Sexual assault, harassment rife at university campuses, shocking survey finds

A shocking number of students have been sexually assaulted since starting university, a disturbing report has revealed — and most perpetrators are known to their victims.

A damning new study of Australia’s university campuses has revealed a shocking rate of sexual assault and harassment.

One in 20 students has been sexually assaulted since starting university, while almost half had endured sexual harassment, a damning new study of Australia’s campuses has revealed.

The results from the National Student Safety Survey were described as “shocking” and “unacceptable”, with one Melbourne University leader saying she had to deal with sexual misconduct issues daily.

Most perpetrators were men, were often fellow students and victims usually knew their perpetrators.

The Universities Australia survey of more than 43,000 students nationwide last year also found that few victims of sexual assault and harassment were likely to report the incident and many were unaware of the reporting procedures.

Women aged in their early 20s were most likely to be victims of both assault and harassment.

Universities Australia chair and La Trobe University vice-chancellor Professor John Dewar says the rate of sexual assault and harassment is unacceptable.

Online harassment had increased as students turned to remote learning during the pandemic.

Female, transgender and students who were non-binary or identified as another gender were more likely to have experienced sexual harassment than male students.

Universities Australia chair and La Trobe University vice-chancellor Professor John Dewar said the problem was unacceptable and apologised to every student who had suffered assault or harassment.

“Every person who attends university has the right to believe they will be treated with respect, dignity and fairness,’’ he said.

“As a nation, this cannot be tolerated, and as a sector, we will continue to be part of the solution.’’

Most sexual assaults occurred in uni clubs’ events and spaces, and student accommodation or residences. The study also considered assaults off-campus including in private homes, on public transport and even those located overseas.

Melbourne Uni’s Provost Professor Nicola Phillips said she was angry at what students were experiencing.

National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes says the results reveal students have been failed by universities and the federal government. Picture: James Croucher

“Since I arrived at the university last September I can tell you that without any exaggeration that I have been dealing with sexual misconduct issues on a daily basis.

“I’m depressed and frustrated that this has been necessary,’’ Professor Phillips said.

Victoria’s higher education minister Gayle Tierney has urged state university vice-chancellors to make campuses safer.

“All forms of harassment and violence are unacceptable and it is an indictment that they are still an issue at campuses across the nation,” Ms Tierney said.

“I am expecting vice-chancellors to provide details of their approach to tackling this issue including how they are improving confidence among students who report incidents.”

University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell said more had to be done to make campuses safer.

“The data are confronting; but it’s important to use this information to motivate the change required to make our campuses safe for our community.”

National Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Alison Barnes said the shocking results revealed that students had been failed by universities and the federal government.

“It is sadly unsurprising that student safety and knowledge of formal complaint processes has become collateral damage in the war the federal government has waged against universities,’’ Dr Barnes said.

The loss of student support staff in recent years had contributed to the problem, she said.

“Another Covid impact has been through the move to online delivery of teaching and the increased instances of online harassment.’’

The results were not broken down into individual universities.