At Adelaide University, we uphold the values of honesty, integrity, respect, fairness, and inclusivity. These principles are essential to fostering a safe and supportive environment where learning and knowledge can thrive.
Unacceptable behaviour includes any conduct that is intimidating, threatening, discriminatory, harassing, or violent. This applies to both physical and verbal actions, whether in person or online.
If you experience or witness unacceptable behaviour, you are encouraged to report it. Reports can be made anonymously and will be handled confidentially. Visit the Safer Campus Community page for reporting options.
Support is available through:
The University is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for all students, staff, and visitors. Unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated and may result in disciplinary action.
Harassment is unwelcome conduct that might reasonably cause a person to be offended, humiliated or intimidated because they have a particular attribute.
Harassment can also occur if someone is working in a hostile or intimidating environment. The behaviours can be overt or subtle, verbal, non-verbal or physical.
Harassment may include, but are not limited to:
Our learning and work environments may include both face-to-face and online components. With the increasing online presence that many of us have, we need to ensure that we take as much care with our online safety as we do with our physical and psychological safety.
Cyber abuse includes image-based abuse (sharing or threatening to share images or film of an intimate nature without consent), sexploitation (blackmail involving the latter), and other forms of tech-facilitated abuse, including cyber-stalking.
Additional resources:
Discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, an individual unfavourably because of their personal characteristics (e.g. ethnicity, place of origin, language and culture, or gender) or because they belong to a certain group (e.g. socio-economic status).
Discrimination can be direct or indirect:
Unlawful discrimination includes unfair treatment of a person in areas of public life on the basis of the following characteristics:
Unacceptable behaviour includes any conduct that is intimidating, threatening, discriminatory, harassing, or violent. This applies to both physical and verbal actions, whether in person or online.
Unacceptable behaviour includes any conduct that is:
This applies to both physical and verbal actions. It includes behaviour in person or online.
Bullying is when people repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually done by people who have more influence or power over someone else, or who want to make someone else feel less powerful or helpless.
The sort of repeated behaviour that can be considered bullying includes:
For further information, please refer to the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Victimisation is unfairly treating people for complaining, helping others to complain, either within the University, to the Equal Opportunity Commission or another external agency.
Unlawful victimisation is unfair treatment for complaints about discrimination or harassment.
Racism takes many forms and happens in many places. It divides people based on the colour of skin, the cultures practiced or country of origin. It takes the form of prejudice, discrimination, or hatred toward individuals or groups.
People often think of racism as acts of abuse or harassment. However, it doesn’t need to involve violent or intimidating behaviour. Racism is present when people make jokes or offensive comments based on race. This includes when they exclude others for being ‘different’ from themselves. It also includes making assumptions based on racial stereotypes.
Racism can be revealed through people’s actions as well as their attitudes. It can also be reflected in systems and institutions where invisible barriers work to prevent people from doing as well in life as others simply because of their difference or cultural background.
Racism can be overt or covert, intentional or unintentional, conscious or unconscious. It impacts the mental health of individuals and can threaten the social cohesion of communities.
Bystanders are also encouraged to report racism. If you witness racist behaviour, there are lots of things you can do to help. As a bystander, you may be able to stop a racist incident, prevent it from escalating, and potentially prevent or minimise social or emotional harm to the targeted person or group.
Gender Based Violence includes Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault (SASH). Definitions and examples can be found in the next two drop down lists.
You will see the term 'sexual misconduct' used on this website. The University uses the term 'sexual misconduct' as it is broader than SASH.
The Equal Opportunity Act (1984) defines what constitutes sexual harassment. Under the Act:
A person sexually harasses another (the person harassed) if:
In circumstances in which a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would have anticipated that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated
The Equal Opportunity Commission website provides some helpful information and examples.
People of any gender can be victims or perpetrators of harassment. Sexual harassment is determined from the point of view of the person feeling harassed. It does not matter how the behaviour was intended. What matters is its effect on the other person. Sexual harassment can be:
Mutual attraction or friendship with consent is not sexual harassment.
Sexual assault refers to a number of criminal offences including, but not limited to, rape, indecent assault or any unwanted sexual touching or fondling.
Most people might think of sexual assault as happening to a person of the opposite sex, but it can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender or sexual orientation. Indecent assault can happen between strangers or between people in a relationship. It can occur in same-sex relationships as well as heterosexual relationships. People can be indecently assaulted by anyone at any time. Responsibility for sexual assault always lies with the perpetrator. It is never the victim's fault.
Sexual assault can occur without physical assault – it can include any act that is unwanted and of a sexual nature – anything that crosses the line of what you’ve consented to. Visit The Line for helpful information on where to draw the line.
If you have experienced sexual assault or you’re unsure about whether you consented to a sexual activity, you can always seek confidential advice and support.
Adelaide University’s Counselling Support can help students get the support they need to manage the effects of sexual assault. This includes discussing the options available if you want to make a formal report. Please note, information discussed at Counselling Support is not shared or reported further without your written consent, subject to legal requirements.
Adelaide University Student Care Advocates offer independent confidential support and information to all students enrolled at the Adelaide University. Information discussed with Student Care Advocates are not shared or reported further without your written consent, subject to legal requirements. Additional information, including contact details, will be provided soon.
