Addressing Sexual Violence in Australian Universities
Recent analysis reveals that a significant number of Australian universities have yet to establish dedicated committees to address the issue of sexual violence on their campuses, despite this being a crucial recommendation from a prominent 2017 report.
According to researchers at the UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute, the transparency of data reporting concerning incidents of sexual violence within university settings remains notably inadequate.
Looking ahead, education ministers from across the nation are scheduled to convene on Friday to finalize an action plan aimed at combatting sexual violence within Australia’s higher education institutions.
Australian universities face a significant challenge with sexual violence, as revealed by the most recent National Student Safety Survey. On average, 275 students experience sexual assault weekly within university settings. In 2020 alone, the survey reported a staggering 14,300 cases of sexual assault among students. Education ministers across the nation are convening to devise a comprehensive action plan to address this pressing issue. Despite these alarming figures, experts suggest that the actual number of incidents might be higher, especially as students resume on-campus activities following the lockdowns of 2020/21.
