Schoolies hotbed of sex assaults, breeding ground of ‘rape culture’

Schoolies has been caught up in the national groundswell of anger of sexual violence and harassment against women, with the end-of-school festivities a starting point for sexual violence and disrespect.

Schoolies is a hotbed of sexual assaults and a breeding ground for a ‘rape culture’ in Australia, experts say.

They have spoken out about the annual ‘rite of passage’ celebration amid a growing groundswell of anger over sexual violence and harassment of women across the country.

It comes as a Victorian man faced Southport Magistrates Court this week charged over the alleged rape and filming of a girl at Gold Coast Schoolies in 2019.

And Youth Affairs Minister Meaghan Scanlon, herself the victim of a Schoolies sexual assault, vowed to ramp up efforts to combat the scourge at this year’s festival – where music DJs will be instructed to stop concerts and call out any behaviour which crosses the line.

Fury over mistreatment of women – including sexual assault allegations against males ranging from former federal Attorney-General Christian Porter to elite Brisbane private schoolboys – has sparked nationwide protests, a shake-up of Scott Morrison’s Cabinet and a call by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for a national women’s summit.

Experts say the number of sexual assault incidents at Schoolies is hight. File picture.

Experts say Schoolies – with its ‘dangerous mix’ of alcohol, drugs and ‘hyped up’ teens – is a starting point for sexual violence and disrespect towards women

Kerrin Bradfield, of the Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Violence, said many Schoolies sexual assaults went unreported but her organisation responded to ‘multiple incidents’ every year,

“With the vulnerable age group, alcohol and other drugs and the party environment, the incidence (of sexual assaults) is quite high,” she said.

“Unfortunately, we do have a rape culture woven right through every aspect of Australian life.”

Ms Bradfield joined former senior Gold Coast police officer turned Bond University criminologist Terry Goldsworthy in calling for better education for young people around sexual consent.

Dr Goldsworthy said Schoolies promoted a “terrible culture” which led to sexual assaults as well as cases of “regretted sex”.

“It’s a dangerous mix,” he said.

“You have so many young people, all hyped up after finishing school. Throw in alcohol and drugs and it’s kind of almost a culture of promiscuous behaviour.

“It’s party, party, party, and history has shown that sexual assaults do occur.”

Dr Goldsworthy said many teens have some of their first sexual interactions at Schoolies and needed to be better educated about consent and the risks of it being impaired by alcohol and drugs.

“I don’t think a lot of young people understand what consent entails,” he said.

“If one’s saying yes and the other’s saying no, then it doesn’t happen. If you do get drunk or are under the influence of drugs, your ability to look after yourself is affected – that’s a fact of life.”

Andy Gourley, of national Schoolies chaplaincy service Red Frogs, said sexual assaults at the event had dropped significantly over the years but an average of around 20 a year were still reported at Schoolies locations around the country.

“I wouldn’t call it widespread but it’s still significant – one sexual assault is one too many,” he said.

Palaszczuk Government Minister Meaghan Scanlon says Schoolies presents an environment of heightened risk for young women. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Ninety-five per cent of sexual assaults are alcohol-related. There’s no such thing as safe sex when you’re drunk … it’s a really dangerous and murky zone to be in,” he said.

Mr Gourley said Red Frog ‘walk homes’ – where volunteers escort vulnerable teens back to their units – had helped reduce assaults at Schoolies while attitudes had also changed.

“There’s a really strong social justice vibe now where kids will look after their mates and not leave them sleeping on the beach,” he said.

“I think they’re also better educated when it comes to respectful relationships.”

Ms Scanlon, Queensland’s youngest female MP who herself was sexually assaulted as a schoolie after graduating high school, acknowledged the festival was a place of “heightened risk” for vulnerable teenage girls.

“There is potential for sexual violence for any woman going somewhere where there is a lot of alcohol, excitement, hormones, unfortunately that’s the reality for a lot of young women,” she said.

Ms Scanlon will also personally visit schools to highlight sexual assault messaging in the lead-up to this year’s festival, while the Safer Schoolies Gold Coast Response program is also being overhauled to build stronger frameworks against sexual assaults.

She said she hoped any schoolie who endured what she experienced was brave enough to report it to police.

“Don’t be afraid to call out that behaviour,” she said.

Schoolies volunteers will also be given specific sexual assault training while a communications strategy is being developed covering sexualised behaviour, consent and respect.