The Australian National University (ANU) today recommits to addressing sexual assault and sexual harassment in its community.
The commitment follows the release of the National Student Safety Survey (NSSS), led by Universities Australia.
The survey provides an overview of the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment across the university sector, with 43,819 students, including 1,647 from ANU, participating.
The survey results indicate, within a university context, that:
- A higher percentage of ANU students experienced sexual harassment since starting university and in the last 12 months than the national average.
- A higher percentage of ANU students experienced sexual assault since starting university and in the last 12 months than the national average.
- A higher percentage of the most impactful incidents at ANU occur at student accommodation and residences than the national average.
- A higher percentage of ANU students make formal complaints and seek support from the university when sexually harassed than the national average.
- A higher percentage of ANU students know where to go to make a complaint or seek support for sexual assault than the national average.
- A higher percentage of ANU students know where to go to make a complaint or seek support for sexual harassment than the national average.
ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the University had been a leading voice and proponent of the survey.
"For the last five years, my team and I have been working hard to make our campus safer. This survey is part of that important work," he said.
"Today's results are difficult for our community. And my thoughts are with victim-survivors, their loved ones and the dedicated professionals and advocates who work so hard to support them.
"But while these results are confronting, they are the only way we can understand the scale of the challenge we continue to face and how we can best target our action to keep our community safe."
Professor Schmidt said the survey results were further evidence of the need for continued and strong action.
"This is exactly why ANU is accelerating action and investments to create a safer campus," Professor Schmidt said.
"Each and every instance of sexual assault and sexual harassment is unacceptable, and ANU has a zero-tolerance approach to perpetrators and their behaviour.
"Confronting this challenge means we will always need to listen to victim-survivors, to act on the evidence, and to do more.
"ANU is listening and acting, and we are making major new investments to stop and respond to these unacceptable behaviours.
"Our new $3.3-million-a-year Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan will deliver significant new resources for staffing in ANU residences, recruiting new case managers, making consent training a mandatory part of students' enrolment and further embedding a zero-tolerance approach in ANU culture, including policies, language, training and disciplinary procedures.
Professor Schmidt thanked all survey participants, especially victim-survivors and advocates.
"Thank you for your bravery. Thank you for coming forward and sharing your stories and experiences with us. And thank you for your leadership," he said.
"We are committed to working with you to make our community safer."
Further information about the NSSS and the Student Safety and Wellbeing Plan can be found at www.anu.edu.au/about/strategic-planning/sexual-violence-prevention-and-response.
ANU intends to publish more detailed results in due course, following discussions within the university sector about releasing them in a way that ensures victim-survivors are protected, and participants' privacy is respected.
