Sexual harm

For students and staff

Sexual harm is very different from a consensual, welcome or reciprocated interaction. It’s non-consensual behaviour that is sexual in nature – like sexual assault, sexual harassment and technology-facilitated abuse.

Whether you or someone you know has experienced sexual harm, or you’d just like to talk to someone about it, our Safer Community Unit is here – we can provide information, support and advice, and help you report sexual harm, if that’s what you’d like to do.

Disclosing and reporting sexual harm can be difficult – you need to do what’s right for you. You’re not alone and we’re here to support and empower you during this process.

Report an incident or concern

Understanding sexual harm

What is consent?

Consent means free and voluntary agreement between people engaging in sexual acts. Consent must be affirmative, meaning that everyone has a responsibility to say or do something to obtain consent both before engaging in and during any conduct of a sexual nature with another person.

Consent cannot be assumed. Consent must be ongoing and mutual. It must be present each time, and for the duration of any sexual act. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Consent to one act does not mean consent is agreed to in any other act. Consent to an act with one person does not mean consent is agreed to in an act with a different person, or with the same person on a different occasion.

A person must say or do something to communicate consent. Just because a person doesn’t resist verbally or physically, it doesn’t mean that they consent. Consent can be communicated by words or gestures – by saying or doing something.

There are many circumstances in which a person isn’t able to consent, including if they are coerced, forced, detained, asleep, unconscious or if the circumstances of the sexual act are mistaken or changed (e.g. barrier protection is removed).

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is any unwanted sexual acts or sexual contact that happened where a person was either forced, threatened, pressured or tricked, or no effort was made to check whether the person was consenting (including where a person was asleep or affected by drugs or alcohol).

What is sexual harassment?

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might intimidate, insult or humiliate – it could be physical, spoken or written. It includes:

• comments about a person’s private life or appearance
• sexually suggestive behaviour (such as staring)
• unwanted physical contact (such as brushing up against someone, touching, fondling or hugging)
• sexually suggestive jokes or comments
• unwanted requests to go out or engage in sex
• sexually explicit emails, text messages or social media posts.

Sexual harassment is different from an interaction that’s consensual, welcome or reciprocated. A single incident can amount to sexual harassment – the behaviour doesn’t have to occur more than once.

What is technology-facilitated sexual harm?

Technology-facilitated abuse refers to a range of behaviours where digital technologies are used to facilitate both virtual and face-to-face sexual harm. Technology-facilitated abuse includes:

• image-based abuse or sextortion (taking, sharing or threatening to share intimate images or videos without consent, or unless you give in to their demands)
• impersonation (pretending to be someone online, including creating fake social media accounts)
• sending unwanted nude images or unsolicited requests to receive intimate images.

See the technology-facilitated abuse page for further details.

Can stalking be a form of sexual harm?

Stalking is repeated, unwanted contact that causes distress or fear. Stalkers can be strangers, but mostly they’re people you know, such as an intimate partner.

Stalking includes behaviour such as:

• showing up or hanging around uninvited at someone’s home, work or class
• damaging property or belongings
• following someone around
• giving someone unwanted gifts
• contacting someone repeatedly
• using threats against someone or their loved ones.

Cyberstalking is when stalking occurs online. It includes:

• posting about someone on social media without their consent
• sending unwanted messages and emails
• using social media or GPS to monitor someone’s whereabouts.

What is gender-based violence?

Gender-based violence is an umbrella term for any harmful act that is perpetrated against a person’s will, based on socially ascribed (gender) differences between marginalised genders, women and men. The nature and extent of specific types of gender-based violence vary across cultures, countries and regions.

What to do

If someone is at immediate risk of harm, call:

• Monash Security on 03 9905 3333 (for immediate help on campus)
• 000 (for immediate help on or off campus).

If you experience, see or hear about sexual harm, we encourage you to contact the Safer Community Unit.

Getting support

Monash adopts a trauma-informed approach to ensure all parties are supported throughout any process, focusing on individuals’ safety and wellbeing. Monash is committed to providing support and safety which is person-centred, addressing individual needs through various tailored support options. The victim-survivor is never at fault and is in no way responsible for the actions of the perpetrator.

You can have a confidential discussion about your options with the Safer Community Unit – they can offer expert help, advice and support while you consider what you’d like to do. The final decision is an important personal choice – and yours alone to make.

Contact the Safer Community Unit from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm:

• Phone: +61 3 9905 1599
• Email: safercommunity@monash.edu

Report an incident or concern

For more information, see getting help and support.

Counselling

The Monash Counselling Services provides confidential counselling support for students and staff, you can book an appointment or access 24/7 phone support:

More help and advice

Monash resources

• Sexual harm flowchart: A quick overview of the support and reporting pathways available to you if you experience sexual harm.
• Sexual assault information sheet: Learn what constitutes sexual assault, what to do (whether the incident happened recently or a long time ago) and where you can go for support.
• Sexual assault information booklet: Find out more about your reporting options, recovery and healing, and what to do if you know someone who’s experienced sexual assault.
• Sexual harassment information sheet: Learn what constitutes sexual harassment, what to do about it and where you can go for support.
• Sexual harassment information booklet: Get information about how to report an incident to the University and what to do if you know someone who’s experienced sexual harassment.

External resources

• 1800 Respect: 24-hour confidential counselling and support for people affected by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, and abuse.
• Full Stop Australia: Free, confidential and 24/7 counselling and advocacy to people impacted by sexual, domestic and family violence (for privacy reasons, Full Stop does not record phone calls).
• South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence (SECASA): Therapeutic counselling and support to victim-survivors of sexual assault or family violence.
• Men’s Line: Free professional 24/7 online counselling support for men experiencing family violence.
• QLife: Anonymous and free LGBTIQA+ peer support and referral for people in Australia.
• Rainbow Door: LGBTIQA+ family violence support.
• Thorne Harbour Health: Counselling support for LGBTIQA+ people.
• Say It Out Loud: LGBTIQA+ focused information on healthy relationships and sexual, domestic and family violence.
• inTouch: Specialises in working with migrant and refugee women who have experienced family violence and require culturally-specific services to ensure their safety and assist them on their journey to recovery.
• Djirra: Support for Aboriginal women and their children who are currently experiencing family violence or have in the past and are still not safe.
• National Redress Scheme: Support for people who have experienced institutional sexual child abuse.

Policies and procedures

• Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Policy (pdf)
• Sexual Harm Response Procedure (pdf)
• Sexual Harm Response Schedule (Monash University Indonesia) (pdf)
• Monash University's Strategic Commitment to Gender-based Violence and Sexual Harm Prevention and Response (pdf)