Australian schools grapple with peer sexual assault as victims return to class

A series of alleged sexual assaults involving school-aged boys, culminating in a gang-rape case at a Sydney private school, have prompted the NSW cabinet and federal government to prioritize ending violence against women and propose a digital duty of care. Despite $77.6 million allocated for consent and respectful-relationships curricula, schools remain ill-equipped to address incidents, especially when assaults happen off-site.

Survivors like Dani Villafaña describe returning to classes with their alleged perpetrators and receiving limited support, while social worker Anna Coutts-Trotter notes many schools fail to intervene or relocate victims. Experts such as Michael Salter and Michael Salter stress that mandatory-reporting rules often dictate school actions more than student welfare. Advocacy groups, including Youth Against Sexual Violence and End Rape on Campus Australia, are pushing for a national secondary-school code of conduct modeled on university standards to create consistent, protective procedures.