Monash University study finds harassment to be commonplace in Melbourne music venues and calls for more effective staff training

A Monash University study - Examining Sexual Violence in the Music City of Greater Melbourne has revealed groping and general harassment to be commonplace in music venues across Greater Melbourne. Among the report’s findings was the “urgent need for more training to be delivered and perhaps built into existing courses for the security industry in understanding how to identify, respond and prevent sexual violence in venues and public spaces."  The research, led by Dr Andrea Jean Baker, was commissioned by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government. 

Dr Baker notes that her study is in contrast to the 2022 music industry report, Raising Our Voices  and advises that Examining Sexual Violence in the Music City of Greater Melbourne focuses on music workers and revellers, in a wide range of urban music spaces, from production, participation, education and the media. The Monash University study classifies music workers as musicians, music writers, venue bookers and managers, security staff, government workers, policy advisers, non-government organisation workers and music activists.

Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) and Phonographic Performance Company of Australia (PPCA) committed to action after the 2022 release of Raising Their Voices  findings by the Music Industry Review into Sexual Harm, Sexual Harassment and Systemic Discrimination. Following the release of the findings, in 2022,  ARIA and PPCA Chief Executive, Annabelle Herd noted “the Music Industry Review are completely unacceptable and distressing. We acknowledge the harm outlined in the report and the impact on the lives of victim survivors. We also acknowledge the exceptional work of the Review team and the members of the Temporary Working Group. We are committed to working tirelessly with the industry towards a workplace that is safe, equal, diverse, inclusive, and fun. That work has already started.”

As a renowned music city, Melbourne is a powerful cultural and economic force. However, the Monash University survey of 126 respondents (mostly, cisgender, white women aged between 25 and 44 years) reveals that they do not feel safe in urban music spaces.

The study found that sexual violence, mostly groping and general harassment, is at epidemic proportions in clubs and venues that play rock music. This disempowers music workers, deters others from working in it, and/or participating in the music scenes. The study notes that as “the epidemic of sexual violence is holding back Australia’s premier live music city capital and multi-million-dollar music business, clearly, more work needs to be done to address this societal issue.”

60% of the respondents didn't feel safe in Melbourne's music spaces, namely in the CBD, St Kilda, Collingwood, Brunswick or Flemington.

80% of the 126 respondents never reported the incidences of sexual violence, with the most occurring prior to the pandemic, while 70% of the incidences were at venues that played rock music.

"I would like to call it out now… Some people don't even realise they were sexually violent. And in my experience it's mostly from other musicians," one respondent said.

Among the report’s findings was the “urgent need for more training to be delivered and perhaps built into existing courses for the security industry in understanding how to identify, respond and prevent sexual violence in venues and public spaces. ‘Cultural safety training for all staff!’ demanded a music participant in the survey. Most respondents said male security staff at music venues and festivals in and around Melbourne were in urgent need of bystander training to prevent incidents of sexual violence. This problem was identified three years ago in the 2017 Melbourne music census; as one respondent said back then, what music venues needed was ‘a more understanding environment from security’.”

The report noted that as academics, music journalists and activist community groups highlight, “changing the way security staff work and how they are trained is a difficult task. Four obstacles need to be addressed to ensure security staff are trained to deal with incidents of sexual violence.

“These are, first, reluctance to change security practices; second, a lack of female security staff; third, a lack of collaboration from security companies; and finally, minimal training funds for grassroot venues, which run on shoestring budgets.”

The commissioning of this pilot survey has put Melbourne at the forefront of developing strategies to examine the impact of sexual violence in its urban music spaces.

There were four aims of the study:

1. For an intersectional lens to examine how sexual violence in urban music spaces affects gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race and (dis)ability.

2. Targets victim-survivors in the music city of Melbourne who have until now been largely silenced. This includes the voices of women from all backgrounds as well as culturally and linguistically diverse communities, First Nations and people of colour, those who identify as trans, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ and those with disabilities and/or mental health issues.

3. Assesses how music workers and music participants navigate, deal with and try to prevent exposure to sexual violence.

4. Explores the impact of sexual violence on music participation, music production, music education and the music media spaces.

Lead researcher Dr Andrea Jean Baker notes "the report highlights the lack of awareness among music workers and audiences about the existing services and spaces designed to support them, and those willing to speak out came from a position of privilege, rather than marginalisation.

"It is the first time a world music city has measured the problem and looked for fresh solutions in a post-pandemic world.

"Sexual violence is rife in our music city. It disempowers music workers, deters others from working in it, and audiences to participate in our vibrant music scenes."

The report made five recommendations, including: More effective bystander training and education workshops and skills for venue and security staff; improved policies to address sexual violence; gender and cultural diversity in music leadership; and more phone counselling.

The report also calls for music festivals, record labels and radio stations to be excluded from government grants and funds, if they do not meet gender diversity, inclusion and equity criteria.

It highlights the existing Victorian Government and City of Melbourne strategies and initiatives to address sexual violence, from Project Night Justice, which aims to improve safety around venues, to policy and law reform, such as the affirmative consent model.

After an extensive literature review, this report also recommend that future research should address the six gaps identified in knowledge about sexual violence in music cities.

1. Call for more marginalised voices.

2. Move beyond binary opposites.

3. Adopt an intersectional holistic approach.

4. Studies linking gig participation to street harassment.

5. More studies examining safety issues on transport and public urban spaces.

6. Studies that assess the effectiveness of night mayors to manage the music city-night-time economies

Click here to view the study