After two long years of lockdowns, restrictions and learning online, the easing of COVID restrictions from the start of 2022 has seen more of us returning to campus on a day-to-day basis. This means more people sharing common spaces, meeting up to work together, socialising and generally taking advantage of the physical learning environments and facilities that the Griffith campuses have to offer.
Our campus libraries are one such shared space where people come to study throughout the day. We aim to provide a comfortable and inclusive environment for students—an environment where people of all backgrounds and lifestyles can feel welcome and be treated with respect. Everyone who walks through our doors should expect to feel safe. Unfortunately for some students, this has not been their experience.
Of the 998 Griffith students who participated in the 2021 National Student Safety Survey, 20.2% reported experiencing sexual harassment since starting university.
An accessible format of this infographic is available here.
This national student survey focused on sexual harassment and assault, but any kind of harassment, bullying or disrespectful behaviour should not be tolerated by our students and staff. All members of our University community have the right to be safe and feel safe, and the right to believe they will be treated with respect, dignity and fairness.
This includes all spaces where people may be interacting with one another, even online.
The Library encourages all members of the Griffith community to call out, report and seek support if incidents of harassment or abuse occur. We also encourage supporting each other and being aware of how you can be a positive influence in our community.
Griffith has prepared a range of materials to help you understand how to become more aware and respectful of the diverse members of our community on the Respectful Campus Communities page.
For more information about how to seek support from the University and resources to help identify disrespectful behaviour, visit the Safe Campuses page
How can I help?
If you witness behaviour which is not OK, you may be able to help out by being an active bystander. Griffith students and staff can learn more about how to be an active bystander by completing the MATE Bystander program via Learning@Griffith.
This training covers how you can safely:
- call out other’s behaviour to tell someone to stop what they’re doing,
- recognise and pull up a friend or colleague if they make an offensive remark,
- identify (if you feel it’s not safe to intervene yourself) how you can call for help including from Campus Security and Queensland Emergency Services (000) and
- how to offer support to a person who has just experienced inappropriate behaviour.
Remember there is help available:
- Campus security can be contacted by phone from any of our campuses on 1800 800 707
- Student counselling & wellbeing services can be reached by calling 07 5552 9600,
- Crisis support is available 24 hours, 7 days a week on 1300 785 442 and
- You may also choose to make an online report here.
We urge any member of our community who has experienced harassment or abusive behaviour to report their experience and seek support. Together we can make our university spaces including our libraries a safe, welcoming and respectful space for everyone!
