Review into the treatment of women at the Australian Defence Force ...

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Chapter 10: Minimising Risk, Managing Incidents and Ensuring the Safety of the Workplace – Recommendations 22-31In summary, the findings of the Audit indicate that:• Progress on designing and implementing a sexual ethics and healthy relationships trainingpackage has been slow and an integrated, expert program was not in place in 2012.• The program taught in 2012 did not meet the intent of the Recommendation.• The design of the 2013 sexual ethics program looks promising, but as at March 2013 theAudit has not been provided with any course materials to assess.• ADFA plans to deliver the sexual ethics program internally, without the assistance of anexternal expert facilitator.• ADFA has reformed its complaints reporting response and management training, andfocussed different modules at different parts of the undergraduate population.• Complaints training remains part of ‘equity and diversity’ training, and a separation of theseareas could provide numerous benefits (see Recommendation 7).• The number of complaints made in 2012 and 2013 has increased, but there is still a stigmaattached to using the equity adviser system.• Ongoing training and evaluation on making complaints is needed to ensure that complaintsprocesses are effective.The Audit’s findings in respect of each recommendation follow.Recommendation 22: ADFA, in collaboration with an expert educator,provide cadets with interactive education on:a) respectful and healthy relationships, and sexual ethicsb) the meaning, inappropriateness and impact of sexist languageand sexual harassmentc) the meaning of consentd) the appropriate use of technologye) stalking, controlling and threatening behavioursand evaluate the effectiveness of this education every two yearswith an external evaluator and assess it against key indicators thatmeasure attitudinal and behaviour change.Intent of RecommendationIssues surrounding gender relations, sexual ethics, consent, sexist language and behaviour, andcontrolling and threatening behaviour are not well understood in parts of the undergraduate population.Interactive, expert training would be an effective primary prevention tool against unacceptable behaviourand sexual misconduct, and aid in the development of a more mature understanding of sexual ethics.92
Implementation actionsIn 2011 and 2012, ADFA and the RIT examined options for the design, development, delivery, evaluationand refining of a sexual ethics program. They concluded that ADFA did not have the in-house expertiseto deliver this program, and identified Professor Moira Carmody, an interdisciplinary scholar of educationin the areas of gender, sexuality and sexual ethics, as the most appropriate person to undertake thistask. 1The development process started promisingly. The RIT identified that:‘[t]he introduction of a Sexual Ethics Program is a high priority. It is a critical element in the ADF’sresponse to the Review, and one of the key elements by which the ADF will be held publiclyaccountable by the Minister of Defence.’ 2ADFA and the RIT also consulted widely, corresponding with (or studying the work of) ProfessorCarmody, Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT, Sexual Assault andPrevention Response (US Department of Defense) training, AHRC bystander approaches, NationalAssociation of Services Against Sexual Violence, Defence LGBTI information service organisation andvarious ADFA and Defence educators. 3However, after several months of negotiation and development, outstanding cost and intellectualproperty issues remained, and the prospective partnership between ADFA and Professor Carmody wasabandoned on 24 April 2012. 4ADFA concurrently contracted Dr Patricia Weerakoon, former director of Sexual Health at the Universityof Sydney, to deliver a two-hour ‘sexual ethics’ lecture to first years in 2012. Dr Weerakoon’s sessionformed part of an interim program developed by ADFA entitled Healthy Relationships and Sexual Ethics.The 2012 interim package included the following modules:• Sexual ethics (first years, two-hours)• Human behaviour (motivation and coping, first years, 50 minutes)• Confident communication (communication, negotiation etc, first years, 100 minutes)• Unhealthy attractions (identifying problem behaviours, all years, 50 minutes)• Barriers to care (third years, 50 minutes)• Battlesmart (performing under stress, first years, 100 minutes)• Keep your mates safe (alcohol risk minimisation, first years, 150 minutes). 5In October 2012 ADFA staff met with Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT (SHFPACT) staff with aview to developing a sexual ethics program for 2013. SHFPACT provided information on their five daycourse, which ADFA has been modifying into a shorter program. 6 An outline of prospective courses andmodules was provided to the Audit in December 2012, and is reproduced below:• Explain sex and the law»»Explain the biology of sex»»Explain the legal context of sex (consent, sexual offences, sexual harassment)»»Explain sex & law regarding technology (sexting, capture and transmission of sexualimages, cybersex)• Demonstrate respect in personal and professional relationships»»Define self-respect, peer respect, organisational respect and respect withininterpersonal relationship (sexual and non-sexual)»»Demonstrate interpersonal communications (negotiation of sexual consent,understand meaning and impact of sexist language and sexual harassment)Audit Report: Review into the Treatment of Women at the Australian Defence Force Academy • 2013 • 93
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ContentsA Message from the Commissi
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A Message from the CommissionerADFA
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Chapter 1:Audit ApproachThe Report
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Chapter 1: Audit ApproachThe Audit
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Chapter 2: Summary of Audit Finding
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Chapter 3: MethodologyQuantitative
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