Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

Student leadership forum for respectful relationships and actions against gendered violence

Last term, student leaders from St Patrick's College were invited to participate in a student forum against gendered violence. This forum brought together student leaders from all secondary schools in Ballarat, providing them with a platform to discuss how we can make our community safer in light of recent incidents involving local women who have been victims of gendered violence. 

The forum aimed to raise awareness and encourage dialogue on this critical issue. Students had the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions about combating gendered violence in our community, alongside senior school representatives, local members of parliament, senior members of the city council, and other community leaders. We thank Karen Snibson, Chris Beechey, Des Hudson, among others, for leading and creating this important opportunity for our young leaders to have a voice.

Building on the momentum of these discussions, St Patrick's College and Damascus College met last Friday in our new Performing Arts Centre to continue these important conversations. This workshop, facilitated by Marcus Millgate – a highly regarded brand and creative strategist with international experience – focused on developing a comprehensive educational and awareness campaign. 

The goal is to promote respectful relationships within the school community, both online and in person. Our primary objective is to educate and raise awareness among students and the broader school community about the importance of respectful interactions, aiming to reduce instances of bullying, harassment, gendered violence, and disrespect both online and in person.

Students now have the task of creating campaign materials to promote respect and are planning various methods for delivering this message. I look forward to our next workshop on Friday and to seeing how our students take the lead on this important issue in our community.

Bullying No Way: National Week of Action

Bullying No Way Week, running from 12-16 August 2024, is Australia’s leading bullying prevention initiative, bringing schools and communities together to find effective solutions to stop bullying. St Patrick's College is proud to have actively promoted this year’s theme: Everyone Belongs. This initiative was spearheaded by the Student Congress, who played a key role in conveying important messages, particularly to our younger students.

The 2024 theme, Everyone Belongs, emphasizes that when we all feel a sense of belonging, bullying struggles to take root. It's about embracing our individuality, respecting each other's differences, and standing united against unkindness. Belonging means that we all share the responsibility of preventing bullying. We are encouraged to speak up, create safe spaces where everyone feels supported and respected, and ensure that our voices are heard and valued.

Throughout the week, Congress students have been visiting Year 7 and 8 homerooms each morning to share positive messages, discuss the impact of bullying, and guide students on what to do if they need support. Homeroom teachers have also been provided with resources to share with students each morning.

School TV: Bullying and Cyber Safety

As parents, it can be challenging to navigate the difficulties your son may encounter from time to time. Bullying comes in many forms and can have far-reaching, damaging effects on a child's self-esteem, self-worth, resilience, and academic success, with impacts that may persist into adulthood. 

Bullying is defined by repeated and targeted behaviour and is also characterized by how it makes a young person feel as a result. As parents, it is important to fully understand the situation before concluding that it is bullying.

Online bullying, in particular, can have a greater impact and be much harder to manage. Online bullies can engage in inappropriate behaviour 24/7, invading a young person's home environment, where they should feel safe.

Earlier this term, we were fortunate to have Susan McLean, Australia’s foremost expert on cyber safety, speak to over 300 parents in our new Performing Arts Centre. Susan served as a member of Victoria Police for 27 years and is widely known as the 'cyber cop,' having been the first Victoria Police Officer appointed to a position focused on cyber safety and young people. Below are her recommendations for parents to help keep their children safe online:

• Get devices out of bedrooms and bathrooms!
• Establish a family online contract and rules for using social media.
• Know your child’s passwords and passcodes.
• Talk early – talk often.
• Use a filter to limit inappropriate content.
• Learn about the sites and apps they are using.
• Encourage your children to only add people they know in real life.

If you would like to learn more about keeping your child safe online or what you can do as a parent in this area, please visit our School TV website for additional resources on this topic: Bullying | St Patrick's College - Ballarat (schooltv.me)