Reportwri*enandcompiledbyCourtneySloanewithassistancefromKeeliaFitzpatrick

NATIONAL

STUDENTS

UNION OF

N S

SAFEUNIVERSITIESBLUEPRINT

TalkAboutItSurveyResults&RecommendaIons

WOMEN’SDEPARTMENT

ForewordViolenceagainstwomenisahugeproblemna4onwidewith1in3womenexperiencingphysicalviolenceintheirlife4meand1in5experiencingsexualviolence.Itisalsoanissuethatisthesubjectofmuchgovernmentandnon‐governmentpolicywiththeNa4onalAc4onPlantoEndViolenceAgainstWomenreleasedearlierthisyearbeingjustoneofthemanyini4a4vesputforwardtotacklethisissue.

ReportsofviolenceagainstwomenhadbeenreceivedbytheNa4onalUnionofStudentforaseriesofyearsinawaythatwasnoteasilymeasured.Followingaseriesofincidentsatresiden4alcollegesinNewSouthWalesandtheAustralianCapitalTerritory,manymediaoutletsbegancontac4ngNUSfordataandsta4s4csontheissue,howevernonewasavailable.ThispromptedtheWomen’sDepartmentatNUStodeveloptheTalkAboutItsurvey.

Thissurvey,theonlyofitskind,ques4onedover1500womenontheirpercep4onsofsafety,theirexperiencesofsexualharassmentandassault,andtheirexperiencesofhowitwasdealtwithonceitwasreported.

Itwasimportanttometoensuretherecommenda4onsfromthissurveywerenotjustaproductofNUSpolicybutwerealsoareflec4onofbroaderconsensusbuildingonthisissue.Inthisway,therecommenda4onshavebecomea‘SafeUniversi4esBlueprint’combiningAustralianbest‐prac4ce,interna4onalini4a4vesandsugges4onsputforwardbythewomen’s,ter4aryandyouthsectors.

ThisBlueprintistargetedatbothuniversi4es(includingtheirresiden4alcolleges)andstudents.Itisimportantthatstudentsplayapartinthisprocesstoensurethatanissuethatoverwhelminglyaffectsthemisdealtwithinamannerthatbestaddressestheirneeds.However,theBlueprintalsorecognizestheresponsibilityuniversi4eshaveinensuringthesafetyoftheirstudentswhilststudyingatuniversity.

Itismyhopethatthissurveyanditsreportwillbeginaconstruc4vedialogueinwhichstudentsanduniversi4escanworktogethertoaZempttosolvethisissueandmoveforwardinendingthenega4veeffectsithasonwomenatuniversity.Iwouldliketoacknowledgetheworkof2010Women’sOfficer,KeeliaFitzpatrickinlaunchingthesurvey,andNUSUKfortheiradviceandsupportinpu_ngittogether.IwouldalsothankUniversi4esAustralia,WhiteRibbonAustraliaandtheEqualRightsAlliancefortheirsupportonthisissue.

CourtneySloaneNaIonalWomen’sOfficerNaIonalUnionofStudents

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Contents

Endorsements 2‐3

ExecuIveSummary 4‐5

RecommendaIons 6‐8

Methodology 9

Results 10‐12

RecommendaIonsforFutureSurveys 13

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EndorsementsUniversi4esAustraliaispleasedtoendorsetherecommenda4onscontainedintheNa4onalUnionofStudents(NUS)TalkAboutItsurveyreport.Universi4esAustraliatakesstudentsafetyveryseriouslyandurgesallAustralianeduca4onproviderstoconsidertheNUSreportasawayofcomplemen4ngandextendingoureffortstoimprovethestudentexperience.

Therecommenda4onsaredesignedtoensurewomencanstudyinasafeuniversityenvironmentbyimprovinguniversitypoliciesoninforma4onandservices,repor4ngmechanisms,awareness,infrastructureandtraining.Assuch,theyareconsistentwith,andcomplementarytoUniversi4esAustralia’srecentlyreleasedGoodPrac4ceGuidelinesforEnhancingStudentSafetywhichguide,supportandrecognisegoodprac4ce,bothonandoffAustralianuniversitycampuses.TheseGuidelinesincludeaTenPointAc4onPlanforStudentSafety,andanupdateofmembers’progressagainstthePlanwhichdemonstratesanac4vecommitmenttoimplementa4onacrossthesector.

