Consent program changing sexual assault, harassment culture at Charles Sturt University
Posted
Charles Sturt University is doing things differently after a landmark report exposed a disturbing culture of sexual assault and harassment on campus.
The Australian Human Rights Commission surveyed the nation's students and found more than half had been sexually harassed at least once at university in 2016.
This year, Charles Sturt University introduced a compulsory, intensive education program targeting the so-called "grey area" around consent for its first-year students.
As part of their orientation to university, students living on campus are required to take part in the Playing Right project.
Students watch and discuss audio and visual material designed to speak to them in "their own language", including a cartoon in which a character berates his friend for wanting to have sex with his drunk girlfriend, saying "nah mate, she's maggot".
The sessions are run by trained program leaders from a variety of backgrounds, including university staff, psychologists and an older Indigenous policeman.
Only one student has so far refused to take part in the program, while four who were sick and could not attend have been offered other sessions.
Students' attitudes towards consent were measured before and after the session, with program leaders describing the changes in understanding and use of language as "surprising".
Going in, some students showed a vague understanding of what consent means or of the importance of sobriety, or knew little about how to report assault.
Twenty-one-year-old Charles Sturt University student Alex (not her real name), has had firsthand experience of sexual assault and believes the program will make a difference.
She said it took a long time to tell anyone about what happened to her.
"There is always that thing of it being, 'Why didn't the girl say no? Why didn't the girl push him away? Why did the girl go home with him?'.
"I think why I was so scared to seek professional help [was] because I didn't feel like I had a good story to tell."
Changing campus culture
Program leader Isabel Fox said there had already been an increase in students reporting sexual harassment and assault.
She said part of the program's success was due to the #MeToo and enthusiastic consent movements.
"On a lot of campuses, you go to bar night and people are still wearing their 'Hell, yes' badges," she said.
"[It] really fits the climate that we're in at the moment.
"Our tag is 'It is not a yes unless it's a hell yes'."
In May, the program won an award for the best education program presented at the Asia-Pacific Student Accommodation Association conference.
Next month, Ms Fox will take the project to the United States to present it to dozens of other universities from around the world.
"There are no assumptions about anything, and there doesn't have to be to have these conversations," she said.
"To be taking that to show an international audience is such a privilege for me, I am so proud of the program."
James Kelly heads up two of Charles Sturt University's residences in New South Wales.
He said the university had to act to address a disturbing campus culture.
"Some of the figures that came out were quite scary — the lack of reporting and lack of knowledge around it," he said.
"We identified it is important to have a face-to-face session that gives the students the skills to operate successfully within the community we have."
It is an approach that student Alex believes will make a difference.
"Now that the uni is introducing that, it is just so good," she said.
"I feel like so many more girls will want to report it [sexual assault and harassment], and even boys will want to report it as well.
"It is a way to get over it, not let it affect you like it has affected me for such a long time."
Topics: sexuality, sexual-offences, university-and-further-education, act, nsw, qld, vic
