END RAPE ON CAMPUS AUSTRALIA THE RED ZONE REPORT An investigation into sexual violence and hazing in Australian university residential colleges End Rape on Campus Australia 2018 Contents Foreword'and'executive'summary' 3' 1.' Introduction' 12' 2.' Prevalence' 31' 3.' Timeline' 41' 4.' Case'studies' 55' 5.' Themes'and'issues' 73' 6.' The'broader'context' 107' 7.' Recommendations' 137' 8.' Appendix' 145' ' This'report'was'produced'by'End'Rape'on'Campus'Australia,'an'organisation'working' to'end'sexual'violence'at'universities'and'residential'colleges'through'direct'support' for'survivors'and'their'advocates,'promoting'prevention'through'education,'and' advocating'for'policy'reform'at'campus,'state,'and'federal'levels.' ' www.endrapeoncampusau.org'|'EROC'Australia'2018' The Red Zone Report Page 2 FOREWORD: Professor Catharine Lumby I' began' my' university' studies' at' the' University' of' Sydney' in' 1980,' where' I' completed' an' Arts(Hons)/Law' degree.' I' arrived' having' no' idea' that' residential' colleges' existed.' That' soon' changed.'In'my'first'year,'a'number'of'fellow'female'students' told' me' about' their' experiences' of' sexual' assault' and' harassment'in'the'college'environment.'I'also'witnessed,'firstV hand,' hazing' rituals' which' spilled' onto' campus,' obscene' misogynistic'slogans'chalked'on'pavements'proudly'badged'by'all'male'colleges'and'experienced'sexual' harassment'by'men'who'attended'colleges.' I'returned'to'Sydney'University'in'1999,'where'I'set'up'the'first'Media'and'Communications'degree.'To'my' horror,'I'discovered'that'nothing'appeared'to'have'changed'in'some'of'the'colleges.'A'number'of'female' students'in'the'degree'I'presided'over'and'taught'into'approached'me'for'advice'about'the'assault'and' harassment'they'had'experienced'at'the'hands'of'male'college'students.'A'gay'male'student'also'detailed' an'attempted'rape'by'male'college'residents.'Just'as'in'the'1980s,'none'of'the'students'wanted'to'report' the'incidents'because'they'feared'reprisals.'Nor'did'they'want'me'to'approach'those'in'authority.'The'best' I'could'do'was'refer'them'to'the'onVcampus'counselling'service'and'keep'my'door'open'to'them'whenever' they'needed'pastoral'care.' Reading'this'brilliant'and'meticulously'researched'report'over'the'past'week'all'those'stories'came'back'to' me.'To'be'frank,'I'had'to'put'the'document'to'one'side'at'times'to'process'the'full'extent'of'abuse'and' assault'that'permeates'our'college'and'residential'halls.'' As'an'academic,'my'first'responsibility'is'always'to'my'students'and'a'primary'part'of'that'is'ensuring'they' feel' safe' on' their' campus.' Like' the' vast' majority' of' my' colleagues' I' care' deeply' about' equity' for' all' students.'Yet'how'can'there'be'educational'equity'for'women,'members'of'the'LGBTI'community'or'any' male'regarded'as'not'appropriately'‘masculine’'if'they'have'to'face'harassment'and'assault'on'campus'and' in'their'residences?'' This'report'details'data'on'residential'colleges'and'halls'gathered'from'12'universities,'including'all'GO8' universities.' It' relies' on' reports' which' have' also' detailed' the' systemic' problem' in' colleges' and' other' residences,'including'the'recent'Broderick'report'on'college'culture'at'the'University'of'Sydney.'But'it'goes' much'further'than'any'report'to'date.'It'gives'a'graphic'and'detailed'account'of'bullying,'harassment'and' assault'in'these'residences.'It'makes'for'sickening'reading.'' ' ' The Red Zone Report Page 3 Once'again,'unveiling'the'truth'of'what'lies'behind'college'and'residential'walls'has'fallen'to'a'group'of' brilliant'and'research'led'young'women'who'make'up'the'advocacy'group'End'Rape'on'Campus'Australia.' This' is' the' group' who' last' year' released' an' equally' shocking' report' on' harassment' and' assault' on' our' campuses.'The'lead'author'Nina'Funnell,'aided'by'Anna'Hush'and'Sharna'Bremner,'have'produced'a'gold' standard'report'with'no'funding.'They'wrote'it'because'they'care'about'equality'and'because'they'stand' up'for'and'by'all'survivors'of'harassment'and'assault.'' In'one'sense'I'feel'very'proud.'Fifteen'years'ago'Nina'Funnell'first'entered'the'course'that'I'taught'at'the' University'of'Sydney.'Since'then'I'have'supervised'Nina’s'honours'thesis'and'I’ve'watched'her'emerge'into' an'incredibly'talented'researcher'and'investigative'journalist.'As'a'mentor'and'an'academic'it'is'elating'to' watch'my'students'excel'and'I'commend'the'way'in'which'she'and'others'have'used'their'very'personal' experiences'to'campaign'for'change.'' Yet'I'am'also'appalled'that'so'much'of'the'heavy'lifting'continues'to'be'done'by'young'womenV'who'are'at' risk'of,'or'who'have'actually'experienced'sexual'assault'–'and'in'many'cases'their'labour,'skill'and'expertise' continues'to'go'unpaid.'' At' my' own' university,' I' am' pleased' to' say' that' our' ViceVChancellor,' Professor' Bruce' Downton,' has' publically'demonstrated,'through'words'and'actions,'his'deep'commitment'to'making'our'campus'and'our' residential' halls' free' of' harassment' and' abuse.' That' is' why' I' continue' to' be' a' proud' member' of' the' academic' community' at' Macquarie' University.' But' too' many' of' those' in' his' position' still' appear' to' be' paying'lip'service'to'the'issue.'' As'the'#metoo'movement'has'shown,'those'who'fail'to'act'immediately'and'transparently'on'the'systemic' problem' of' sexual' harassment,' sexual' assault' and' bullying' detailed' in' this' report' will' be' called' out.' All' organisations'across'every'sector'are'now'on'notice'about'these'issues.'Calling'in'a'public'relations'firm'no' longer' works.' The' only' solution' is' to' confront' the' truth' and' act' on' it' by' researching' the' culture' and' implementing'evidence'based'education'programs.' I'love'being'part'of'an'academic'community.'I'am'proud'of'the'colleagues'I'work'with.'But,'most'of'all,'I'am' proud'to'have'the'privilege'to'teach'students'who'are'eager'to'learn.'NoVone'can'learn'if'they'live'under' the'shadow'of'violence'or'abuse.'' As'I'write'this'foreword'my'oldest'son'prepares'to'enter'university.'Would'I'recommend'he'considers'living' in'a'residential'college'or'hall?'Not'after'reading'this'report.'' I' commend' this' excellent' and' meticulous' report' and' offer' my' profound' thanks' to' the' authors' for' their' tireless' work' on' behalf' of' everyone' who' is' a' survivor' of,' or' at' risk' of,' sexual' assault,' harassment' or' bullying.' / Catharine/ Lumby/ is/ a/ Professor/ of/ Media/ Studies/ at/ Macquarie/ University/ and/ a/ pro>bono/ adviser/ on/ gender/equality/issues/to/the/NRL. The Red Zone Report Page 4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In'recent'years,'Australian'university'‘Orientation'Weeks’'(O'Weeks)'have'been'highlighted'as'a'time'of' pronounced' vulnerability,' particularly' for' new' students.' Sexual' assault,' hazing' and' excessive' alcohol' consumption'have'led'sexual'assault'advocates'to'dub'this'week'‘The'Red'Zone’.'Research'has'recently' found' that' residential' colleges' suffer' from' particular' problems.' One' in' eight' attempted' or' completed' sexual'assaults'at'the'University'of'Sydney'(USyd)'colleges'will'occur'during'a'single'week'of'the'year'V'O' week.' International' literature' also' supports' the' finding' that' this' is' a' time' of' increased' vulnerability' for' students,'particularly'firstVyear'women.'Likewise,'sexual'assault'services'around'Australia'have'also'noted' an'increase'in'demand'for'service'during'and'then'immediately'following'Orientation'Week.' ' There'are'currently'39'universities'in'Australia'with'216'residential'colleges'or'halls'attached'to'them.'This' report' includes' case' studies' at' 12' universities,' including' all' the' Group' of' Eight' universities.' Data' was' gathered'in'an'eightVweek'time'frame'through'interviews,'Freedom'of'Information'requests,'and'a'review' of'available'social'media'material'and'mainstream'media'reporting.' ' Based' on' newspaper' reporting,' it' would' appear' evident' that' residential' colleges' suffer' from' particular' problems'during'O'Week'and'that'hazing,'sexual'assault,'ritualistic'humiliation,'alcohol'abuse'and'other' forms'of'general'misbehaviour'have'marred'the'residential'colleges'at'the'University'of'Sydney'for'much'of' their'history.''Recently,'however,'the'readiness'of'whistleVblowers'to'step'forward'and'tell'their'stories,' the'rise'of'social'media'and'its'ability'to'document'and'produce'evidence'of'cultural'problems,'and'an'even' larger' gap' opening' between' the' standards' of' acceptable' behaviour' expected' by' Australian' society' and' those' practised' in' the' colleges,' have' resulted' in' frequent' negative' media' coverage' of' incidents' and' scandals.'' ' Just'as'at'other'Australian'universities,'the'potential'for'the'toxic'culture'of'the'residential'colleges'at'USyd' to'hurt'not'only'individual'residents'and'students,'but'also'the'very'reputation'and'marketability'of'the' University'itself,'has'prompted'a'growing'understanding'and'acknowledgement'by'the'administration'that' cultural'reform'is'necessary,'and'that'such'reform'will'not'be'successfully'implemented'by'the'colleges' without'external'intervention.'' ' To'this'end,'in'May'2016,'the'Vice'Chancellor'of'the'University'of'Sydney'Dr'Michael'Spence'requested'that' the'residential'colleges'cooperate'with'a'review'of'their'culture'conducted'by'former'Sex'Discrimination' Commissioner,'Elizabeth'Broderick.'' ' While'the'Broderick'&'Co.'review'(released'in'late'2017)'made'a'significant'contribution'in'bringing'to'light' quantitative'data'regarding'hazing,'bullying'and'sexual'assault'at'the'USyd'residential'colleges,'the'report'