It’s late afternoon on a bustling campus. Students spill out of lecture theatres, staff hurry to meetings, cafés hum with end-of-day chatter.
From the outside, these university and non-university higher education institutes look like thriving, enlightened communities, places of learning, creativity, and growth. Yet beneath that energy, another story unfolds quietly: one of harm, silence, and imbalance.
When the 2021 National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) was released, its findings shook the higher education sector. The data was impossible to ignore:
- 1 in 6 students had experienced sexual harassment since starting university.
- 1 in 20 had experienced sexual assault.
- Fewer than 5% reported their experiences to their institution.
For many, it was a wake-up call. But for those working in wellbeing, HR, and leadership roles, it wasn’t new, it was confirmation of what survivors and advocates had been saying for years.
This isn’t just a student issue. It’s a workplace and systems issue, one that sits squarely within the responsibilities of higher education leadership and governance.
Reframing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) as a workplace issue
In Australia, the conversation about gender-based violence (GBV) is evolving fast. Once considered a “private” or “personal” matter, GBV is now understood as a work health and safety (WHS) concern, a psychosocial hazard that affects everyone in an organisation.
Universities and non-university higher education institutes, as both workplaces and learning environments, occupy a unique dual role. They must protect not only their employees under WHS law but also their students under the duty of care principles that underpin education.
What this means in practice:
- Staff are both potential victims and first responders. Academics, counsellors, tutors, and residential staff often receive disclosures, even when they are not formally trained or resourced for it.
- The same risk environment affects everyone. Power dynamics, hierarchical structures, and cultural norms shape both workplace and student experiences.
- Prevention is everyone’s business. Leaders can’t delegate this to HR or wellbeing teams, it requires strategic, cultural, and governance-level attention.
The Legal & policy landscape
Universities and non-university higher education institutes are subject to overlapping obligations, including:
- WHS Act (Cth and State) — requiring elimination of psychosocial hazards, including harassment and violence, as far as reasonably practicable.
- Respect@Work Amendments (2022) — imposing a positive duty to prevent sexual harassment and sex discrimination.
- Proposed National Higher Education Code (2025) — which will set enforceable standards for GBV prevention and response.
Failure to act isn’t just a reputational risk, it’s a compliance and governance failure.
What the NSSS revealed about higher education institute systems
The NSSS didn’t just quantify experiences; it revealed systemic gaps:
- Students often didn’t know where to report incidents or didn’t trust the process.
- Staff lacked clarity or confidence in responding to disclosures.
- Reporting systems were fragmented, inconsistent, and underused.
- Intersectional experiences, particularly for international, LGBTQ+, and disabled students, were underrepresented in institutional responses.
The report made one thing clear: non-university higher education institutes mirror broader society, but they also shape it. How universities respond to GBV sends a powerful message about what behaviour is acceptable in future workplaces.
Why university and non-university higher education settings matter so deeply
These spaces are microcosms of society. They’re where young adults form their values, test boundaries, and experience new independence. They’re also workplaces where thousands of staff navigate power, hierarchy, and pressure.
When GBV occurs in a university setting, it’s not just an isolated incident, it’s part of a cultural ecosystem that affects everyone.
Let’s break that down:
1. Power and hierarchy
Academic and administrative hierarchies can replicate power imbalances that enable harassment. Supervisors hold authority over students’ grades, careers, and research funding.
Without safeguards, this dynamic can blur boundaries, making it risky for victims to report misconduct.
2. Culture and belonging
Many campuses still normalise heavy drinking, hazing, or sexist humour, particularly in residential or club settings. These “rites of passage” often create environments where harassment goes unchecked.
3. Transient populations
Each year brings new students and casual staff. This constant turnover makes sustained culture change challenging and demands continuous, structured education.
4. Intersections of work and study
For tutors, postgraduate students, or research assistants, boundaries between “student” and “staff” are blurred. Institutions must apply consistent protections across both cohorts.
Why this is a workplace concern, not just a “student issue”
If universities and non-university higher education institutes were purely academic institutions, GBV might be seen as a social issue. But higher education are also major employers, property managers, and communities. They have the same WHS and governance duties as any corporation, arguably more, because of their educational mission.
When GBV happens on campus, it affects:
- Psychological safety of staff and students.
- Productivity and retention, particularly among early-career academics.
- Institutional reputation and compliance with the law.
- Trust in leadership and governance.
A student who feels unsafe in their residence is also a customer.
A tutor who receives a disclosure without support is also an employee.
A survivor whose case is mishandled may later become an advocate, or a litigant.
System thinking: prevention as infrastructure
To address GBV effectively, universities must move beyond incident response and adopt a systemic prevention model.
The systemic lens:
| Level | Focus | Example Actions |
| Individual | Awareness, skills, behaviour | Bystander training, consent education |
| Interpersonal | Peer norms | Residential mentoring, student club leadership |
| Institutional | Systems, policy, leadership | Governance oversight, reporting systems |
| Cultural | Values, storytelling | Visible leadership messaging, survivor-informed campaigns |
A framework for action
Drawing from Capyble’s work with clients across higher education, here’s a practical way to embed GBV prevention into workplace culture.
1. Start with leadership messaging
Leaders must clearly position GBV prevention as a WHS and governance priority — not an HR sub-project.
“This is about our people’s safety, not our PR.”
2. Integrate into risk management
Treat GBV like any other hazard. Include it in risk registers, audit cycles, and WHS reporting.
3. Design for accessibility
Policies, reporting tools, and supports must be easy to find and navigate, especially for international and marginalised students.
4. Build capability
Train all staff (academic, professional, casual) to respond to disclosures safely and appropriately. Provide clear pathways for referral.
5. Measure and report
Collect and publish data on incidents, participation in prevention programs, and outcomes. Transparency drives improvement.
The weight of silence
In Capyble’s work, one survivor shared that she had disclosed harassment to three different staff members before anyone knew how to respond appropriately.
“Each time, I felt like I was starting from zero. No one knew the process. I gave up after that.”
Her story isn’t rare. It’s emblematic of systems not built for real people. The emotional labour survivors carry is magnified when institutions fail to meet their legal and moral duties.
Reimagining prevention as core business
Universities often ask: “Where do we fit in this?”
The answer: at the centre.
- You are educators of the next generation of professionals.
- You are large-scale employers with WHS obligations.
- You are stewards of community trust.
Every policy, training, and decision either reinforces or reshapes culture.
When prevention becomes part of how an institution defines success — alongside teaching and research excellence — true cultural change begins.
Leadership in action
At Capyble, we often tell leaders: prevention isn’t just moral; it’s smart governance. Institutions that lead proactively on GBV prevention:
- Build trust with students, staff, and regulators.
- Attract and retain high-performing, values-driven staff.
- Strengthen reputation and social licence.
- Reduce the financial and emotional costs of crisis response.
Closing reflection: A campus worth believing in
When future students walk through campus gates, they should feel something stronger than pride. They should feel safe (seen) and supported.
That’s not just the job of student wellbeing teams or HR. It’s a collective act of leadership.
Universities and non-university higher education are where culture is made. And right now, the culture we build matters more than ever.
