Statistics on household and home violence in Australia are nothing in need of stunning with a mean of 1 Australian girl killed every week by a present or former companion, based on the Australian Institute of Criminology.
From the age of 15 one in three Australian girls expertise bodily violence (ABS) and one in 4 expertise emotional abuse by a present or former companion.
A program being piloted in colleges all through Australia is making an attempt to cut back these statistics by giving college students abilities to reject violent and aggressive behaviour and kind attitudes based mostly on equality and respect.
Respectful Relationships Training is presently being piloted in 30 Western Australian main and excessive colleges, funded by the state authorities.
This system was developed by Our Watch, a peak physique for stopping household and home violence towards girls and youngsters in Australia, which lately launched a report on this system.
They discovered that Respectful Relationships Training to Stop Gender-Based mostly Violence decreased stereotypical attitudes amongst main faculty college students, making them much less more likely to see jobs or actions as strictly for males or girls.
Our Watch chief government Patty Kinnersly mentioned so long as women and girls had been seen as much less equal than males and boys, disrespect and violence towards girls would proceed.
Ms Kinnersly mentioned proof confirmed inflexible gender roles and stereotyped constructions of masculinity and femininity – the concept that men and women and women and boys ought to act in sure methods or fulfill sure roles – had been one of many drivers of violence towards girls.
“This new analysis exhibits some early promising indicators that main faculty is a important time to have interaction kids in age-appropriate academic content material, so that they have the abilities to reject aggressive behaviours and discrimination and kind attitudes, beliefs and behaviours based mostly on equality and respect,” she mentioned.
Ms Kinnersly mentioned respectful relationships schooling not solely aimed to construct the abilities of younger Australians, but it surely labored with colleges to make sure office tradition, insurance policies and practices had been equitable and based mostly on respect.
“We have to construct on the work of this pilot and embed this work in main and secondary colleges all through the nation,” Ms Kinnersly mentioned.
“We additionally want to make sure we’re selling gender equality and non-violence not simply in our colleges however all of the locations we spend our time, from our properties and workplaces to our sporting golf equipment.”
The pilot in WA colleges is because of end on June 30, 2022.
Division of Communities Service Design and Assist appearing assistant director common Sharyn Keating mentioned this system goals to supply colleges with the abilities to assist college students in constructing their future relationships, with a deal with prioritising non-violent relationships which are characterised by equality, mutual respect and belief.
“Its evidence-based method teaches college students about constructive and respectful relationships from a younger age, with the goal of stopping home violence earlier than it begins,” Ms Keating mentioned.
“In early suggestions, members reported that this system elevated their confidence to deal with problems with violence and abuse and gave them a greater understanding of the function they, and their faculty, performs in fostering respectful relationships.”
Ms Keating mentioned the sate authorities recognised the significance of main prevention initiatives to vary the attitudes and values that drive violence towards girls and youngsters.
“The state authorities has dedicated to increasing the Respectful Relationships program to an extra 12 colleges and native sport and recreation golf equipment and organisations,” she mentioned.
This system is being delivered in WA by Starick, a home violence organisation based mostly in Perth that’s recognised as an professional within the discipline of household and home violence prevention schooling.
Starick enterprise supervisor Troy Kelley mentioned Respectful Relationships Training aimed to problem condoning of gender-based violence, promote girls’s independence and choice making, problem gender stereotypes and roles, and strengthen constructive, equal and respectful relationships
“The problems of gender-based violence is severe and is pushed by gender inequality,” he mentioned.
“Respectful relationships schooling is a type of main prevention targeted on creating generational change to interrupt the cycle of household and home violence and stopping violence earlier than it happens.
“Younger persons are the important thing for main prevention of gender-based violence as a result of they’re nonetheless forming their information and perspective and are open to steering and assist.
“They’re additionally starting to kind relationships and concepts about acceptable relationship behaviour.
“Respectful Relationships Training will help kids act as brokers for change, constructing abilities for them to advocate for gender equality and non-violence and train a constructive affect on their societies and future generations.”
Mr Kelley mentioned this system was presently restricted to state main and secondary colleges and people colleges that had been excited about being concerned might categorical their curiosity by way of the Division of Training.
“The extra colleges and wider faculty communities that become involved in Respectful Relationship messaging will assist in the first prevention of violence towards girls,” he mentioned.
The place to get assist
If somebody you recognize wants assist with a violent companion or member of the family, communicate out. And in case you are experiencing household or home violence, the next providers can help:
- Waratah: waratah@waratah.asn.au
- 1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
- Disaster Care Helpline: 1800 199 008
- Ladies’s Home Violence Helpline: 1800 007 339
- Children Helpline: 1800 55 1800
- Males’s Home Violence Helpline: 1800 000 599