Student Wellbeing

RESILENCE, RIGHTS & RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS

Here at St Joseph's all classrooms teach and explore the Resilence, Rights, and Respectful Relationships program, often called Respectful Relationships for short. 

This initiative supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes, and behaviors. It teaches our students how to build healthy friendships, resilience, and confidence. The program makes up part of our Social-Emotional Learning.

Often we hear in the media and from others, a range of information surrounding this program and I would like to take a moment to look at some Myths that surround this program.

Myth 1

Respectful Relationships teaches radical gender theory.

Fact: Respectful Relationships does not teach radical gender theory. It is a primary prevention initiative to reduce family violence. Respectful Relationships promotes respect and gender equality and helps students learn how to build healthy relationships. It prepares students to face challenges by developing problem-solving skills and building resilience and confidence. Schools involved in the Respectful Relationships initiative are building a culture of respect and gender equality, by looking at their practices and policies to drive meaningful change.

The Victorian Royal Commission into Family Violence recommended Respectful Relationships be introduced to all government schools (Recommendation 189). Evidence presented to the commission showed that family violence is the most pervasive form of violence perpetrated against women in Victoria.

Myth 2

The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials are not age-appropriate.

Fact: The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials were developed by leading education experts, who tailored the materials to each year level from Foundation to year 12 and made sure all information is age-appropriate and grounded in evidence.

Teachers are also encouraged to use other lessons and discussions that focus on the target topic.

Myth 3

Respectful Relationships and the Safe School program are the same.

Fact: Respectful Relationships and Safe Schools are two very different initiatives.

Safe Schools is about creating inclusive and safe environments for all students, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) students. Safe Schools seeks to prevent, and respond to, discrimination against LGBTI students. Safe Schools is not part of the Victorian Curriculum.

Respectful Relationships is part of the curriculum. It promotes respect and gender equality and helps students learn how to build healthy relationships.

Myth 4

This initiative is trying to say that boys can't play with trucks and girls can't play with dolls.

Fact: Absolutely not. This initiative is not seeking to make children ‘gender neutral’ or trying to prevent girls from playing with dolls, or boys with trucks. Respectful Relationships is about creating an environment in which children are not restricted by gender stereotypes and are free to explore and play as they choose.

This Term in Friendship Groups and classrooms our focus has been on Problem Solving, this includes exploring different strategies that can be used to solve social problems that occur in everyday life.  

In Seniors, we also did a focus on the power of our words as this had been an identified issue within our year level. I have included some photos of their work around this area.

If you would like further information or have any questions regarding Respectful Relationships or any other Student Wellbeing concerns, please feel free to reach out I am always happy to have a chat.

lobrien@sjyarrajunction.catholic.edu.au