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31 July 2026

Content warning: This email and the report it refers to contain information about sexual misconduct which may be distressing. If you would like to speak with someone for support or information, please contact our Safer Communities Office on +61 8627 6808 or via email to safer-communities.officer@sydney.edu.au or our Mental Wellbeing Support line.

Dear students,

Today we published our 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Misconduct (pdf, 2.5MB), reflecting our commitment to transparency, accountability and care in addressing sexual harm and gender-based violence in our community. Our work is aligned with the requirements of the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence and reflects our ongoing dedication to ensure all members of our community feel safe and respected.

Our fourth annual report covers the progress we have made over the past year and includes important data that informs the work we are doing. In 2025, the University received 247 reports of sexual misconduct, and our Safer Communities Office provided case management support to 205 students and staff. There was an 11 percent increase in disclosures of sexual misconduct which may be attributed to greater awareness of and confidence in our support services. 

The report also sets out our priorities for the year ahead, where we will continue to listen to and partner with members of our community to strengthen safety support frameworks for victim-survivors, enhance preventative education and training initiatives, and reduce barriers for those who bravely report sexual harm and gender-based violence.  

Every student and staff member has the right to study and work in an environment that is safe, respectful and free from harm, but we know this isn't the experience for everyone in our community. We acknowledge the strength and courage of all victim-survivors – both those who have come forward to share their experiences and those who have not. Sexual harm and gender-based violence is unacceptable in any form, and we recognise our unique responsibility to help drive meaningful change in our community.

Informed by the University’s Strategic Actions for the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Misconduct 2024-2026 (pdf, 215KB) and, in preparation for the implementation of the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence, we continued to develop and strengthen our education, prevention and support efforts in 2025.  

Inter-university events like the University of Sydney Union’s (USU) Student Safety Conference and 16 Days of Activism brought conversations and student-led solutions about addressing gender-based violence to campus, and new initiatives like our Respect@Sydney module and Ambassador Program uplifted student understanding and awareness of consent and support.

We remain dedicated to continuously improving our whole-of-institution framework of safety, education and support. Core to this is improving entry pathways for victim-survivors, ensuring they have a safe and barrier-free way to access trauma-informed support. 

Our students and staff will remain key partners in the development and delivery of prevention, education and support initiatives, and we’ll continue to listen to and learn from our community in preventing, addressing and responding to sexual harm and gender-based violence. 

Next month, the 2026 National Student Safety Survey, gathering Australian students’ experiences of safety, sexual violence or harm, will be conducted across universities. The findings of this survey will no doubt inform future education, prevention and support initiatives and contribute to safer campuses for all members of our community.  

From next year, we will be evolving how we share this information, with this being the last report in this format. We will keep our community informed and share future updates. 

I recognise that the information in this report, and reflecting on sexual harm and gender-based violence, can be distressing. I encourage you to reach out for support if you need it. There are a range of University and community support services and resources available to you:

To learn more about our work or to make a confidential report, visit our sexual harm and gender-based violence page.

Kind regards, 

Mark

Professor Mark Scott AO 

Vice-Chancellor and President

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