SASH and DFV services

Emergency

Call 000 at any time if you are in need of emergency assistance or you are worried about your or another person’s imminent safety.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Line

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, sexual harassment (SASH) or domestic and family violence (DFV), you can get support and advice by calling:

1800 737 732 (1800 Respect)                or visiting:       www.1800respect.org.au

This is the Australia-wide 24 hour-a-day hotline for sexual assault and sexual harassment and domestic and family violence support.

 

TRIGGER WARNING

This webpage contains definitions of sexual assault and sexual harassment and some survivors may find this content distressing. Please seek support if you need it.

What is Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment?

ACT’s Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Policy states:

Sexual Assault is a term covering a range of criminal offences involving a sexual act or sexual contact without consent.

Sexual harassment is an unwelcome sexual advance, an unwelcome request for sexual favours, or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances in which a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would have anticipated the possibility that a person would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.

Consent occurs when a person freely and voluntarily agrees to engage in a sexual act. Consent can be withdrawn at any time and cannot be presumed based on previous experience. Not saying or not doing anything does not imply consent. Consent cannot be given where a person is unconscious or in a state where they are unable to freely and clearly express consent. Consent cannot be given by a child under the age of consent specified in the law of the relevant state or territory.

Safer spaces at the ACT

The Australian College of Theology (ACT) expects all members of its community to treat one another with respect and dignity to make each campus and their online environments safer spaces for everyone.

Any form of sexual assault or sexual harassment will not be tolerated, and the ACT will assist any member of the ACT community who discloses an incident of sexual assault or sexual harassment with accessing support through referral to relevant services.

For more information, please read our Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Policy.

How can I get support?

We have prepared a list of sexual assault and sexual harassment support services which are available nationally, and local to where our students are located. This includes access to translating and interpreting services for our international students and students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, as well as legal services. The list also includes services related to domestic and family violence.

How do I report?

Disclosures and reports may be made by telephone or email, or face to face to your College’s student support contact or to the ACT’s SASH Contact Officer, the Quality and Inclusion Officer. The SASH Contact Officer receives disclosures and reports and you can contact them on (02) 8937 5301. For details about student support contacts at each ACT College, go to the “College contacts” section at: https://www.actheology.edu.au/student-support-services/

There might be a number of reasons why you would choose to disclose or report an incident and you might not be sure what outcomes you are seeking. These can be discussed once you have made contact with a support contact or the SASH Contact Officer.

Reporting FAQs

Do I have to make a formal report?

No, if you don’t feel comfortable making a formal report, you don’t have to. There are a number of ways you can let us know of an incident without having to make a formal report. You can choose to disclose information about an incident without seeking for it to be investigated. Or you can choose to make a formal report if you would like it to be investigated. We will support you no matter your decision.

Where does my report go?

You can choose to disclose or report to your College’s student support contact or to the ACT’s SASH Contact Officer. When you disclose or report, they will advise you of the support available to you and to discuss your options in response to the information you have provided.

Can I report on someone else’s behalf?

Yes, you can. However, please note that the ACT will generally only investigate when the person who was allegedly assaulted or harassed has given their permission.

Do I need to report to the police?

It is your decision as to whether you make a report to the police. You may decide to report to the ACT, the police or both. We will support you no matter your decision.

Do I report to my College or the ACT Office?

In the first instance, students and staff are encouraged to report sexual assault and sexual harassment to their ACT College, however, you can choose to report directly to the ACT if that is your preference.

Who do I report to?

You can report to your College or you can report to the ACT. The SASH Contact Officer at the ACT is the Quality and Inclusion Officer. The SASH Contact Officer is available on (02) 8937 5301. For details about student support contacts at each ACT College, go to the “College contacts” section at: https://www.actheology.edu.au/student-support-services/

How to be a compassionate and active bystander?

Students and staff are encouraged to intervene safely when they encounter instances of unacceptable behaviour. As a compassionate and active bystander students and staff can:

  • notice events and interpret the event as requiring intervention;
  • intervene in the situation safely which may involve directly challenging or confronting perpetrators or potential perpetrators, distracting either party or getting help from others.

Bystanders may use the acronym “CARE”:

 

Create a distraction

Ask directly

Refer to authority

Enlist others.

CARE

Create a distraction

Do what you can to interrupt the situation while being mindful of your own safety. A distraction can give the person at risk a chance to get to a safe place.

Ask directly

Talk directly to the person who might be in trouble and ask them questions. For example, “Are you OK?” “Would you like me to stay with you?” “Is there someone you’d like me to call?”

Refer to an authority

Sometimes the safest way to intervene is to refer to a neutral party with the authority to change the situation, like a trusted faculty member, a safe person on campus or online, or the police.

Enlist others

It can be intimidating to approach a situation alone. Ask another person to come with you and support you.

If you suspect that someone is being sexually harassed or sexually assaulted, you can take steps like these to support that person and show you care. Whether or not you were able to change the outcome, by stepping in you are helping to change the way people think about their role in preventing sexual assault or sexual harassment.[1]

Complaints

If you are not satisfied with how the ACT has responded to your report, you are first encouraged to follow the ACT’s grievance resolution process for domestic students or overseas students. You may also raise a concern with the Higher Education regulator, TEQSA, and overseas students may approach the Overseas Student Ombudsman and may seek assistance from community legal centres (for example, those that work with the Council of International Students Australia).

[1] CARE has been adapted from https://www.rainn.org/articles/steps-you-can-take-prevent-sexual-assault