Helpful information about the ANU Sexual Misconduct Disclosure Form

If you have a question that hasn't been answered below, please contact the Respectful Relationships Unit by emailing respect@anu.edu.au.

What information do I have to provide?

You can provide as much or as little information as you want. You do not need to provide your name or the name of the person(s) who is believed to be responsible for the sexual misconduct. The only information required to complete this form is a contact email. You can set up a new email account to use specifically for this form. This allows the Respectful Relationships Unit to provide information about care and support options available to the person who has experienced the incident and any support persons or witnesses of incidents.

Is this an Official Report?

Disclosing an incident via this form does not constitute an official report to the University (under the Discipline Rule 2018 or ANU Enterprise Agreement 2017 - 2021) which would initiate a formal complaints process and investigation. The Respectful Relationships Unit is able to support and advise a person about how to make an official report to ANU if they want to as part of the follow up to a disclosure using this form.

Can I remain anonymous?

As this is not an official report to the University, the person who experienced the incident can remain anonymous. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can set up a new email account to use specifically for this form. There is information in the form to assist with this. If this person wishes to make an official report to ANU or to the Australian Federal Police, they will need to identify themselves. The Respectful Relationships Unit can provide information on reporting pathways and what to expect from each process.

How long will it take to fill in this form?

This form can take as little as five minutes or as long as 45 minutes, as it depends how much detail you choose to provide. We recommend making sure you schedule some time in and then work through the form at your own pace. You cannot leave the form and return to complete it at a later stage. The privacy settings mean that any data recorded will be erased once you leave the form.

What happens if I submit a disclosure?

Following a disclosure using this form, the person who experienced the incident will automatically receive a copy of the submission (to the contact email provided), including a list of care and support services at ANU and in the community. The automated email you receive will come from respect@anu.edu.au and will be titled "Thank you for your submission." A staff member of the Respectful Relationships Unit will then contact (by email) this person within three business days to provide follow up information and support. This will involve an offer to arrange an in-person meeting to discuss support and reporting options, or offers to do so via phone or email. The Respectful Relationships Unit will also contact (by email) support persons who completed the form with or on behalf of a person who experienced the incident or a witness of an incident who disclosed using this form. This will occur within three business days of the form submission and provide follow up information and the offer of an opportunity to debrief.

Who will have access to this information?

The information you provided in the disclosure will only be accessed by ANU staff working with the Respectful Relationships Unit and the Service Partner who ANU engages through a procurement process to provide high quality service support unless you consent to your information being shared with other areas of ANU. There are some exemptions to this outlined below.

Limitations to confidentiality

Should the Respectful Relationships Unit or Service Partner perceive that your safety and/or the safety of others is at immediate risk, or that you are currently under the age of 18, the Respectful Relationships Unit is required to share (with whatever information is provided in the disclosure) to the relevant authority.

If you disclose that an ANU staff member was believed to have been responsible for sexual misconduct, the Respectful Relationships Unit is required to provide the information to the Director - Human Resources, as part of the University's obligation to provide a safe work and learning environment. The Director - Human Resources, may decide to refer the incident to the delegate of the area where the staff member works, to appoint an investigation officer to investigate the alleged conduct, or may decide to take no action at this stage. This does not mean that action cannot be taken at a later date, should further information arise.

Privacy and security

The Sexual Misconduct Reporting Form complies with the ANU Privacy Policy and Australian Privacy Principles. For further information about privacy, including data security and storage, please refer to the Privacy Impact Assessment.