By Alex Marks
As an Autistic woman, and someone who has worked in advocacy spaces, I’ve heard far too many stories about sexual assault and harassment. I’ve experienced it myself. At the time, I didn’t report it. I told myself it wasn’t ‘that big of a deal’, that it ‘didn’t affect me that badly’, and that it ‘wasn’t worth the hassle’. I convinced myself it wasn’t something serious enough to report. I would be more damaged, I would be madder, it would be more obvious than the fear and discomfort that was in my stomach whenever I saw him. In Goodman – Williams, Volz, and Fishwicks 2023 article on reasons why sexual assault survivors do not report, it boiled down to four key themes: “Reporting Won’t Help, Reporting Will Harm, Not Now, and Not What I’m Here For.” Despite working in the women’s rights space, I fell into the very trap I’ve spent so much time encouraging others to avoid.
It was only later that I found out the person who had been harassing me was harassing other women as well – and none of us had reported it for the same reasons. How many more women suffered because I didn’t speak up? It’s a question that haunts me and fills me with anger because it shouldn’t be on us to manage and report the wrongdoings of others. People should not rape. People should not harass others. Yet, despite all this, I still feel embarrassed and scared when it comes to reporting.
I know what happened to me is on the less extreme side of things, and unfortunately, many students have experienced worse. In the 2022 National Student Safety Survey (NSSS), QUT’s result was shocking and horrible. Across all the universities in Australia, QUT was ranked 5th for harassment and 19th for sexual assault. 20.4% of students reported they had been harassed during their time at QUT, and 4.3% of students were sexually assaulted. Despite this, only 12.7% of students who were harassed and/or assaulted sought support, and only 2.8% of students reported this. These statistics are heartbreaking, and they speak to a much larger issue.
With a growing number of conservative ideologies, as highlighted by the Queensland Department of Justice (2023), dangerous and harmful beliefs about sexual assault are becoming more rampant. Most alarming from the statistics, 34% of people believe sexual assault allegations are often used to “get back at men”, when in reality only 5.6% are classified as false. The pervasive stigma and blame surrounding sexual assault contribute to the silencing of victims, leaving them to question whether it’s worth speaking up at all.
It’s scary out here!!
I wish I could tell you there’s a simple way to fix this. I wish I could tell you that the harassers and assaulters will one day listen to our pleas and stop. Especially as the advocacy team of the student union, I wish I could promise that, I can’t.
What I can tell you is this: you deserve better. I can tell you that together, we can work to make QUT a safer community, one report at a time. I can tell you that there are supports available for you, both inside and outside of QUT. I can guide you to those supports. I can hold your hand through the process. I can cry with you. I can get angry with you. I can be a shoulder for you to lean on.
Please, if you experience or witness sexual harassment or assault, report it. Believe others when they share their experiences with you. Don’t undermine their pain. Don’t undermine yours. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, it is a big deal. It is worth the hassle. It is that serious. Now is the time. You will help. We will protect you. You deserve to live your life free of fear, and in doing so, you’ll make the world, and QUT, a safer and better place.
In the NSSS Survey, 58% of QUT students didn’t know how to report sexual harassment or assault or where to go. When you know better, you do better. So here is a short guide
Step 1:
Take a moment to sit with what has happened. This isn’t your fault, and you haven’t done anything wrong.
Step 2:
Book a meeting with either the Advocacy Team or a Harassment and Discrimination Adviser
Step 3:
File a disclosure or complaint
Step 4:
Talk about it with a Mental Health Professional
Alex (she/her) is the Student Advocacy Manager for the QUT Guild, who joined the team in Semester 1 of 2025. In 2022, she graduated with a Double Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services (with Distinction) and Justice. During her time at university, she was the QUT Welfare Officer, and after graduating started working as an Advocacy Officer at Griffith. Alex brings a broad depth of knowledge relating to advocating for student needs, community development, support programs, and leading with empathy. She is passionate about creating a trauma-informed, inclusive space that makes everyone feel empowered to access the support they need to thrive.
