Sexual assault and sexual harassment staff portal

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Sexual assault and sexual harassment staff portal

At ECU we are committed to promoting Respectful Relationships and striving for an environment of physical, psychological and emotional security.

Who do I call in an emergency?

If your situation is immediately life threatening or you are the person sexually assaulted you can contact one of the following emergency services.

WA Police: phone 000 in an emergency or life-threatening situation or phone 131 444 for a non-emergency call.
ECU Security: call (08) 6304 3333 (can be contacted 24 hours, 7 days a week).
For students - ECU Out of Hours Crisis Line: phone 1300 583 032 or text 0488884232 (available 4.30pm to 8.30am on weekdays, and 24 hours on weekends)
For Staff – ECU’s Employee Assistance Programme, Peoplesense: phone 1300 307 912 or (08) 9388 9000 ask to speak to a counsellor straight away
Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC): phone (08) 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 (free from landlines) for emergency counselling ,and medical services in Perth (Only available if the sexual assault occurred within the past 2 weeks)

How do I report an incident?

Sexual assault and sexual harassment are both forms of unwelcome sexual attention, however behaviour that amounts to sexual harassment is not necessarily a crime.

ECU encourages staff or students who are victims of sexual assault to report the assault to the WA Police.

Reporting a crime of sexual assault is an individual decision that only the person sexually assaulted can make. However, ECU will support staff or students who wish to report to WA Police.

ECU encourages all incidents of sexual assault or sexual harassment experienced or witnessed on our campuses or at an authorised ECU event to be reported. Reports can be made to

ECU Security: call (08) 6304 3333
Report via our online form

What happens when a report is made?

What support is available?

Sexual assault or sexual harassment is not something a person should carry on their own.

Support is available

How can I support someone?

If any member of the ECU community has experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment they may express a range of emotional or physical reactions. It is important to listen without judgement and to direct the person sexually assaulted or sexually harassed to the available support options.

Unless you are officially required by ECU, you are not expected to investigate the incident or counsel the person who has disclosed.

Responding to disclosures

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault includes a range of behaviours, all of which are unacceptable and constitute a crime. Sexual assault occurs when a person is forced, coerced or tricked into sexual acts against their will or without their consent, including when they have withdrawn their consent.

Sexual assault is never the responsibility or fault of the person who has been assaulted. It’s a misuse of power and it violates personal boundaries.

Sexual assault is often perpetrated by someone known to the victim. Sexual assault can happen to anyone of any age, gender, cultural background, sexual orientation or religious belief.

What is sexual harassment?

In WA, legislative provisions specific to sexual harassment are covered by both the state Equal Opportunity Act 1984 and the federal Sex Discrimination Act 1984.

Sexual harassment is defined in the Sexual Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) as any unwelcome sexual advance, required for sexual favours or conduct of a sexual nature towards another person in circumstances where a reasonable person could have anticipated that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated.

Examples may include kissing, embracing, patting, pinching, touching, leering, gestures, questions about a person’s private or sexual life, sexually suggestive comments, noises or jokes, repeated or inappropriate invitations to date, explicit pictures, emails or texts of a sexual nature.

Harassment is often about one person or group using power inappropriately over another person or group, but it can also occur where there is no power relationship.

Sexual harassment is not necessarily a crime.

What is consent?

Consent is a free and voluntary agreement to an action or arrangement.

'Sexual consent’ cannot be given if a person is:

asleep, unconscious or significantly affected by drugs or alcohol
unable to understand what is being consented to (including mistakes generated by the fraud or deceit of the accused)
pressured or coerced because of threats, force, fear or harm to self or someone else which need not involve physical violence or physical harm
under the age of consent
unlawful detention
any position of power or authority, intimidation or coercive conduct

People and Culture