National Student Safety Survey

Participation is voluntary and anonymous. All current Deakin students (16yrs+) located in Australia are eligible to participate. The NSSS survey is open from Monday, 31 August. Deakin students will receive a unique link to their Deakin student email. The survey will be live for 4 weeks, closing on Monday, 28 September 2026.

The survey includes questions about:

• experiences of awareness and prevention education
  
• perceptions and attitudes towards sexual violence or harm
  
• experiences of sexual assault, sexual harassment and technology-facilitated sexual violence
  
• awareness and experiences of reporting mechanisms and support pathways.
  

The survey will only be available in English. 

During the survey period, support is available from Universities Australia via Roy Morgan. If you are experiencing technical issues or have concerns about the survey, please contact the help desk or phone 1800 687 254. The team is trained to assist with access, troubleshooting and any concerns (including feedback) you may have.

If you would like to discuss any matters arising from your participation in this survey, or if you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, harm, or other forms of gender-based violence, a variety of internal and external support services are available to assist you.

Support Services

Below is a list of internal and external services you can access for assistance.

Internal support services:

• talk to Deakin's Safer Community service
• access Deakin Support services: Student wellbeing | Deakin
• information about submitting a Student Complaint: Student complaints
• for security concerns, contact Deakin Security Support. For immediate security assistance, open the SafeZone App to connect to the security team on campus.

External support services:

• National Student Safety Survey Counselling Line 1800 572 224
• 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732
• Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre on 1800 015 188
• The Sexual Assault Crisis Line on 1800 806 292
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• 13YARN 13 92 76
• Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
• National Student Ombudsman

In an emergency call 000

Additionally, the NSSS Counselling Line (1800 572 224) will be available to support participants throughout the survey period. The service is staffed by tertiary‑qualified, experienced psychologists who are trained in trauma‑informed practice. All counsellors are also trained to maintain strict anonymity and confidentiality.

If someone comes to you for support:

• listen and believe them
  
• ensure they feel safe and supported
  
• reassure them it’s not their fault
  
• inform them of support services and reporting options (see above)
  
• encourage them to seek help if they feel comfortable doing so
  
• respect their privacy and confidentiality, do not share names or personal details unless they consent.
  

Deakin is currently updating its documents, resources and communications to align with The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (the National Code). Using the term Gender-Based Violence helps provide a central point of information for preventing and responding to a range of harmful behaviours, including sexual violence and harm, domestic and family violence, stalking, coercive control, and other forms of gendered violence.

This means that if you are looking for information about sexual violence or harm, you will often find it within Deakin's GBV resources and support services, like Safer Community. You can visit Sexual harm | Students for more information.

If you need immediate support, would like to discuss a concern confidentially, make a report, or seek guidance about available options, Safer Community is the best place to start.

Contact Safer Community

Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Policy.

Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Procedure.

Deakin uses the term Gender-Based Violence (GBV) because it is a broader term that includes sexual violence and harm, as well as other forms of violence such as domestic and family violence, stalking, coercive control, technology-facilitated abuse and more.

This terminology aligns with The National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence (the National Code), which came into effect on 1 January 2026. The National Code requires universities to take a whole-of-institution approach to preventing and responding to gender-based violence.

We understand that the terminology used in the survey may seem different from the terminology used by Deakin, but the terms are closely related. While the survey uses the term sexual violence and harm because it focuses specifically on those experiences, Deakin generally uses Gender-Based Violence (GBV) across its policies, resources and support services to encompass a wide range of harmful behaviours. Sexual violence and harm are significant forms of GBV and are included within this broader approach.

The Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Policy and Procedure provides a consistent approach to preventing and responding to harmful behaviours, but the support offered is always guided by the person's individual circumstances, needs and choices.

We recognise that experiences of sexual violence can have unique impacts, and people affected by sexual violence and harm can access specialised support, resources and reporting options that are appropriate to their situation.

In short, sexual violence and harm sit within the broader GBV framework, but support is tailored to the specific experience of each individual. Our focus is on ensuring that everyone receives the care, information and support that is right for them.

If you have not found the information you require on this webpage, please visit National Student Safety Survey | Universities Australia