediately direct you to appropriate internal and external supports and provide information on how to begin a formal reporting procedure should you choose to do so later.
If you want to seek support or read about the options you have to formally report then you can visit our Support and Report homepage.
How does it work?
The SpeakOut tool is in a survey format, you will be asked a series of questions and will then have the option to submit your responses at the end. If you do not submit then your responses are not saved.
All of the questions in the speakout tool are anonymous, the format of the questions are multiple choice and there are no spaces to provide details in a text box.
On the Speak Out homepage you will be able to read about the background of the tool and see important information relating to your data and privacy.
You will also see a link outlining resources and supports that are available to you if you need them.
This section includes a series of questions relating to the situation you are reporting.
This includes:
- What happened, who it happened to and where it happened
- If support has been accessed
- If the situation has been formally reported
This section is optional, you do not need to complete it to submit the report.
You will be asked questions about yourself including gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity and disability.
If you want to submit the report, click the submit button. It is important to remember that because the tool is completely anonymous, the University cannot identify or contact you after you submit a report. However, the platform will immediately direct you to appropriate internal and external supports and provide information on how to begin a formal reporting procedure should you choose to do so later.
It is normal for reporting to bring up difficult emotions and feelings, it is important to take care of yourself. If you want to see what supports are available to you, visit our support and report section.
How do I Access Speak Out?
If you wish to report an incident, you can access the tool via the link below.
Note: If you would like to see the types of questions asked before committing to a report, you can click through the tool to preview them; your data will only be recorded if you click "submit".
What happens with my report?
The Speak Out tool is a key component of the Framework for Consent in Higher Education. By sharing your experience anonymously, you contribute to a larger effort to make Irish universities safer for everyone.
The high-level, anonymised data collected through Speak Out is used to:
- Monitor trends: Identify patterns of misconduct both within DCU and across the country.
- Improve policies: Inform the development of institutional and national policies to ensure they better meet the needs of the university community.
- Target interventions: Shape educational workshops, awareness campaigns, and training to reflect the real-life experiences of staff and students.
- Address risks: Help the University identify and address previously unknown areas of risk or gaps in current procedures.