![People dancing at a music festival. Picture by Shutterstock People dancing at a music festival. Picture by Shutterstock](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/190143465/e4fef160-8f30-4a70-8b64-71557152e594.jpg/r0_92_5184_3318_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Lockdown-weary young adults are preparing for their first restriction-free summer in two years and heading to music festivals all around the country.
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Some of the festivals that have emerged from the wash-outs and cancellations are trailblazing with an emphasis on consent, respect and safety.
Meredith Music Festival's famous 'No Dickheads' policy is a catch-all for the family-friendly festival's approach to respectful and inclusive behaviour.
Other festivals with similar policies to promote safety and fun include:
- Bluesfest, Byron Bay - All ages, family friendly event.
- WOMADelaide, Adelaide - Inclusive art and music event with free tickets for children.
- NYE on the Hill, Gippsland - 18+ event but parents can bring children, policy is "Be generous. Be friendly. Be respectful"
- Golden plains, Victoria - Sister festival of Meredith, 'No Dickhead' policy applies.
That approach to zero tolerance follows concerns some events have become prone to assaults and drink spiking.
Drug and alcohol-facilitated sexual violence researcher at the Judith Lumley Centre Dr Jess Ison told ACM that festivals, bars and clubs require multi pronged strategies to prevent sexual assault.
"The majority of sexual assault is from someone known and that's the same for drink spiking, or alcohol and other drug facilitated sexual violence," she said.
"It's most likely a friend or someone you're hanging out with on a date, and they give you something in your drink, most likely extra alcohol. That being said, festivals are a really heightened atmosphere, and it can happen from people you don't know."
A UK study into sexual violence at festivals found that 34 per cent of female respondents reported being sexually harassed or assaulted at a festival in the previous few years, compared with 6 per cent of men.
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Twenty-four year old student and hospitality worker Liam Loughnane has attended two festivals this summer.
"I feel really safe at music festivals in Australia. I think there is a lot of care and community in the festival scene," he said.
"In my opinion, people generally feel less safe when cops are present at music festivals.
"I have been to a lot of festivals, and never seen any situation that would remotely require police presence or intervention. Fundamentally, harm reduction practitioners, not the police, should be at festivals."
Dr Ison echoed this sentiment, saying a police presence could make people panic and be hesitant to report problems.
"Police dogs at festivals need to stop. Because it can lead to unsafe drug and alcohol use, and we know the impacts of that," she said.
In 2019, the NSW deputy coroner found high-visibility policing tactics such as drug dogs and strip searching at music festivals increased the risks associated with drugs.