Following reports of several sexual assaults at Falls Festival Marion Bay, The Examiner launched the Hands Off campaign, investigating the causes of, and reactions to, sexual assault in public places.
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We spoke with crisis workers, police officers, festival organisers and more, asking how society can change to prevent sexual assault.
The answers we received were multi-faceted: education on positive relationships, removing a sense of entitlement, clear understanding of consent, support for victims, and a shift from questioning the victim to questioning the perpetrator.
During 2015 the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported 21,380 victims of sexual assault recorded by police nationally. Girls between 15 and 19 years old were seven times more likely to have been assaulted compared to the overall population.
This statistic does not account for the numbers of assaults not reported.
The Hands Off campaign concludes on Sunday, but our conversation must continue to generate change so everyone feels safe and welcome in public places.
Read back through the Hands Off campaign stories here.
