The damning findings of Change the Course, the first national report on sexual violence and harassment at Australian universities, were released in 2017. In response, universities adopted a raft of recommendations, policies and institutional changes. The findings of the second National Student Safety Survey, conducted in 2021 by Universities Australia, are due to be made public next Wednesday.
The 2017 report led to campaigns and interventions to prevent sexual violence on campus, as well as better support services for survivors. Yet much more work still needs to be done. Our research, which explores primary prevention initiatives and best-practice alternative reporting pathways, offers insights into how universities could improve their responses to sexual violence and harassment on campuses.
