Heteronormative assumptions and expectations of sexual violence: language and inclusivity within sexual violence policy in Australian Universities

Introduction: Sexual violence is often positioned as a heterosexual experience, perpetrated by men against women. Research from the United States (US) has revealed university sexual violence policies are typically heteronormatively framed and ignore the sexual victimisation of men and sexuality and gender diverse people (DeLong et al., 2018; Enke, 2016; Worthen & Wallace, 2017). In Australia, there has been little examination of university sexual violence policies in terms of inclusivity and language used in relation to gender, sexuality, or the framing of sexual violence. Positioned within a feminist perspective, which seeks to promote equitable consideration of all sexual and gender identities, the current study starts to fill this gap. Methods: A summative content analysis of 17 sexual violence policies, collected in December 2020 from ten Australian universities, identified and explored the extent of assumptive concepts in language related to gender, sexuality, and inclusivity. Results: This preliminary study found that sexual violence policies within Australian universities typically reject traditional gendered narratives of sexual violence and use gender-neutral language that is inclusive of all genders and sexualities. Conclusions: This finding provides the foundation for further research which expands the sample and examines the actual experiences of sexuality and gender diverse complainants when navigating university sexual violence policies. Policy implications: University policymakers may draw from this sample of policies when developing or revising their sexual violence policies.