If you have experienced threatening or concerning behaviour, or you are worried about someone else, we want to help.
We want everyone who works or studies at RMIT to be safe, comfortable and respected.
If you have experienced threatening or concerning behaviour, we can:
Safer Community can connect you with specialist support options.
There are a wide variety of support options available to you at RMIT and from external agencies. Part of what we do at Safer Community is talk you through your options and help you get the most useful support for your situation.
Below is a list of support services available to you at the University. Use these services if you are concerned about the behaviour of someone in the RMIT community. If necessary, these services might contact Safer Community for case management and advice.
RUSU also provides the following support services:
Sexual Assault Crisis Line
Provides an after-hours, confidential telephone crisis counselling service for victim/survivors of both past and recent sexual assault.
Website: www.sacl.com.au/
Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA)
CASA provides specialist, sexual assault counselling and advocacy throughout Victoria.
Website: www.casa.org.au/
1800 RESPECT
National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service
InTouch
Multicultural centre against family violence providing crisis support for people from culturally diverse backgrounds
QLife
Provides peer support for lesbian, gay, bixsexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people and their friends families and allies.
Djirra
Provides culturally safe and accessible services to Aboriginal people seeking support.
Women’s Information and Referral Exchange (WIRE)
Provides free support, referral and information on any issue for all Victorian women, non-binary and gender diverse people.
MensLine Australia
Telephone and online counselling service for men with emotional health and relationship concerns including issues of violence.
Men’s Referral Service
Telephone advice and counselling for men who need support for family violence.
If you or someone you know has been assaulted, or has experienced concerning, threatening or inappropriate behaviour, support and advice is available from Safer Community.
Bullying is a pattern of repeated physical, verbal, psychological or social aggression that is directed towards a person by someone more powerful and is intended to cause harm, distress and/or fear.
Bullying might involve repeatedly:
Bullying may be perpetrated by a student towards a University staff member or vice versa. It can also occur between staff members or between students.
A person can be bullied about their:
Bullying is not:
Cyber bullying can take many forms, including:
Sexual assault is sexual activity that a person has not consented to. It can refer to a broad range of sexual behaviours that make someone feel:
Sexual assault can include:
Consent is an agreement freely and voluntarily given by a person with the cognitive capacity to do so. Consent is not freely and voluntarily given if you:
If a person does not protest, physically resist, or suffer injuries, this does not mean they freely agreed to sexual activity. Watch this video to find out more about sexual consent.
Learn more about important concepts around consent, communication and respect and how you can intervene safely in difficult situations.
Sexual harassment is any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature, which makes a person feel:
Sexual harassment can include:
It’s not ok to behave this way. It’s not ok to be treated this way.
Stalking is when a person does something repeatedly that causes another person harm or to fear for their safety. A person can stalk someone by:
The Stalking Risk Identification Checklist developed by UK Researcher Laura Richards can help you understand what risk there might be to you or if you believe you are at risk. This can be used if you know your stalker, as well as if you do not. For information on cyber stalking and harassment visit the Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria website.
Unlawful discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavourably because of a personal characteristic.
In Victoria, it is against the law for someone to discriminate against you because of a characteristic that you have, or that someone assumes you have. These personal characteristics include:
Victimisation is subjecting, or threatening to subject, someone to something detrimental because they have:
If you or someone you know has been assaulted, or has experienced concerning, threatening or inappropriate behaviour, support and advice is available from Safer Community.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.