Universi4esAustraliacon4nuestoadvocateforapolicyenvironmentthatsupportsstudentsafetyandwellbeingonandbeyondcampuses,suchasimprovedaccommoda4oncondi4ons,employmentandstudentsupportservices,andtransportconcessions.Therightpolicyse_ngscombinedwithini4a4vestoaddressspecificsafetyissues,suchastheneedsofwomenoncampus,arecrucialtoensuringthatourstudentshavetheposi4veandrewardingexperiencethatissocentraltotheeduca4onalpurposeandresponsibilityofAustralia’suniversi4es.

GlennWithersUniversiIesAustralia

EqualityRightsAllianceisanetworkofnongovernment,notforprofitorganisa4onsandsocialenterprisescomingtogethertoadvocateforwomen’srightsandgenderequality.With54members,EqualityRightsAllianceisAustralia’slargestorganisa4onalnetworkofwomen’sadvocates.EqualityRightsAlliancemaintainsafocusongenderequality,women’sleadershipandwomen’sdiversity,includingbringingyoungwomen’svoicestopolicyanddecisionmaking.EqualityRightsAlliancecongratulatestheNa4onUnionofStudentsforitsworkinhighligh4ngtheproblemofviolenceagainstwomenonuniversitycampuses.TheresultsoftheNUS’scomprehensivesurveyaredisturbing–womenareexperiencingviolence,inarangeofforms,yetthereisaverylowlevelofincidentsbeingreported.Theyarefeelingunsafeatnightonuniversity’scampuses,andtheyreportbeingunawareofavailableservices.Therecommenda4onsofthisreportarecomprehensive,prac4calandfocused,andwecommendthemtoalluniversi4estoimplement,andmakestepstowardscomba4ngviolenceagainstwomenonuniversitycampuses.

EqualityRightsAlliance

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Violenceagainstwomeniswidespread,systemicandculturallyentrenched.Itisanissuewhichtakesmanyforms–fromphysicalandsexualviolencetoemo4onalandfinancial.NomaZerwhatformviolencetakes,ithasseriousandodendevasta4ngconsequencesforvic4ms,theirextendedfamiliesandthecommunity.

ThefindingsfromtheNa4onalUnionofStudents’“TalkAboutIt”survey,andsubsequentrecommenda4ons,verifythatAustralianuniversi4esarenotimmunetothesocialandeconomicimpactsofviolenceagainstwomen.Allwomendeservetherighttofeelsafeandsecureonuniversitycampusesandcolleges;tolearnfreelywithoutthethreatofviolence.

Furthermore,allwomeneverywheredeservetolivealifefreefromviolence.ThisisthefundamentalpremiseoftheWhiteRibbonCampaign–amovementwhichspansover60countries.TheWhiteRibbonCampaigninAustraliaworkstostopviolenceagainstwomenthroughengagingmenandboysinprimarypreven4onstrategies;suchasmaleleadership,awareness‐raisingandeduca4on.Thesestrategiesaredesignedtocreateinter‐genera4onalchangeinthewaymenandboysthinkandacttowardswomen.Inaddi4ontopreven4onprograms,WhiteRibbonhas1400Ambassadorswhoareraisingawarenessoftheissueandareworkingtocreatechangethroughtheirnetworksandcommuni4es.

However,achievinginter‐genera4onalchangeischallengingandwon’thappenovernight.Itrequiresawhole‐of‐communityapproachandreliesonthepoweroftheindividualindrivingthischange.

Therecommenda4onscontainedinthissurveyhighlighttheneedfortheuniversitycommunitytotakeaunitedapproachincomba4ngviolenceagainstwomen.Thisisanissuearoundwhicheveryone,fromViceChancellorstostudentrepresenta4ves,canplayapowerfulleadershiprole.Universi4esareconduitsforcrea4vity,innova4onandsocialchange.TheyplayapivotalroleinshapingAustralia’sfuture.ByexpandingtheWhiteRibbonCampaignintouniversi4es,throughestablishingWhiteRibboncommiZeesandappoin4ngWhiteRibbonAmbassadors,Australiaisanotherstepclosertocrea4ngsustainablechangearoundthisissue.

WhiteRibbonlooksforwardtoworkingwithAustralianuniversi4esincrea4ngafuturefreefromviolenceagainstwomen.

WhiteRibbonAustralia

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ExecuIveSummaryPERCEPTIONSOFSAFETY

Duringtheday,92%ofrespondentsfeltsafecomparedwithjust24%atnight.

