If you have any questions, please email respect@deakin.edu.au
If you are a journalist and have an enquiry about the 2021 NSSS, please email media@deakin.edu
National Student Safety Survey
An ongoing commitment from Australian universities to ensure student safety, prevent sexual harm and improve how universities respond to, and support, those who have been affected.
About the survey
The National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) was independently conducted by the Social Research Centre, in partnership with leading violence prevention expert Associate Professor Anastasia Powell of RMIT, in September 2021. It randomly sampled 378,992 students from universities across the sector. At Deakin, approximately 10,000 students were sampled. The selection of students took into account factors like gender, year of study, residency and level of study to make sure the sample was representative.
The survey collected data on the scale and nature of students’ perceptions of safety and experiences relating to sexual harm (including sexual assault and sexual harassment) at Australian universities and included questions on attitudes towards violence. These questions were adapted from the 2017 National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey (NCAS), world’s longest-running survey of community attitudes towards violence against women.
A total of 43,819 students participated in the survey, with a national response rate of 11.6%. Deakin’s response rate was 11.7%.
Deakin’s 2021 National Student Safety Survey results
Thank you to the 1166 Deakin students who completed the NSSS in 2021.
The NSSS data showed the experiences of the Deakin students who completed the survey were broadly consistent with the national findings. Based on the responses:
- 12.1 per cent of Deakin students who participated in the survey had experienced some form of sexual harassment in a university setting since commencing study. This compared to 16.1 per cent nationally.
- 4.5 per cent of Deakin students who participated in the survey had experienced some form of sexual harassment in a university setting in the past year. This compared to 8.1 per cent nationally.
- 3.7 per cent of Deakin students who participated in the survey had experienced some form of sexual assault in a university setting since commencing study. This compared to 4.5 per cent nationally.
Download the 2021 NSSS Deakin institutional infographic
Survey outcomes and actions
Deakin has, and continues to review, a range of initiatives to ensure student safety and prevent harm. These include, but are not limited to:
- A single point of contact for anyone to disclose sexual harm and receive support. This includes when referring or connecting to other university services such as counselling and psychological support, medical, campus security, and external services including police, medical centres, hospitals and specialist sexual assault centres.
- A revised Student Code of Conduct to make explicit to students Deakin’s commitment to preventing sexual harm in our university community and continuously improving how we respond to, and support, those who have been affected (Clause 6f).
- A confidential internal database to record disclosures of sexual harm. This system provides options for anonymous and third-party reporting.
- The adoption of best practice guides from Universities Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission, Our Watch, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), resulting in a comprehensive University Sexual Harm Prevention and Response Policy and Sexual Harm Response Procedure.
- A Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Group with broad-based membership that continues to review sexual harm prevention and response activities and plans.
- A refreshed and revised Respect at Deakin online module, which all commencing students are encouraged to complete. Staff are also encouraged to access and complete the module.
- A tailored Respect at Deakin online module for research students and supervisors that includes coverage of positive and respectful supervisory relationships.
- Education and capacity building programs for all Deakin students and staff. Staff are also required to complete compulsory online modules on ‘Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Harm’ and 'Respectful Behaviour.' Those who work directly with students, and who are more likely to receive disclosures about sexual harm, are provided with additional training and support to foster a person-centred response and referrals to appropriate services.
- All students residing within student accommodation at Deakin are required to complete an online induction program which includes direct reference to consent, bystander intervention, respectful behaviours and sexual harm. Deakin Residential Services’ RESPECT values also guides community expectations and standards amongst the on campus residential student cohort.
- University participation in a joint eSafety project, facilitated by the e-Safety Commissioner and Universities Australia, focused on preventing online abuse and improving the safety of students while studying and socialising online.
