Respect RMIT: Reducing sexual harm

RMIT has continued its progress to build a community where every student and staff member feels safe, respected and valued.

In 2017 RMIT implemented its Changing the Course three-year framework in response to the Australian Human Rights Commission and Universities Australia recommendations to reduce sexual harm.

The framework was designed to create an RMIT community where students and staff were safe and free from violence, relationships were respectful, services met the needs of those experiencing sexual harm, justice responses were effective and perpetrators stopped their violence and were held to account.

Vice-Chancellor and President Martin Bean CBE said a community built on respect was inclusive, productive, creative and safe.

“Everyone deserves the opportunity to shape their future and belong, so it is paramount that our people feel safe and respected when they choose to study or work with us,” he said.

Since 2017, RMIT had developed and delivered a series of actions, from ongoing training and capability building, through to awareness campaigns and support service improvements.

Training modules on responding to disclosures and respectful supervisory relationships were being rolled out to staff, and a credential on respectful relationships and bystander intervention training was rolled out to students, with a particular focus on student clubs and student leaders.

RMIT also reiterated its commitment to the Victorian State Government Child Safe Standards and clarified its position on power imbalances through a staff-student relationships commitment statement.

The University also continued to make its promise public, inviting each of its community members to make commitments through the Be the Change campaign – an initiative designed to drive a continuing culture of gender-based respect.

RMIT Student Union (RUSU) President Ella Gvildys featured in the campaign and said she was proud of the collaborative approach.

“It’s a great example of us all working together against community sexual harm, with public statements made by RUSU leaders, as well as RMIT staff and students,” she said.

“It’s all about fostering a culture of respect for our students and reducing sexual harm, be it through changing policy, creating safer spaces or even advocating our stance through great front-facing campaigns that we have created together - it all counts to continue to build that safer future, which is essential to all students.”

Hundreds of students and staff made commitments as part of the 2019 campaign.

RUSU President Ella Gvildys makes a commitment in RMIT’s Be the Change campaign

Director of Student Wellbeing and Inclusion Fiona Ellis said the University had been delivering a series of actions designed to drive whole-of-University culture change.

“It has been wonderful to see RMIT students and staff showing their support as we look to create a more respectful community,” she said.

“We’ve had incredible feedback about our bystander training program in particular, with students sharing stories of using what they have learned to safely address disrespectful behaviour.”

RMIT also launched its own Restorative Engagement Program in 2019, opening its doors to those who may have been harmed in the past.

The Program was developed by the Centre for Innovative Justice and modelled on the Defence Abuse Restorative Engagement Program.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Executive also undertook specialist training in responding to sexual assault disclosures and restorative conferencing.

Executive Director, Human Resources Alison Shevlin said the University was committed to delivering initiatives that ensured a safe and respectful RMIT experience.

“We know that this requires continued focus, so we will keep looking at what we can do differently and what we can do better to support our staff and students,” she said.

“This goes to the core of our values as a community that supports and cares about each other.”

Story: Shelley Brady

Society and Environment

31 July 2019

Society and Environment

31 July 2019

Society
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
RNA
Student experience

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Respect RMIT: Reducing sexual harm