SEXUALHARASSMENT

86%ofrespondentshaveexperiencedsomeonemakingsexualcommentsornoises.25%havehadunwantedphysicalcontactofasexualnature.35%havehadunwantedcontactinthewayofgroping,touchingetc.13%hadexperiencedsomeoneexposingtheirsexualorganstothemwithouttheirpermission.25%oftheserespondentsexperiencedthisbehaviorseveral4mes.73%ofthosewhorespondedtothisques4ondidnotknowtheiraZackerpriortotheevent.

UNWANTEDOBSESSIVEBEHAVIOR&STALKING

17%ofthesurvey’srespondentssaidthattheyhadexperiencedstalker‐likeorobsessivebehavior.57%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasanacquaintanceorfriend.15%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasapartnerorex‐partner.6%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasanacademicornon‐teachingstaffmemberattheiruniversity.27%saidthattheywereunknownpriortotheoffence.

EXPERIENCESOFPHYSICALMISTREATMENT

9%ofthesurvey’srespondentssaidthattheyhadbeenhitorphysicallymistreated.67%ofrespondentshadexperienceditintheformofbeingpushed,slapped,andshovedorhavinghadtheirhairpulled.39%hadexperiencedhavingsomethingthrownatthem.26%hadbeenkicked,biZen,hitwithafistorsomethingthatcouldhurtthem.12%hadbeenchoked,dragged,strangledorburnt.34%saidtheperpetratorwasunknowntothempriortotheincident29%saidthattheywereanacquaintanceorfriend.31%saidthattheywereapartnerorex‐partner.

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EXPERIENCESOFSEXUALASSAULT

67%ofrespondentssaidthattheyhadanunwantedsexualexperience.31%hadsexwhentheywere,orfeltunabletoconsent.36%hadotherunwantedsexualexperienced.17%hadexperiencedrape.12%hadexperiencedaZemptedrape.11%hadexperiencedassaultbypenetra4on.56%ofrespondentssaidthattheiraZackerwasanacquaintanceorfriend.22%saidthattheyknewtheiraZackerin4mately27%saidtheydidnotknowtheiraZackerpriortotheincident.

REPORTING&AWARENESS

Only3%ofrespondentswhohadexperiencedassaultorharassmenthadreportedittotheiruniversityandonly2%reportedittothepolice.Amajorityofstudents(68%ofrespondents)statedthattheydidnotreporttheincidentbecausetheydidn’tthinkitwasseriousenoughtoreport.Ofthosewhodidreporttheincidenttotheiruniversity,morewereunhappywithhowitwasdealtthanwerehappy.Morewomenthannotwereawareoftheservicesavailabletothemfromtheiruniversitywith26%awareoftheseservicescomparedwith17%not.

IMPACT

Oftherespondentswhohadexperiencedassault,harassmentandstalking,70%saidthatithadaffectedtheirconfidence,67%saidthatitaffectedtheirmentalhealthand49%saidthatithadaffectedtheirpersonalrela4onships.

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RecommendaIonsSERVICES

RecommendaIon1:Whereauniversityhasacounselingservice,thatcounselorsareadequatelytrainedindealingwithsexualassaultand/orharassmentandarenotoverwhelmedorunder‐resourced.Whereauniversitydoesnothavetheseservices,thatitconsiderinves4nginthemorhaveawidelypublicisedreferralservicethatcandirectstudentstoexternalservices.Ideally,staffdealingwithvic4msshouldbefemale

RecommendaIon2:Free,aderhoursshuZlebusesshouldbemadeavailableonorbetweenallcampusesandtonearbytransporthubssuchasatrainorbussta4ons.

RecommendaIon3:Universitysecurityservicesshouldbeabletoprovideescortsbetweenpointsoncampusaderdark.

INFORMATION

RecommendaIon4:Odeninforma4onregardingwhatcons4tutesassaultorharassment,theuniversity’sposi4ononit,andwhattodoaboutitonceitoccursisspreadacrossvariousuniversityservicesandfacul4es.Universi4esshouldaimtohavethisinforma4oncentralized,accessibleandeasytofind(suchasontheirwebsite’sstudent‐portalfrontpage).Theyshouldalsoliaisewiththeirstudentorganiza4on(s)wheretheyexisttoensurethatthisinforma4onislinkedfromthestudentunionwebsite.

