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FACULTY FOCUS
Those who lodge a formal complaint aren ' t satisfied with the response , with over 70 per cent claiming the university took no action
‘ Support and validate ’
Sexual harassment impacts university staff , research shows
By Erin Nixon
University staff experiencing sexual violence and harassment on campus are dissatisfied with the university ’ s response when they make formal complaints , according to a recent national survey .
In late 2022 , Monash University conducted a national survey of 1,412 victim-survivors of workplace sexual harassment in Australia , including 100 people who worked on university campuses .
The survey , which was led by Monash ’ s director of gender and family violence prevention Professor Kate Fitz-Gibbon , highlights the alarming frequency of workplace sexual harassment events among university staff .
Of the survey respondents , 23 per cent said that they experienced sexual harassment on a weekly basis .
The survey shows that those who lodge a formal complaint aren ’ t satisfied with the response , with over 70 per cent claiming the university took no action .
“ Universities need to take the lead on this issue . Creating a culture of accountability for perpetrators , and processes that support and validate victim-survivors ’ experiences of harm is critical ,” Professor Fitz-Gibbon said .
UNION SURVEY The National Tertiary Education Union ( NTEU ) is currently running a survey to understand the extent of educator assault and harassment on university campuses post-pandemic .
NTEU ’ s last survey , conducted in 2019 , showed little difference in the rates of harassment on campus compared to the broader community .
However , the Universities Accord discussion paper shows that up to 80 per cent of undergraduate teaching is done by casual employees which has potential to distort NTEU ’ s data .
The sector ’ s highly casualised workforce may prevent staff from reporting sexual violence at work if they are concerned about the impact it could have on their career , while some staff choose to protect themselves by leaving the university . The 2019 survey found that one in four staff were subjected to unwanted touching or cornering , but almost 40 per cent of staff didn ’ t trust the reporting process and were concerned about the impact it would have on their careers .
University staff have also experienced harassment via anonymous student evaluations commenting on their physical appearance or other comments of a sexualised nature .
INDEPENDENT TASK FORCE The Accord interim report recommended action to address violence on campus as an immediate priority .
Advocate organisations including End Rape on Campus ( EROC ), Fair Agenda , and The STOP Campaign ( STOP ), have called on the federal government to establish an independent task force to hold universities accountable for reporting and preventing sexual violence on campus .
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare established a working group admitting “ we ’ re just not doing enough ”.
The working group – led by higher education deputy secretary Ben Rimmer – will involve violence prevention expert and Our Watch chief Patty Kinnersley .
The working group will report to state , territory and federal education ministers in November .
The report will also be considered by the Accord panel as they prepare their final report for December . ■
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