In 2021, Recommendation 18 of the Review of Sexual Harassment in Victorian Courts and VCAT (Szoke Review) directed Court Services Victoria to conduct an annual anonymous survey of all court and VCAT user groups to track progress on incidents of sexual harassment, reporting of incidents and action by bystanders in the courts and VCAT.
The results of the inaugural Sexual Harassment Survey (conducted in August 2022) were published on Wednesday 19 April. The survey had 686 responses, a 23% response rate. Of the respondents, 22% reported they had personally experienced sexual harassment while working in a courts workplace.
The survey is a practical response to the reluctance of many people to make a formal—or even informal—complaint of sexual harassment, for reasons including fear of personal consequences, fear of no consequences, fear of not being believed and the fear of upsetting people.
Indeed, evidence shows both that: (a) people are more likely to respond to an anonymous survey which asks whether they’ve experienced sexual harassment than make a complaint, and (b) publishing results of surveys can help act as a preventative measure against sexual harassment.
We continue to see strong leadership from Chief Justice Anne Ferguson on issues of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct in courts, as witnessed by her statement. She states:
"While it is encouraging to see within the data signs that the work that has been done has had a positive impact in terms of awareness, the responses to the survey confirm that sexual harassment is still experienced in Victoria’s courts and tribunal workplaces. People have experienced sexually suggestive comments, intrusive questions, and physical forms of sexual harassment. They have experienced negative short and long-term effects as a result, including detrimental impacts on their psychological, physical, and economic wellbeing. This is a matter of profound concern and reaffirms that we have more work to do."
The Chief Justice encouraged people who had experienced sexual harassment to report it, regardless of when the experience occurred, and pledged action and support. She also reinforced the importance of education and preventative measures targeted to all.
Access the Sexual Harassment Survey