RecommendaIon5:Universi4esshouldliaisewiththeirstudentorganisa4on(s)whereappropriatetoensurethatnewstudentsarrivingduringorienta4onweeksareprovidedwiththisinforma4onintheirinduc4onpacks.Universityspecificinforma4onshouldbeputtogetherbytheuniversityandproducedwiththeaimofdistribu4ngduringo‐weeks.

RecommendaIon6:Thisinforma4onshouldincluderepor4ngchannelsoutsidetheuniversitysuchasthepolice,andcontactinforma4onforservicessuchasRapeCrisisCentres,LegalAidandhealthservices.Informa4onspecifictointerna4onalstudentsshouldalsobeincludedsuchashowtheirvisasinteractwiththeprocess,ifatall.

RecommendaIon7:Allinforma4onregardingthisissueneedstobekeptup‐to‐datetoreflectchangesintherelevantlegisla4onandchangesinbestprac4ce.

REPORTING

RecommendaIon8:Universi4esshouldconsidergivingstudentstheopportunitytoreporttheirincidentanonymously.Anop4onforthismaybeonlinerepor4ng.Manyvic4msdonotwishtotaketheircomplaintfurtherorareafraidofpossiblesocialrepercussions.Inthisway,dataonthenumberofoccurrencescans4llbecollectedinasensi4vemannerandusedtoinformfuturepolicy.Witnessesofsexualassaultcouldalsoreportitinthisway.

RecommendaIon9:Thesereportsshouldbefollowedupbytheuniversityandac4onedwhereappropriateinasensi4vemanner.

RecommendaIon10:Effortshouldbemadetoensurethateverypointofcontact,beitwithcounselors,security,academicsoradmin,iswithafemalestaffmemberwhohasbeentrainedinhowtodealwithassaultandharassment.

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RecommendaIon11:Thesereports,aswellasothersmadeinpersonandthroughmoreconven4onalchannels,shouldbeusedtoprovidecampusbaseddatasetsontheratesofassaultand/orharassment,andwhattheperceivedcausesare,inordertoinformongoinguniversitypolicyandprac4ce.Anonymoussta4s4csshouldbemadeavailabletorelevantareaswithintheuniversityinordertoimprovetransparencyanddemonstratethattheissueisbeingdealtwith.

CAMPAIGNS

RecommendaIon12:UniversityVCscouldconsiderbecomingWhiteRibbonAmbassadorsinordertomakeitexplicitlycleartotheuniversitycommunitythatthiskindofbehaviorisnotacceptable,andthattheuniversityisseriousabouttacklingtheproblem.

RecommendaIon13:Individualcampusescouldconsiderstar4ngcampusbasedWhiteRibbonGroupsforstudentstogetinvolvedin.Theseareinstrumentalinchallengingthea_tudesofmentowardswomeninregardtoviolence.

RecommendaIon14:StudentUnions/Associa4onsshouldensurethattheirwomen’srepresenta4veisresourcedeffec4vely.Women’sofficersareodenfirstcontactsforwomenwhohavebeenassaultedandensuringthattheyhavethecapacitytodealwithassaultandharassment(eitherthroughtraining,provisionofresources,orprovision/increaseofhonorariatoensuregreatercapacityforface‐to‐face4meoncampus)willgoagreatwaytoensuringvic4msarereceivingtheappropriateaZen4on.

RecommendaIon15:StudentUnions/Associa4onsshouldensurethemainstreamingofthisissueintotheirday‐to‐daybusinessbyrunningwholeofunioncampaignsontheissue,discussinghowbesttopromoteservices,regularlyassessingtheeffec4venessofuniversityandcollegepolicyandreviewinghowtheissueintersectswithotherposi4onssuchasthePresident,QueerOfficers,IndigenousOfficer,WelfareOfficersandsoon.

POLICIES

RecommendaIon16:Policiesregardingtheuniversity’sposi4ononharassment,assaultandviolenceshouldbeeasilyavailableandeasytounderstand.TheyalsoneedtobeaZachedtomeaningfuloutcomessuchasensuringthewelfareofthepeopleinvolvedandaimingtoreducethenumberofincidencesthroughanemphasisonrehabilita4onoreduca4on.

PoliciesregardingassaultandharassmentoncampusneedtobeaZachedtolong‐termgoalsincluding,butnotlimitedto,thefollowing:

Reducingthenumberofincidencesoncampus;1.Ensuringthatthevic4minvolvedisnotfurthertrauma4zed;2.Ensuringthattheperpetratorinvolvedisequippedwithinforma4ontoensureitdoes3.nothappenagain.

