How to make music festivals a safe space for Aussie punters [report]

More female police and security could be the solution to combat sexual violence at concerts and festivals.

So too is a change of patron culture where they should intervene in such incidents.

Music sexual taskforces and associations have made similar cases before, arguing that the majority of victims don’t report because male officers or security appear disinterested or judgemental.

Lack of support from other audience members leaves the victim anxious and alone.

The latest is part of a new report into safety and sexual assault at music festivals.

It was by Dr Bianca Fileborn, lecturer in criminology at the University of Melbourne; Dr Phillip Wadds, lecturer in criminology at UNSW; and Prof. Stephen Tomsen, professor of criminology, Western Sydney University.

They did an online survey with 500 patrons of the 2017-18 Falls.

There were face-to-face interviews with 16 who had experienced, or had been involved in responding to, sexual violence at music festivals.

FINDINGS

Most patrons ‘usually’ (61.5%) or ‘always’ (29%) feel safe at music festivals.

But the majority believed that physical violence (92.8%), sexual harassment (95.1%) and sexual assault (88.6%) occur.

However, only 61.2% thought homophobic and 61.6% of transphobic violence occur.

Almost all participants (99%) consumed alcohol at music festivals, while just under half (47.8%) consumed drugs.

Zero-tolerance policing of drugs and anti-social behaviour deterred participants from reporting to police.

Groping and other sexual activity occurred in crowded places like moshpits, and perpetrators were usually male.

Other patrons seldom intervened when sexual violence was going on.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

Festival policy and management:

Introduce clear protocols and consistent messaging about sexual violence, including consequences for perpetrators.

Increase the number of female police and security staff working on-site.

Develop multiple avenues for reporting sexual violence at festivals and ensuring all staff is adequately trained to receive and respond to these reports.

Implement processes for the systematic documentation of incidents of sexual violence.

Follow through on reports with feedback to victim-survivors.
Implement the provision of on-site access to appropriate support services.
Environment:

Provision of quiet ‘chill out’ spaces.

Ensure security and police are distributed throughout festival spaces, including regular patrols or emergency contact points in camping grounds.

Introduce section markers or signposting in camping grounds to improve wayfinding.

Enhance lighting, particularly in isolated areas such as camping grounds.

Ensure signage establishing behavioural standards is clearly visible throughout all spaces at festivals.

Introduce clear and consistently identifiable markers to note the location of security staff in and around performance spaces.

Cultural change:

Continued efforts to make festival line-ups more gender-equitable and diverse.

Encouragement of pro-social behaviours, such as bystander intervention.

Encouragement of an ethic of care among festival patrons.