Is primary prevention a priority at Australian universities?
Dr Jessica Ison
17 March, 12.30-1.30 via zoom
Primary prevention has considerable attention in domestic, family and sexual violence research and practice. Peak bodies such as Our Watch have singled out universities as a key location for primary prevention activities. Yet, we know little about what universities are doing across Australia towards the primary prevention of sexual violence and harassment on campuses.
Our study comprised qualitative, semi-formal interviews with 32 people across 28 universities who work in Safer Community style units. We asked them about their current primary prevention interventions and what they have planned for the future. The findings showed that there are few primary prevention interventions at Australian universities. Currently, universities are focused on response and, in particular, on their reporting pathways. This is paired with short, one-off interventions on consent or bystander behaviour. However, some universities are trying to move towards a primary prevention model. Drawing on the expertise of staff in Safer Community, we argue for a whole-of-university, trauma-informed approach that can ultimately prevent sexual violence and harassment on campus.
Dr Jessica Ison is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Judith Lumley Centre, researching drug and alcohol facilitated sexual violence. She is also evaluating the Enhance, Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) program to empower young women in their first year of university. She was previously project manager for the Australian Sexual Violence Primary Prevention project, which identified effective sexual violence and harassment primary prevention interventions and mapped out a Theory of Change for the Australian Government. Jess is also the coordinator of the La Trobe Violence Against Women Network (LAVAWN) and lectures and tutors in Gender Studies, Criminology and Legal Studies.
|