RecommendaIon17:Policiesdealingwithharassmentandassaultshouldstand‐aloneandnotbeconfusedwith‘grievance’or‘bullying’policies.Theissueisastarklydifferentonewithdifferentinfluences,causesandoutcomesandshouldbedealtwithinawaythatrecognizesthis.

RecommendaIon18:Policiesshouldavoidplacingtheonusonthevic4morpu_ngthemindamagingsitua4onsthroughouttherepor4ngandhandlingprocess.

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RecommendaIon19:Indealingwithcomplaintsoncetheyhavebeenmade,media4onshouldbeanop4onbutnottheonlyone.Universi4esshouldaimtodeveloppolicieswheretherearesuitesofop4onsforvic4mstochoosefrom.Thiscouldbedevelopedinconsulta4onwithcounselorsandstudentsthemselves.

RecommendaIon20:Allresiden4alcollegesandhalls,whetherprivateorownedbytheuniversity,shouldbemadetoadheretotheuniversity’sbroaderpolicyonviolenceagainstwomenandrequiredtoreporttotheuniversitythenumberofincidentsreportedundertheircareandhowtheseincidentsweredealtwithoncereported.

INFRASTRUCTURE

RecommendaIon21:Universi4esshouldensurethatligh4ngacrosscampusisatalevelthatensuresthatwomeninpar4cularfeelsafeatnight.Thisisnotlimitedtoensuringthatmainpathsorroutesoncampusareproperlylit.Thispar4cularlyappliestocampusesthathavelargeareasofbushlandorgardens.Universi4esshouldaimtolightdirectroutesbetweenpointsoncampus.

RecommendaIon22:Universi4esshouldaimtoensurethatallmaintransitroutesoncampushavephonesinstalledtoalertsecurityofanydanger.

RecommendaIon23:Universi4esshouldaimtoensurethatallmajorroutes,landmarksandbuildingsoncampusaremonitoredbyvideosurveillance.

RecommendaIon24:Universi4esshouldensurethatpatrolled“safespaces”areavailable,easytofind,well‐litandopen24hours.Thesespacesshouldhaveclear,well‐lit,safeaccesstolatenightpublictransportservicesorshuZlebusestobusortrainsta4ons.

RecommendaIon25:Universi4esshouldensurethataccessiblecampusmapsshowinglitandpatrolledroutesaremadeavailableatseveralpointsoncampus,par4cularlyatentrypoints.

TRAINING

RecommendaIon26:Allpastoralcareteams(suchasseniorresidents,residentassocia4ons,posi4onsonstudentunionsetc.)needtohavecomprehensivetrainingprovidedthroughtheuniversityondealingwithassaultandharassmentwhenitisreported.

RecommendaIon27:Allstaffemployedbytheuniversityneedtohavetraininginwhatassaultandharassmentare,whattheuniversity’spoliciesonitareandwhattodoaboutitonceitisreported.

RecommendaIon28:Universi4esshouldconsiderdevelopingabaselevelofassaultandharassmenttraining(suchassomethingequivalenttoanRSAcer4ficate)forsecurityguardstocompleteinordertogainemploymenttoensureasafety‐trainingstandard.

RecommendaIon29:Universi4esshouldconsiderdevelopingrespecrulrela4onshipstrainingtargetedatstudents–par4cularlythoselivingincloseproximitytooneanothersuchascollegestudents.Suchtrainingisaimedatbreakingdowna_tudestowardswomenthatinformthebehaviorsoutlinedinthesurvey.Suchtrainingactsasapreventa4vemeasure.

RecommendaIon30:Recognisingthatgirlfriendsareodenthefirstpeoplefemalevic4msofsexualassaultorharassmentturntoforadvice,universi4esshouldconsiderhavingtrainingtargetedatfemalestudentsthatbeZerequipsthemwithwhattodoand/orsayshouldafriendcometothemhavingexperiencedit.Thisfirstresponsecangreatlyinfluencethecourseofac4on(repor4ng,counselling,healthcare)thevic4mtakesfromthatpointon.

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MethodologyTheNa4onalUnionofStudentsresearchstaffconductedareviewofavailablematerialrela4ngtothesafetyofuniversitystudentsinAugust2010.Thisreviewaimedtogaugeinterna4onalapproachesto:

i) thecollec4onofsta4s4csaboutstudentsafety;ii) thecollec4onofsta4s4csaboutviolenceagainstwomen;andiii) improvingthesafetyofuniversitystudentsoncampus.

