Universities ‘slow to act’ on campus sex assault issues

Many universities have yet to address the ongoing problems of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus.

Universities are under fire for failing to address ongoing problems of sex assault and harassment on campus.

Many universities have yet to address the ongoing problems of sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus in a timely and direct fashion, says the director of the Australian activist group End Rape on Campus, Sharna Bremner.

“We hear universities talk about the Universities Australia ‘Respect. Now. Always’ campaign all the time and tell us that universities have made great strides and they’re leading the charge in addressing sexual violence, but that’s not what we’re seeing on the ground at all,” she said, adding that EROC was assisting students from six universities, all of whom had unresolved complaints of sexual assault or sexual harassment.

University staff as well as students have complained about sexual misconduct, according to a National Tertiary Education Union survey of 1350 union members working in the sector. With results released last month, the survey found just under one in five respondents had directly experienced sexual harassment, and just under four in 10 said they were aware of others who had been sexually harassed.

“The strong view of the NTEU is that the current attitude of both employers and government, which views sexual harassment as a personal problem for the individual and not as a workplace hazard, is the primary reason we are failing on these issues,” NTEU national president Alison Barnes said.

At least eight sexual assault and harassment complaints about incidents on or around campus have been referred to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. According to a TEQSA spokeswoman, four have been resolved.

Yet Ms Bremner said that it was noted in Senate estimates hearings earlier this year that despite reports of sexual assault and harassment, not a single university had any regulatory action taken against it in relation to this issue. She said it was clear the sector needed an independent taskforce to investigate matters of sexual assault and harassment.

“As we’ve seen, TEQSA really can’t do a whole lot to hold universities accountable,” she said. “If universities aren’t doing the right thing, we need somebody who actually can.”

Students are frustrated by the complaint mechanisms in place at universities, they say.

Several students at Newcastle University complained about a fellow student’s behaviour, with one going to police, but little had happened to deal with the situation, it is understood.

Difficulties filing complaints via the university’s sexual assault and harassment online portal added to the students’ frustration, with complaints initially limited to 500 characters, and problems saving attachments.