CANBERRA, Mar 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Almost five percent of Australian university students have been sexually assaulted, since starting university, a report found.
Peak body Universities Australia (UA), today published the results of the 2021 National Student Safety Survey.
It revealed that 4.5 percent of about 44,000 participant students said, they have experienced sexual assault.
One in six students have been sexually harassed since starting at university, and one in 12 has been sexually harassed in the past 12 months, said the report.
Some victims said, they did not know how to report the incidents to their institutions.
“On behalf of Universities Australia and its 39 members, I am deeply sorry,” John Dewar, chair of UA and vice-chancellor of La Trobe University, said in a statement.
“To every single university student who has experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault, or has a friend, family member or loved one who has, I am sorry.”
Students who lived in on-campus accommodation were more likely to be harassed or assaulted than their peers who live with family.
Australian National University (ANU), the second-best university in Australia, according to Times Higher Education’s rankings, said, the survey results indicate, within a university context, that a higher percentage of ANU students experienced sexual harassment when starting university.
Earlier in Mar, the university announced a 3.3-million-Australian dollar (2.4 million U.S. dollar) student safety and wellbeing plan, with a focus on safety in student residences.
“No instance of sexual harassment or sexual assault should be tolerated, and our institutions must set the tone for what is expected from our future graduates,” Dewar said.– NNN-AGENCIES
