On top of the typical student pressures of making friends, keeping up with studies and navigating a new environment, many students face and fear public sexual harassment and gender-based violence as part of their university experience.
But universities should be places of safety, never fear. To ensure that students have safe access to education and freedom within their community, universities need to address student safety in the night-time economy and public spaces.
Public sexual harassment is any instance of unwelcome attention, sexual advances or intimidating behaviour in public spaces – whether online or in person.
While it’s usually directed towards women and other oppressed groups within society, public sexual harassment can be experienced by anyone – no two experiences are the same.
