{"id":48047,"date":"2019-05-27T13:41:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T20:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/world.edu\/?p=48047"},"modified":"2019-05-27T13:41:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-27T20:41:53","slug":"lets-make-it-mandatory-to-teach-respectful-relationships-in-every-australian-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/lets-make-it-mandatory-to-teach-respectful-relationships-in-every-australian-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Let\u2019s make it mandatory to teach respectful relationships in every Australian school"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nMedia\u00a0reports of findings<\/a>\u00a0from the latest\u00a0National Community Attitudes towards Violence against Women Survey<\/a>\u00a0caused a stir in recent days, with some highlighting the importance of education programs to teach young people about gender-based violence.<\/p>\n

The survey of young people, aged 16-24, revealed some\u00a0concerning findings<\/a>. Nearly one-quarter of respondents agreed that women tend to exaggerate the problem of male violence. One in seven said women often make false allegations of sexual assault. One in eight weren\u2019t aware non-consensual sex in marriage is a criminal offence.
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\nBut the 2017 survey also showed positive shifts in young people\u2019s understanding of family violence compared to the survey in 2013. Young people showed an increase in their understanding of the different forms of violence against women and more respondents endorsed gender equality.<\/p>\n

Schools play a significant role in educating young people about gender-based violence and helping change the underlying attitudes that lead to it.<\/p>\n

The Victorian government\u00a0began a rollout<\/a>\u00a0of respectful relationships education in primary and secondary schools in 2016. This is a whole-of-school program that aims not only to develop students\u2019 gender awareness and respect but also to transform school cultures to be more gender-inclusive.<\/p>\n

An evaluation of the program in secondary schools\u00a0found positive results<\/a>. One principal told researchers:<\/p>\n

There were male teachers in positions of authority [who] used aggression as their method to get what they wanted. That just became unacceptable.<\/em><\/p>\n

History of gender-based violence education<\/h4>\n

Schools have long played a significant role in teaching students respect and equity. Social and moral learning is embedded in the\u00a0Melbourne Declaration<\/a>, a 2008 document that sets out the agreed national goals of schooling. These values are\u00a0also embedded<\/a>\u00a0in national and state curricula.<\/p>\n

More than 25 years ago, the federal education department was\u00a0commissioned to develop<\/a>\u00a0a position on gender-based violence education. This led to the development of \u201cNo Fear\u201d \u2013 a teaching resource and whole-of-school approach to addressing the attitudes and behaviours that underpin gender-based violence.<\/p>\n

Researchers in the mid-1990s\u00a0highlighted the high levels<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0sexual harassment in schools<\/a>, including early childhood settings. Others pointed to the\u00a0broader gender equity<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0structural inequalities<\/a>\u00a0that impact girls\u2019 options after leaving school.<\/p>\n

All of this led to a high visibility and resourcing of gender (and other) equity reforms across Australian schools. By the late 1990s, however, anti-feminist backlash and government funding cuts led to a\u00a0policy vacuum<\/a>\u00a0in this space.<\/p>\n

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