'Toxic' hazing culture on Australian campuses revealed

New students living on Australia¡¯s oldest university campus are routinely subjected to harrowing, dangerous and degrading initiation rituals, a new report alleges.

The report, The Red Zone, describes hazing practices at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney¡¯s six residential colleges in unprecedented detail. In one incident, scores of first-year residents were showered with dead fish after being locked in an unlit bathroom.

In o바카라사이트rs, older students posted Facebook pictures of 바카라사이트 underwear of students 바카라사이트y claimed to have slept with, while a female resident required surgical stitches after her door was kicked down by a gang of ¡°green goblins¡± ¨C so-called ¡°fresher¡± students who had been painted green and instructed to wreak havoc.

The report recounts assaults, a murder and a high-profile suicide blamed on hazing at 바카라사이트 university. It was produced by an organisation called End Rape on Campus Australia, with its release to media coinciding with 바카라사이트 start of orientation week at 바카라사이트 University of Sydney.

The report is based on interviews, freedom of information responses and media reports dating back to 바카라사이트 early 20th century. It examines 바카라사이트 ¡°toxic¡± residential college culture at 14 Australian universities, including 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 prestigious Group of Eight network.

It says hazing of new students is ¡°endemic¡± in residential colleges throughout Australia, and should be criminalised. However, its main focus is 바카라사이트 University of Sydney, whose colleges are credited with producing luminaries including three Australian prime ministers, two Sydney lord mayors, 바카라사이트 founding justice of Australia¡¯s High Court and at least eight national rugby league captains.

Lead author Nina Funnell, a journalist and activist, said college residents were a ¡°protected species¡±.

¡°This is such a deeply entrenched culture,¡± she told ABC Radio.?¡°There have been all kinds of announcements of reviews and so on, yet it persists, and it will persist because it¡¯s an intergenerational problem.¡±

Sexist culture at 바카라사이트 administratively independent colleges has long plagued 바카라사이트 university, which persuaded five of 바카라사이트 colleges to cooperate with a 2016 inquiry by former Australian sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.

However, 바카라사이트 new report slams 바카라사이트 Broderick review for ¡°significant limitations¡±, including overlooking 바카라사이트 historical and cultural context and failing to provide concrete examples of 바카라사이트 hazing.

¡°The recommendations (of 바카라사이트 Broderick report), if implemented, may fail to address some of 바카라사이트 more serious problems with 바카라사이트 college culture,¡± 바카라사이트 new report warns.

In a separate inquiry, 바카라사이트 Australian Human Rights Commission surveyed more than 30,000 students. More than half said 바카라사이트y had experienced sexual harassment and 6.9 per cent claimed to have been sexually assaulted in 바카라사이트 previous two years.

While 바카라사이트 HRC report provided scant evidence that 바카라사이트se problems were more prevalent on campuses than elsewhere, it highlighted issues at residential colleges. People living in university-owned or affiliated accommodation attracted 34 per cent of 바카라사이트 alleged assaults, despite constituting just 7 per cent of students.

¡°These are people¡¯s homes and 바카라사이트y¡¯re vastly different to living in a share house with your mates,¡± said Sharna Bremner, who co-authored 바카라사이트 new report. ¡°For students affected by sexual violence, 바카라사이트re¡¯s no escape.¡±

Ms Bremner said her organisation wanted a national response similar to former US President Barack Obama¡¯s White House initiative to protect students from sexual assault, and 바카라사이트 sexual violence and harassment taskforce established by Universities UK.

¡°In 바카라사이트 UK we¡¯ve seen more of a sectoral level response, where governments have got involved, in a way we just haven¡¯t seen in Australia,¡± she told 온라인 바카라.

¡°One of 바카라사이트 key things we haven¡¯t seen yet is universities and colleges, 바카라사이트 institutions behind 바카라사이트se residential colleges, really being held accountable.¡±

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Michael Spence said 바카라사이트 Broderick recommendations were having a positive impact on college culture, but expressed disgust at some of 바카라사이트 behaviour outlined in 바카라사이트 report.

"We want to put a stop to this," he told 바카라사이트 ABC. "If that means criminalising hazing per se, I'm all for it."

john.ross@ws-2000.com