YWCA Canberra has called on the ACT government to work with universities in transforming campus culture, as a new report details confronting hazing traditions at one Canberra institution.
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End Rape on Campus Australia's The Red Zone Report outlined a ritual at the Australian National University-affiliated John XXIII in which second and third-year students would instruct first-years to climb up a tree and sit on branches of different heights.
Students would drink straight liquor and cheap wine then urinate and vomit on each other until someone eventually fell from their branch. The remaining students would then circle the "dead possum" to kick, beat and abuse them.
The undated hazing tradition was one of several linked to the ANU.
An ANU spokesman said: "Many of the incidents referred to in The Red Zone report are events from previous years, and have been dealt with by the university and the respective residence.
"Sexist and harassing behaviour has no place at ANU."
The Red Zone Report, published Wednesday, followed the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission's survey into sexual assault and sexual harassment among university communities last year.
That report found more than 120 Canberra-based students were sexually assaulted and more than 1000 sexually harassed during the preceding two years, with the ANU emerging as one of the nation's worst institutions for sexually violent behaviour.
YWCA Canberra executive director Frances Crimmins noted the ACT government had not made any public commitments towards the safety of Canberra students since meeting with vice-chancellors on the issue last year.
"Canberra cannot lay claim to being the education capital of Australia if our universities are not safe for students and staff, with the Australian Human Rights Commission finding that 72 per cent of female ANU students and 67 per cent of University of Canberra students experienced sexual harassment in 2016," Ms Crimmins said.
"YWCA Canberra calls on the ACT government to play an active role in making Canberra safer for women, by working with ACT-based universities to end endemic sexual assault and harassment on campus through evidence based primary prevention strategies."
The ACT government was contacted for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Chrystina Stanford gave the ANU full marks for being proactive during this year's O Week.
"We meet with all layers of the ANU structure regularly and I think they have worked really hard to try and improve the university's level of safety," she said.
But Ms Stanford noted the University of Canberra had not been in contact with the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, "which is really disappointing".
A University of Canberra spokeswoman pointed to a suite of initiatives in place at the Belconnen institution, including a healthy relationships program for people in student accommodation, relevant training for students and staff, upgraded security and the introduction of the Consent Matters module.
There was also a range of relevant support services and the opportunity for referral to external supports, she said.
"We have a strong culture of tolerance, inclusion and respect, and through training and education, we are promoting social change to prevent inappropriate behaviour in our institution," the spokeswoman said.
Ms Stanford echoed YWCA Canberra's call for the government to be more engaged in responding to reports of sexual assault and harassment in university communities.
"I know the universities meet with ministers regularly, so it would be great to have government work with us and support the fact that young people bring so much to the ACT," she said.
