Minister for Crime Prevention Anthony Carbines announced on Thursday that La Trobe University will receive a $265,000 crime prevention innovation fund grant to tackle drink-spiking in the Bendigo area and across Victoria.

Dr Jess Ison is a postdoctoral research fellow who is currently doing similar research looking broadly across Victoria, but the funding announced by Minister Carbines will allow for a specific focus on Bendigo.

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Dr Ison said researchers preferred to call drink spiking, "alcohol and other drug facilitated sexual violence".

"We're looking at it in relation to sexual assault," Dr Ison said.

"We know that it's not always the intent to sexually assault someone.

"Though the evidence shows it's probably the main reason someone would spike something."

Led by La Trobe University's School of Rural Health, in partnership with the Centre Against Sexual Assault Central Victoria, Bendigo Community Health Services and the Greater Bendigo Coalition for Gender Equity, the project will undertake much-needed research into the issue of drink-spiking, creating a digital platform to share survivors' stories and help others share their experiences.

The project will also provide the wider community in Victoria with information and resources, ultimately making society a safer place to live, Minister Carbines said.

"This important project will use the experiences of brave survivors and the knowledge of drink-spiking experts to provide much needed research and support on this issue," he said.

"We're already seeing communities make so much positive change through the first round of building safer communities grants, and it's great to see more projects come to life through this second round of funding."

The Preventing Drink Spiking project is one of 18 initiatives that will share in more than $4.9 million in funding through round two of the creating safer places and crime prevention innovation fund grants. Through this program, grants of up to $300,000 will be on offer to councils, not-for-profit organisations and research bodies to enable them to deliver and evaluate innovative community safety initiatives.

Dr Ison said the crime of drink spiking was a big issue across the country, with recent cases in Bendigo, but said the research would clarify the extent of the problem.

"As with any sexual assault, it's a really underreported issue," she said.

"Then when people come forward, others tend to come forward as well.

"We know very little about the issues specifically in rural areas so we thought that this was a good opportunity to look at the Bendigo region.

"So we're kind of using Bendigo as a case study, but it's definitely not an issue specific to Bendigo."

The Bendigo research will be led by Associate Professor Leesa Hooker while Dr Ison will serve as the project manager with the hope of getting localised knowledge that can be helpful across the country and the state, particularly in rural and regional areas that have not been as well researched as metropolitan locations.

Dr Ison said alcohol was the main drug used in alcohol and other drug facilitated sexual violence, but the toxicology does not always identify the drugs used.

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Researchers believe the crime can be performed proactively where someone goes out with the intention of spiking someone's drink, or it can be opportunistic.

"For example, somebody may already be quite intoxicated and then you continue to encourage them to be further intoxicated and then take advantage of them," Dr Ison said.

The research indicates that victims are predominantly young women, and that the place where the crime occurs might be out at a public venue, but is actually more likely in the home.

"[Maybe] a house party, but also say you meet someone and you go back to their place or they come back to your place and then the perpetrator spikes your drink back at the house," Dr Ison said.

"But again, the research is really limited because, for a lot of reasons, people don't come forward.

"They might not remember what's happened to them because they've been incapacitated, they might have shame and embarrassment.

"They don't think it's real rape because they'd been drinking already so there's a lot of stigma around the issue."

For researchers, getting accurate numbers and information is difficult but they want to know what is happening out in the community so they address the problem, and help prevent it most effectively.

More accurate information and statistics could also improve the assistance and support victims receive - which anecdotally is often far from ideal.

"We have anecdotal evidence from the media reporting, from stories we've read here in Australia and the international literature that health services, say for example the emergency department, often dismiss victims," Dr Ison said.

"And the police often dismiss victims or will say there's not enough evidence because of the issues around toxicology.

"We know that from hearing from victims that they often have quite difficult engagement with services.

"There needs to be massive improvements for responses to victims but of course, ultimately, we'd hope to prevent it from happening in the first place."

Those needing additional support can contact the Sexual Assault Crisis Line (Victoria) on 1800 806 292 or 1800 RESPECT (Australia) on 1800 737 732.

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