Safer community

Learn more about threatening or inappropriate behaviour and available support.

At RMIT, we are committed to providing a respectful and safe place to study and work.

If you are feeling unsafe or unsure what to do about threatening or unwanted behaviour, you can talk to us about your concerns and options - even if the behaviour happened off-campus.

If you or someone you know has experienced unwanted or threatening behaviour - including sexual harassment or assault - we can help.

When you contact Safer Community, we will:

  • listen
  • try to understand what’s important to you
  • explain and explore options - you decide which is most appropriate
  • always consider your well-being
  • discuss with you if we need to take steps to ensure the safety of our community

Contact Safer Community

Student Portal (Student Connect Online Portal)

Email: safercommunityvn@rmit.edu.vn

Saigon South

  • Room 1.1.45 Beanland Building
  • Phone: 028 3622 4432
  • Working hours:
    Monday to Friday
    9am - 5pm

Hanoi

  • Room 1.1.08 Handi Resco Building
  • Phone: 024 3201 2533
  • Working hours: 
    Monday to Friday
    9am - 5pm

Please note that we are not an emergency service. If you or others feel at risk or consider the situation to be an emergency, please call the International SOS 24/7 Assist on (028 3824 0555). If you are on campus, alert Campus Safety and Security on 0901 855 528

Concerning, threatening or inappropriate behaviour

We want everyone who works and studies at RMIT to feel safe, comfortable and respected.

If you have experienced threatening or concerning behaviour or you are worried about someone else we want to help.

Learn more about threatening or inappropriate behaviour and which support options are available.

Bullying is a pattern of repeated physical, verbal, psychological or social aggression that is directed towards a person by someone more powerful and is intended to cause harm, distress and/or fear.

Bullying might involve repeatedly:

  • hurting someone physically
  • leaving someone out
  • abusing someone verbally or in writing
  • insulting, belittling or intimidating someone
  • using offensive language
  • spreading nasty rumours or cruel teasing
  • displaying offensive material
  • threatening to commit violence
  • committing harmful or offensive initiation practices
  • behaving hostilely regarding someone’s gender or sexuality
  • teasing or making someone the brunt of pranks or practical jokes
  • encouraging others to participate in bullying behaviour
  • interfering with someone’s materials, equipment or personal property.

Bullying may be perpetrated by a student towards a University staff member or vice versa. It can also occur between staff members or between students.

A person can be bullied about their:

  • look
  • home or family
  • schoolwork
  • popularity
  • achievements
  • race or culture
  • gender
  • physical and mental state
  • sexuality

Bullying is not:

  • single incidents
  • providing constructive criticism
  • mutual conflict
  • social rejection or dislike
  • differences of opinion
  • interpersonal conflicts

Cyber bullying can take many forms, including:

  • posting hurtful comments and embarrassing photos on social media
  • sending abusive messages or images through mobile phones and on the internet
  • sending emails that vilify, demean or cause humiliation to a person or group
  • setting up hate websites and blogs to vilify someone
  • using chat rooms, instant messaging and gaming areas to harass someone

Sexual assault is sexual activity that a person has not consented to. It can refer to a broad range of sexual behaviours that make someone feel:

  • uncomfortable
  • frightened
  • threatened

Sexual assault can include:

  • rape
  • incest
  • indecent assault
  • child sexual assault
  • sexual molestation

Consent is an agreement freely and voluntarily given by a person with the cognitive capacity to do so. Consent is not freely and voluntarily given if you:

  • are being forced
  • are unconscious or asleep
  • are under the influence of drugs or alcohol
  • are under threat or intimidation
  • are in fear of bodily harm
  • have a mistaken belief that the offender was your sexual partner

Silence does not mean consent.

If a person does not protest, physically resist, or suffer injuries, this does not mean they freely agreed to sexual activity. 

Sexual harassment is any unwanted, unwelcome or uninvited behaviour of a sexual nature, which makes a person feel:

  • humiliated
  • intimidated
  • offended
  • Sexual harassment can include:
  • staring or leering
  • unnecessary familiarities, such as deliberately brushing up against someone or unwelcome touching
  • suggestive comments or jokes
  • insults or taunts of a sexual nature
  • indiscreet questions or statements about your private life
  • displaying images of a sexual nature
  • sending sexually explicit emails or text messages
  • inappropriate advances on social media
  • accessing sexually explicit internet sites
  • requests for sex or repeated unwanted requests to go out on dates.

It’s not ok to behave this way. It’s not ok to be treated this way

Unlawful discrimination is treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavourably because of a personal characteristic.

In Victoria, it is against the law for someone to discriminate against you because of a characteristic that you have, or that someone assumes you have. These personal characteristics include:

  • age
  • carer and parental status
  • disability (including physical, sensory and intellectual disability, work-related injury, medical conditions, and mental, psychological and learning disabilities)
  • employment activity
  • gender identity, lawful sexual activity and sexual orientation
  • industrial activity
  • marital status
  • physical features
  • political belief or activity
  • pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • race (including colour, nationality, ethnicity and ethnic origin)
  • religious belief or activity
  • sex
  • personal association with particular people.

Victimisation is subjecting, or threatening to subject, someone to something detrimental because they have:

  • asserted their rights under equal opportunity law
  • made a complaint
  • helped someone else to make a complaint
  • refused to do something because it would be discrimination, sexual harassment or victimisation.

Support options

Safer Community can connect you with specialist support options.

There are a wide variety of support options available to you at RMIT and from external agencies. Part of what we do at Safer Community is to talk you through your options and help you get the most useful support for your situation.

Support at RMIT

Below is a list of support services available to you at the University. Use these services if you are concerned about the behaviour of someone in the RMIT community. These services might contact Safer Community for case management and advice if necessary.

  • Counselling Service: if you want to talk about personal, stress management, mental health or well-being concerns.
  • Student Support Advisors: offer practical help, advice and support, mainly in the areas of accommodation, courses and programs, assessment support, exchange study plan
  • Campus Safety and Security: if your safety or security concerns require urgent attention i.e. if you witness criminal activity on campus – contact Security.

RMIT policies and statements

Safety on campus

  • If you feel unsafe for any reason, speak to a staff member straight away.
  • In an emergency call RMIT Security on 028 3776 1368 (SGS) and 0942 347 108 (Hanoi) or from any phone on campus
  • If you have an injury or accident, please seek support from nearby security guards around campus, fill out an incident report form (security guards), or call hotlines as above
  • Report maintenance issues to Student Connect
  • Do not perform activities (such as operating machinery) for which you have not been trained.