Dear students,

The results from the National Student Safety Survey are now available.

I understand conversations about the survey and its results may be distressing. If you would like to speak to somebody for support, a range of confidential services are available to you.

The survey results are part of a growing body of evidence in Australia that shows sexual harassment and sexual assault are pervasive in all corners of our society. As a nation, this cannot be tolerated and, as a sector, we must be part of the solution.

Every person has the right to feel safe and to be safe. Discrimination and harassment are not accepted at Murdoch University, and it is my expectation that everyone is treated with respect.

Thank you to everyone who completed the survey or shared their story online. Your contribution helps us make change, recognise where well-intentioned measures may have fallen short and see where there are meaningful signs of progress and change.

Survey results and actions

We are working through the results of the survey and will use the data from it to inform our decision-making, ensuring that future actions are representative of the views captured.

As indicated in the survey, 11.9% of our students reported they had experienced sexual harassment and 1.0%* reported they had experienced sexual assault within the last 12 months.

I can not stress enough that any incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment that occurs is one too many.

The most common locations for incidents of sexual harassment at Murdoch were defined as general campus areas, the library, lecture theatres and computers labs.

Due to low reporting numbers, we are unable to provide more detail of locations for incidents of sexual assault. However, nationally most incidents of sexual assault were recorded as occurring in clubs and societies, student accommodation, private residences and at events.

We want all areas on campus to be safe spaces. As such, we are exploring options to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment from taking place by raising awareness within key areas and increasing the availability of our Bystander Intervention Training, so that you can all actively support your peers.

The report also showed that students were unaware of how to make a disclosure or where to go to seek support and assistance. In partnership with the Student Guild, we will be reviewing our communications to promote awareness of the support services available and ensure all students know how to make a disclosure to the University. Additional resources developed throughout the year will focus on key themes of respectful relationships and consent.

We will also be reviewing the membership of our advisory group, to ensure we provide an even stronger voice to students and people with lived experience. This group will be responsible for implementing the items in our action plan and keeping you updated as things progress.

Murdoch is proud to have a diverse community, so it particularly saddened me to see that those most affected by sexual assault and sexual harassment are from our LGBTIQA+ community, with the national report also highlighting the experiences of students with a disability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

As a community we must all be inclusive and respectful of each other. Every person who attends Murdoch University has the right to feel safe and be treated with respect, dignity and fairness.

Jane den Hollander
Interim Vice Chancellor

About the National Student Safety Survey

The National Student Safety Survey ran from 6 September to 3 October 2021.

Students were randomly selected from each university by Universities Australia and the Social Research Centre to take part. This was to ensure representation across gender, level of study, as well as domestic and international students.

A total of 43,819 students participated in the survey across Australia, with 1,389 from Murdoch – representing a response rate for Murdoch University of 13.9%, which was higher than the national average of 11.6%. Read more about the National Student Safety Survey.