An Australian Uni Is Hiring A Full-Time Counsellor For Victims Of Sexual Assault
"We don't really know how big the problem is until we start trying to address it."
This article discusses sexual assault.
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Students at the Australian National University in Canberra will soon have access to a full-time counsellor specially trained to aid victims of sexual assault.
According to the ABC, ANU has partnered with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre to ensure that a trained counsellor is on campus five days a week so that students can receive the support they need. It’s a measure the centres’ chief executive Chrystina Stanford says is long overdue.
“We have known that the problem is there and so has the ANU,” she said. “But thankfully they’ve been a whole lot more proactive than any other university that I’ve seen, around stepping forward to try and address the problem, which is where we come in with our counselling model.”
Stanford said that the centre would be willing to commit further resources if required. “Given we’re in a pilot phase we don’t quite know yet how many people will come to seek help,” she said. “I guess that’s one of the issues with trying to address sexual assault – or family violence or domestic violence in the community – we have vague statistics but we don’t really know how big the problem is until we start trying to address it.”
Last year, ANU’s John XXIII College expelled five students for sexual harassment, after they allegedly took photographs of female students’ clothed breasts and rated them in a Facebook group chat. They were not expelled from the university itself.
Australian universities have recently found themselves under increasing pressure from both students and activists to address the issue of sexual assault on campus. A study commissioned by Sydney University last year found that a staggering 99 per cent of assaults at the uni are not reported to an on-campus official.
The Human Rights Commission is due to publish a report into campus sexual assault on August 1. Universities have also pledged to release their own data on the same date.
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If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
Men can access anonymous confidential telephone counselling to help to stop using violent and controlling behaviour through the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491.
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Feature image via University of Sydney Women’s Collective/Facebook