Detailedconsulta4onwascarriedoutwiththeNa4onalUnionofStudentsintheUnitedKingdominearlySeptember2010.TheapproachestodifficultsubjectmaZerandresearchmethodologyusedintheNUSUK2010Report‘HiddenMarks:Astudyofwomenstudents’experiencesofharassment,stalking,violenceandsexualassault’wereexaminedanddiscussed.TheNa4onalUnionofStudentsthenexaminedanddiscussedwaysofadop4ngrelevantelementsofthismethodologyandapproachtotheissue.Womenstudentrepresenta4vesatallpublicuniversi4esviewedthesurvey’sdradcontentandprovidedfeedbackandadjustmentspriortoitbeinglaunched.

ThesurveywasconductedexclusivelyonlinethroughtheNUSwebsitedomainandusinganonlinesurveytool.Thesurveywaspromotedtostudentsbystudentrepresenta4veorganisa4onsanduniversityadministra4ons.Thesurveywasaccessibleonlinebetweenthe14thofSeptember2010andthe20thMarch2011.Atotalof1549surveyresponseswerecollected.Duetothesensi4venatureofsomeofthesurvey’sques4ons,responsestoeachques4onwereop4onalandpar4alresponseswereaccepted.

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ResultsTheaveragestudentfillingoutthesurveywasafemale,later‐year,domes4cstudentaged24.7years.Theylivedinaprivateresidenceanddidnotiden4fyashavingadisability.1549studentsrespondedtothesurveybetweenSeptemberandDecember2010andJanuarytoMarch2011.

PARTA:PERCEPTIONSOFSAFETY

Safelearningenvironmentsareimportantforensuringsoundlearningoutcomesforstudents.Unfortunately,manyrespondentsinthissec4on,whilstabletoiden4fywithrela4velyhighlevelsofsafetyduringtheday,wereunabletoiden4fyinthesamewayforthenight.Thisissueispar4cularlyrelevantoncampusesthatholdeveningclasseswherestudentsmaybeoncampusaderdarkorwhentransportbecomeslessfrequent.

Thedifferenceinthenumberofwomenfeelingsafeduringthedaycomparedwithwomenfeelingsafeatnightwhilstoncampuswasstark.Duringtheday,92%ofrespondentsfeltsafecomparedwithjust24%atnight.Theseresultswerenotrestrictedtopar4cularcampusesbutthereasonscitedforfeelingunsafewerecommon.Commonreasonswhyincludedpoorligh4ng,latenightclasses,isolatedplacesandthepresenceoflargegroupsofmen.

“ThelighInginsomecarparksisverydimandlimited.”“Whenclassesheldatnightfinishlate,itishardtostandatthebusstopandusuallythese placesareisolated.”“…[Thereare]languagebarrierssomeImes…”“[Thereisa]lackofpeoplearoundamer5pmandnosecuritypersonnelwalkingaround.”“Carparksaremilesawayfrombuildings”`“[Thereare]largegroupsofmenloitering”

PaZernswerealsonotedinthebuildingsinandaroundwhichwomennotedthattheyfeltunsafe.Ovals,bushyareas,carparks,computerlabsanddarkspacesingeneralweremostodennoted.Thelinkobservedwasthattheseareaswereusuallypoorlylit,isolatedornotpatrolledbysecurity.

Thesurveyalsoaimedtoteaseoutthereasonswhyresiden4alcollegeenvironmentsmayhavefeltunsafetorespondents.Forthosewhonotedanyfeelingthattheirsafetywasthreatened,reasonsincludedincidencesofpreviousaZacksatthatpar4cularcollege,strangerswalkingaboutthebuildingandlivingarrangementsinsharedaccommoda4oninwhichwomenwereplacedwithgroupsofmenorwithpeopletheydidnotknow.

“SomeImesintruderscomeintocollege,omenunchallenged”“Someoneoncetriedtoopenmydoor”“IhadtosharewiththreemalesandhadnochoicewhoIcouldsharewith…Ifeltoutnumbered”

PARTB:SEXUALHARASSMENT

Harassmentisanissuethatisaddressedinmanyuniversitypoliciesyetthefocusistypicallyontherolesstaffplay.Despitemanycampus’saZemptstodevelopcomprehensivean4‐harassmentpolicies,thereares4llissuesofstudent‐to‐studentharassmentthatarenotadequatelyaddressedatmanyuniversi4esandalackofclarityaroundwhatactuallycons4tutesharassmentinthefirstplace.

