Respectful relationships education isn’t about activating a gender war
It is possible to talk with children and young people about gender without activating a gender war.
There have been claims in the press that programs addressing gender-based violence present all men as “bad” and all women as “victims”.
These claims misrepresent the evidence-based prevention education program to which they refer.
Last week the Victorian Department of Education and Training launched the new Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) education program designed to support teachers to develop children and young people’s social and emotional skills and promote respectful relationships.
It was developed by a team of nationally and internationally recognised experts in education gender and social emotional learning.
For each age level across primary and secondary, the program provides six units of work developing social and emotional skills that are the foundation of positive relationships. This is followed by a unit on understanding gender norms, and a final unit addressing the skills needed for respectful relationships.
None of the activities invite students to work within the rhetoric of blame.
How the program is taught
The first three quarters of the program has students working on the social and communicative skills needed to understand and manage their emotions, problem solve, manage stress and anger, and engage in peer support and help-seeking.
These are the skills that underpin respectful, positive and caring relationships, regardless of gender.
In the sections on gender and respectful relationships, they are challenged to identify the gender norms that influence attitudes and behaviour, and to question when and where various expectations can be harmful or limiting for both boys and girls.
They think through the skills and strengths they would need to act with respect in a challenging situation.
This program is designed to help teachers provide learning that supports development of the personal and social capabilities that are part of the Victorian Curriculum.
It includes a focus on social and emotional learning and respectful relationships.
The need for such programs is evident. Data shows that in Australia many young people are not aware of appropriate boundaries in relationships.
Young women more likely to be victims of violence
Compared to other age groups, younger women are more likely to experience both victimisation and partner violence.
A large proportion of men who have perpetrated sexual violence against women did so for the first time when they were young, indicating that such practices commence early in adulthood.
