Something’s happened – I’m not sure if it might be sexual assault or sexual harassment

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Self Care

You may find the information below confronting and challenging.

For some, it may cause distress. Please take care of yourself and reach out for support if you feel you need it. The University has a free and confidential Counselling Service for students.

In addition, University Respect Officers provide specialist support for students who have experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment, and family & domestic violence.

If you have experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment, sometimes it can take time to process and fully comprehend what’s happened. If it doesn’t feel right, it can be worth talking through your experience with someone you trust such as a friend or family member – or a University Respect Officer, University counsellor, or an external support service such as 1800RESPECT or Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia. An advantage of speaking with one of these specialists is that they have expertise and they can help you to identify if what has happened to you may be sexual assault or sexual harassment. These services can help even if you just want to talk through a situation and don’t want it to go any further. You will be greeted warmly, respected and believed, and you will not be judged.

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours, or any other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that causes a person to feel offended, humiliated or intimidated, where it could be reasonably assumed that the other person would feel offended, humiliated or intimidated.

More information about what amounts to unlawful sexual harassment is available on the Australian Human Rights Commission Website.

Sexual assault occurs when a person is forced, coerced or tricked into sexual acts against their will or without their consent.

Consent occurs when a person freely and voluntarily agrees to engage in a sexual act. Consent cannot be given by people who are:

  • incapacitated due to intoxication or the influence of drugs
  • incapacitated due to their age or intellectual capacity
  • unconscious or asleep
  • under threat of or actual force
  • intimidated, coerced or threatened
  • unlawfully detained or held against their will
  • tricked or manipulated due to the person being in a position of trust into providing consent

For more information about consent, visit the 1800RESPECT ‘about consent’ webpage.