‘I’m harmed and I don’t think the person who did it knows’: we looked at different responses to uni sexual assault

Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images The Cornell 7 case has brought renewed scrutiny to how universities respond to sexual assault.

In Australia, National survey results suggest about one in six students have experienced sexual harassment since starting university, while one in 20 have experienced sexual assault.

But we know the overwhelming majority of students who experience sexual harm never go through the formal university reporting system or access supports.

Only about 5.6% of students who were sexually assaulted made a formal report to their institution.

At the same time, less than a third of those who did were satisfied with how their case was handled.

Our new research suggests students may be open to alternative pathways, such as restorative justice, but they can sometimes be hard to access.

What is restorative justice? Restorative justice is a victim-led process that focuses on accountability and repairing harm, rather than on criminal penalties.

It can occur in many different ways.

But it often involves bringing the person who was harmed and the person who has acknowledged causing harm (and any support people) together to talk in a structured, facilitated way.

It’s carried out by professionals trained in trauma-informed practice and restorative justice.

Restorative justice does not require a formal complaint to begin.

And it’s not a substitute process for determining a contested allegation.

Participation for all parties is voluntary.

There must be sufficient acknowledgement by the person who caused harm of their conduct for it to be appropriate.