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Inthissec4on,respondentswereabletoanswer‘yes’tomorethanoneques4onandsopercentagesaddeduptomorethan100%.Thiswasinrecogni4onthatmanywomenexperiencemanydifferentformsofharassment.Thissec4onalsoseparatedthesedifferentformsratherthangroupingthemunderasinglecategoryof‘harassment’asitwassuspectedthatsomewomenmightnothaveknownwhetherornottheyhadexperiencedharassment.Bysepara4ngeachout,wewereabletogetabeZerreflec4onofthelevelofincidencesatuniversi4es.

86%ofrespondentshaveexperiencedsomeonemakingsexualcommentsornoises.25%havehadunwantedphysicalcontactofasexualnature.35%havehadunwantedcontactinthewayofgroping,touchingetc.13%hadexperiencedsomeoneexposingtheirsexualorganstothemwithouttheirpermission.

25%oftheserespondentsexperiencedthisbehaviorseveral4mes.73%ofthosewhorespondedtothisques4ondidnotknowtheiraZackerpriortotheevent.

PARTC:UNWANTEDOBSESSIVEBEHAVIORANDSTALKING

Obsessivebehaviorandstalkingareintrusivebehaviorsthatcausefearinthepeopleexperiencingthem.Thisthreattofeelingsafewhilstatuniversityaffectswellbeing,whichinturnaffectslearningoutcomes.

Thissec4onques4onedstudent’sexperiencesofstalker‐likebehavior.Thiswasdefinedasbeingrepeatedlyfollowed,watched,phoned,texted,wriZento,emailed,communicatedthroughsocialnetworksitesorinanyotherwaythatmadethestudentfeelafraidorconcernedfortheirsafety.

17%ofthesurvey’srespondentssaidthattheyhadexperiencedstalker‐likeorobsessivebehavior.

Oftheserespondents,57%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasanacquaintanceorfriend.15%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasapartnerorex‐partner.6%saidthatthepersonresponsiblewasanacademicornon‐teachingstaffmemberattheiruniversity.27%saidthattheywereunknownpriortotheoffence.

PARTD:EXPERIENCESOFPHYSICALMISTREATMENT

Physicalmistreatmentisthesortoftangibleviolenceagainstwomenthatismosteasilyrecognizedandyets4llremainsasanissueatmanycampuses.Itisherethatintersec4onalissuesarealsoquiteprominent.Whilstviolenceagainstwomenisanissueforallwomen,ithasvaryingeffectsondifferentgroupsofwomen.Anecdotally,weknowthatmanyinterna4onalstudentsfearrepercussionsfortheirvisasuponrepor4ngincidencesofviolence.Wealsoknowthatlevelsofviolencepercapitaareatleastashighinfemalesame‐sexaZractedcommuni4esandforyoungwomenthanwhenthesta4s4cistakenfromsocietyasawhole.

9%ofthesurvey’srespondentssaidthattheyhadbeenhitorphysicallymistreated.

Mostrespondents(67%)inthissec4onhadexperienceditintheformofbeingpushed,slapped,shovedorhavinghadtheirhairpulled.39%hadexperiencedhavingsomethingthrownatthem.26%hadbeenkicked,biZen,hitwithafistorsomethingthatcouldhurtthem.12%hadbeenchoked,dragged,strangledorburnt.

34%saidtheperpetratorwasunknowntothempriortotheincidentwith29%sayingthattheywereanacquaintanceorfriend.31%saidthattheywereapartnerorex‐partner.

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PARTE:EXPERIENCESOFSEXUALASSAULT

Sexualassaultor‘rape’arestronglyaffectedbypopularmyths.Suchaprivateandunspokencrimeispreytopopulardepic4onsofwomenindarkallieswithstrangersbeingviolentlyassaulted.Assuch,manywomenwhoexperience‘rape’donotiden4fywithhavingdonesoandsimilarly,manyperpetratorsdonotseethemselvesas‘rapists’.Thisdoesnotmeanthattheexperiencesofthesewomenareanylesstrauma4c,orthatacrimehasnottakenplace,ratherthatthecrimeisnotreportedandvic4m’sneedsarenotproperlyaddressed.

