Today, the ANU will join Universities Australia (UA) in inviting students to participate in the National Student Safety Survey (NSSS). This survey involves 39 Australian universities and runs from Monday 6 September to Sunday 3 October 2021. The ANU will invite 10,000 students to participate in this survey. 

The survey will be run by the Social Research Centre (SRC), an independent body, to help all Australian universities “understand what the experiences of people enrolled in university have been, what is happening on our campuses now and what we need to do to support all students”. The survey will “collect data on the scale and nature of university student experiences of sexual assault and sexual harassment”. 

Avan Daruwalla, the ANUSA Womens Officer has previously told Woroni of her concerns regarding the trauma informed nature of the survey, stating that it has “major potential for the re-traumatisation of survivors”.  

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said that “any incident of sexual violence that occurs inside or outside of our university communities is one too many”, stating that “[u]niversities acknowledge the lived experience of victims and survivors of sexual violence”. Jackson stated that “universities recognise their responsibility and are determined to build on their commitment to prevent sexual violence and support those who have experienced it”. 

Jackson confirmed that all responses will remain anonymous. 

Further information regarding the ANU’s involvement in the survey here.  

If you or someone you know has been affected by this, please contact one of the support services below:

Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, Crisis Line
(02) 6247 2525

ANU Counselling
(02) 6125 2442

1800 RESPECT
1800 737 732

ANU Women’s Department
sa.womens@anu.edu.au

ANU Queer* Department
sa.queer@anu.edu.au

ANU Respectful Relationships Unit
respect@anu.edu.au