Several years ago, the National Human Rights Commission released the results of a survey into sexual assault and harassment at Australian universities.
The survey found that women were more likely than men to be targeted, with Indigenous students and those from culturally diverse backgrounds at greater risk.
It also found one in five students reported being sexually harassed in a university setting, while 1.6 per cent were sexually assaulted in 2015/2016.
"To put this in context, in a lecture hall containing 100 students, at least one and possibly two students have been sexually assaulted in the past two years, and 21 of those students will have been sexually harassed in the past year."
A second study was done in 2021, commissioned by Universities Australia which talked to over 43,000 people at 39 Australian universities.
Dr Alison Henry, whose research is on sexual violence on university campuses, says that while the methodology for both surveys was different, the results were depressingly similar.
"When that second... survey came out the university sector itself recognised the statistics weren't great. They realised that the prevalence really hadn't shifted in that five-year period."
But it's not just the rate of assault and harasssment that's a concern. It's also the response after an attack.
Some universities say they have tried to combat potential bias by training staff members in what to do if someone comes forward.
Advocates say a lack of consequences can negatively affect the student who was harassed or assaulted, leading them to fail courses or drop out altogether while their alleged attacker still graduates - or in a few reported cases, is appointed to teaching positions.
