Respectful Relationships

Respectful Relationships Update

Background  

The State wide Respectful Relationships & Gender Equity initiative currently taking seed throughout Victoria aims to reduce Australia’s Family Violence problem.  

Current Australian statistics regarding domestic violence are alarming:

• One Australian woman dies nearly every week from spousal abuse.
• Intimate partner violence is the largest contributor to ill-health in Australian women aged 18-44 (more than tobacco, drugs, cholesterol, cancer, or the road toll).
• Family violence costs the Australian economy $21.7 Billion per year in health, administration, and social welfare.

The Victorian Government recognises these statistics as unacceptable and has committed to creating deep cultural change through community awareness, education, and targeted programs.  The Government’s first step was to activate a Royal Commission into Family Violence which has resulted in 227 recommendations for reform.  These recommendations have triggered the most comprehensive, cross-sectorial, reform initiative regarding Family Violence that Australia, and the world, has seen. 

Research conducted by the Royal Commission indicates that Family Violence is preventable and is deeply rooted in persistent gender power imbalances in our society.   Research suggests that equalising this power imbalance will reduce the current rates of Family Violence.

The Role of Education:

The Royal Commission identified schools as being perfectly positioned to play a critical role in changing negative attitudes toward girls and women - attitudes that are believed to contribute to violence.  It is recommended that schools work harder to teach Respectful Relationships to all students, and promote gender equity in all aspects of their school communities.  It is hoped that through such education our young Australians will drive deep cultural change throughout our society as they mature into adults.

What are we doing at STM

• Staff are trained in delivering age appropriate material to students.
• Professionally developing staff to notice signs of abuse or Domestic Violence.
• Put in place Respectful Relationships coordinators (Declan and Marcia)
• Continuing to inform the community of steps taken here at school.