Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

Movement Based Bystander Training

This week, a number of our rugby players were able to take part in a program focusing on movement-based training to educate our boys on respect and equality. The new initiative called Movement-based Bystander Training is part of the National Rugby League Voice Against Violence (VAV) and Melbourne Storm’s Stand Up, Speak Out, Take Action program (these gender equality outreach program delivered by the NRL and Melbourne Storm players). 

This program is an innovative way to educate boys on respect and equality – learning through motion is effective as a vehicle. This program is delivered in secondary schools and the Rugby League community and is delivered across Australia and Pacific.

We were lucky enough to be able to join with Damascus College who had 20 of their Year 11 male students also make their way to St Patrick’s College to participate in the two-hour program.

The boys begun the session with different training drills focusing on different movements but each of these drills had a specific focus on aspects of respect like communication, trust and respect. The boys engaged with the session and were vocal in their support for each other to master the challenges they were faced with.

Once the training was completed, the NRL and Storm facilitators took the students in for a ‘locker room’ session to focus on the impact of domestic violence in Australia and our communities and had conversations about what this looks like and how we can stand up to help be the solution to prevent gender-based violence.

Once again, the students were present and engaged in conversation around very important topics related to equality and how that can help to drive down the rates of gender-based violence through changing stereotypes and positive masculinity.

SPC were proud to be part of this event which was supported by CoRE and Womens Health Grampians and look forward to being able to participate again in the future.

Student Reflections:

This morning was a great and informative opportunity to understand and realise the importance of our choices, and what effect they can play on the community around us. We learnt the importance of treating everyone with respect, particularly women - and to not only recognise their efforts, but to never overlook them. 

The Movement Bystander workshop also challenged our perception on how proper relationships function, then provided us with exceptionally important advice/feedback on how to keep relationships with loved ones healthy, active, stable, and safe. 

- Jackson Turner, Year 10

I greatly enjoyed the session as it provided not only myself but all the other boys with a better understanding of the suffering faced by victims of domestic violence and how we as a community must put an end to it by speaking out and taking action. It showed us that we as young men must be the catalyst for change within the community and we can make the biggest impact against domestic abuse. 

- Jett De Livera, Year 12