Otherissuesincludefunc4onsoftraumawherevic4msdownplaytheirexperiencessoasnottoaZractthesocials4gmaandemo4onalbaggagethatcomeswith‘beingraped’.

Inthissec4on,respondentswereaskedques4onsabouttheirexperiencesofsexualassault.Theseques4onsgavevariousop4onsforthesamecrime.Thiswasdoneinordertocaptureresponsesfrompeoplewhohadtechnicallyexperiencedsexualassaultor‘rape’butdidnotiden4fywithhavingdoneso.Anecdotally,weknowthatsomewomendonotknowwhatcons4tutessexualassaultandsothisques4onaimedtocapturethesewomen’sexperiences.Respondentswereabletoanswermorethanone(assomewomenmayhaveexperienceddifferentformsofsexualassaultduringdifferentoccasions)sopercentagesaddeduptomorethan100%.

67%ofrespondentsinthissec4onsaidthattheyhadanunwantedsexualexperience.31%hadsexwhentheywere,orfeltunabletoconsent.36%hadotherunwantedsexualexperiences.17%hadexperiencedrape.12%hadexperiencedaZemptedrape.11%hadexperiencedassaultbypenetra4on.

56%ofrespondentssaidthattheiraZackerwasanacquaintanceorfriend.22%saidtheyknewthemin4matelyand27%saidtheydidnotknowtheiraZackerpriortotheincident.

PARTF:REPORTINGANDAWARENESS

Stronglevelsofrepor4ngindicatethepresenceofanenvironmentinwhichrepor4ngiseasytodoandisencouraged,thatistosay,oneinwhichvic4msfeelsafeanddonotfearsocialrepercussionsfortheircomplaint.Repor4ngisalsointegraltodevelopingpoliciesthatproperlytargettheissueandallowfororganicandappropriatepolicyandservicedevelopment.

Thesurveydemonstratedthatlevelofvic4msrepor4ngiswellbelowideal.Repor4ngiscrucialtoensuringthewellbeingofthoseinvolvedandtoinformingfuturepolicyaroundtheissue.Oftherespondentswhohadexperiencedthebehavioroutlinedabove,only3%reportedittotheiruniversityandonly2%reportedittothepolice.

Mistakenly,amajorityofstudents(68%ofrespondents)statedthattheydidnotreporttheincidentbecausetheydidn’tthinkitwasseriousenoughtoreport.Thiscoulddemonstrateeitheralackofclarityonwhatcons4tutesassault,harassmentorobsessivebehavior,thatvic4mshaddownplayedtheirexperiencessoasnottoaZractaZen4onorsocials4gma,orthattheirfirstresponse(fromfriendsorfamilyforexample)wasonethatwronglyledthemtobelievethattheoffencewasnotoneworthrepor4ng.Itisimportanttonotethatthisresultwasinnowaybecausetheoffencewasnotinfactseriousenoughtoreport.

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Ofthosewhodidreporttheincidenttotheiruniversity,morewereunhappywithhowitwasdealtthanwerehappy.

Morewomenthannotwereawareoftheservicesavailabletothemfromtheiruniversitywith26%awareoftheseservicescomparedwith17%not.Servicesvic4msreportedtothatwerelistedincludedbutwerenotlimitedto:SRCsUnionsandGuilds,theuniversitywomen’sroomsandofficersanduniversitycounselingservices.

However,forservicesoutsidetheuniversity,morerespondentswereunawareofavailableservices.Forthosewhowereaware,theserviceslistedbythemincludedwomen’scentres,CASA,WIRE,Helpline,YWCA,RapeCrisisCentres,Police,familyplanningservicesandGPs.

PARTG:IMPACT

Theimpactofassaultandharassmentonvic4ms’mentalhealthiswelldocumentedandholdstrueintheseresults.Inthissec4on,respondentswereabletorespondtomorethanoneop4on.Oftherespondentswhohadexperiencedassault,harassmentandstalking,70%saidthatithadaffectedtheirconfidence,67%saidthatitaffectedtheirmentalhealthand49%saidthatithadaffectedtheirpersonalrela4onships.

RecommendaIonsforFutureSurveys

ThatNUSconductthissurveyevery2yearssoastobeableto1.monitorchangesandimprovements.

Thatthesurveybeamendedtoincludealargersec4onthatbeZer2.teasesoutresiden4alcollegeissues.

Thatmoreuniversi4espar4cipateindistribu4ngthesurveythrough3.theirall‐studentnetworks.

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Women’sDepartment