Welcome

Introductions

Name
Role
Organisation
Please answer the following question:
When you were a kid what did you want to
be when you grew up?

Objectives of todays training

This training should help you to:
Gain a deeper understanding of the You, Me and Us
project
Understand why respectful relationships education is
important for young people and how it works to prevent
violence against women
Understand the extent and severity of violence against
women and learn how to prevent it before it occurs
To consider how you can continue to implement and
sustain respectful relationships work within your
organisation

Content of the training

Introduction
Respectful relationships and young peoples development
Unhealthy relationships among young people and forms of violence
Mandatory referral pathways for young people and other response work
Violence against women as a social phenomenon
Myths and attitudes in our community around violence against women
TEA BREAK

Preventing violence against women before it occurs

Causes of violence against women
How You, Me and Us works to prevent violence before it occurs
LUNCH

Introduction to a You, Me and Us peer educator

You, Me and Us respectful relationships education sessions
Creation of a tailored action plan for your organisation
The support role of Womens Health West
Evaluation and closing

Womens Health West

Womens Health West is the regional womens health
service for Melbournes west. We have two program
arms that include:
Health promotion, research and development
Family violence crisis response

You, Me and Us
You, Me and Us is a respectful relationships education
project that is funded by the Australian Government
Department of Social Services.

Goal
To redress the drivers of violence against
women and increase the capacity of young
people to conduct ethical and respectful
relationships via the use of a peer
education model
Respectful relationships education is a
primary prevention initative

Peer educators:
Purpose
To train young women to deliver respectful relationships education
sessions to their peers in various settings.
Why
Young people are more likely to hear respectful relationship
messages if it comes from a peer
Research indicates that young people are more likely to confide in
a friend or peer about an experience of violence before services or
official channels (Imbesi, 2008)

Young women are educated and supported to become youth

ambassadors and leaders in the prevention of violence against
women

Delivery of sessions
Senior primary school students
10 to 13 year olds (Year 5 and 6)
2 hour sessions

Post secondary school students

18 to 24 year olds

2.5 hour sessions

Respectful relationship education sessions are delivered in

primary schools, youth organisations, sporting clubs, universities
and TAFEs.

Professional development
Purpose
To maximise sustainability of program outcomes by embedding
primary prevention messages in supportive settings.

Why
Best practice is a whole of setting approach:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Curriculum, teaching and learning

Policy and practices
The relationship between the organisation, parents, family and the community
Organisational culture, ethos and environment

Commitment to ongoing actions, ensures sustainability

Manual and evaluation

Manual
The purpose of the manual is to disseminate the projects tools,
resources and findings to community and health organisations who
deliver respectful relationships education.

Evaluation
The purpose of evaluation is to add to the evidence base about
respectful relationships education and primary prevention of violence
against women and assess whether the project was successful in
reaching its intended aim and objectives.

What is primary prevention?

Primary prevention refers to initiatives that aim
to prevent violence before it occurs by
redressing the underlying causes, such as
gender inequity (VicHealth, 2007).

Determinants of violence against

women
Unequal power relations between women and men
Adherence to rigid gender stereotypes
(VicHealth, 2007)

What is respectful relationships

education?
Education aimed at adolescents, to redress the
determinants of violence against women.
Respectful relationships education occurs by:
Promoting equal and respectful relationships between young
men and women
Improving access to resources and systems of support

Respectful relationships education is a youth

focused strategy that aims to build young peoples
capacity and skills to:
Identify behaviours associated with healthy and
unhealthy relationships
Identify attitudes and behaviours that underpin and
perpetuate gender inequity
Understand their legal rights and responsibilities
Access help and support if they or someone they know is
experiencing an unhealthy or violent relationship

Group agreement

Respect each others differences

Participate in the group
Make sure everyone is able to contribute
Keep confidentiality
Agree to sometimes disagree
Turn mobile phones off to minimise distractions
Be conscious of time

Relationships and young people

What qualities are characteristic of
a respectful relationship?
Why are healthy and respectful
relationships important for young
peoples development?

Unhealthy relationships
What examples of unhealthy
relationship behaviours do
you see among young people
you work with?

Violence in relationships
Violence in relationships can take the form of:

Physical violence
Sexual violence
Verbal abuse
Emotional and psychological abuse
Social isolation
Spiritual abuse
Financial and economic deprivation
Harassment and stalking

Physical violence
Pushing
Shoving
Punching
Hitting
Slapping
Choking
Hair pulling
Attempting to strangle

Sexual violence
Forcing a person to have unwanted sexual
contact
Rape
Forcing a person to perform sexual acts that
cause pain or humiliation
Forcing a person to have sex with others

Verbal abuse
Derogatory comments about someones age,
culture, ability or appearance
Name calling
Abusive language
Put downs

Emotional and psychological

abuse
Contain put downs and name calling

Abusing a person by regularly and deliberately

undermining their confidence, leading them to
believe they are insane, stupid, crazy, a bad
person, bad parent or useless

Social abuse
Isolating a person from support networks such
as family friends and work colleagues
Verbally or physically abusing and humiliating
them in public or in front of others
Not allowing the person to leave their home
(imprisoning them in their home)

Economic abuse
Keeping a person financially dependent on the
person using violence
Denying a person access to money or forcing
them to have to ask for money

Having to account for all money that is spent

Being made to live on impossibly small
amounts of money

Spiritual abuse
Preventing a person from practicing their faith
Forcing a person to change religions
Using a persons faith to control. This can
include using religious teachings to justify abuse
or compel forgiveness

Harassment and stalking

Ringing someone repeatedly

Physically following a person
Cyber stalking
Constantly sending a person unwanted letters or
texts
Hanging around where someone lives or works

What is violence against women?

Violence against women refers to any act of
gender based violence that results in, or is likely
to result in physical, sexual or psychological
harm or suffering to women, including threats of
such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of
liberty, whether occurring in public or private life.
(United Nations, 1993)

Violence against women:

A global problem
Examples of violence which affects only women
or affects women predominantly:
Child marriage, child prostitution and
pornography, forced prostitution and
pornography, trafficking, intimate partner
violence, sexual abuse, assault and harassment,
dowry related violence, abuse of women with a
disability, forced pregnancy and economically
coerced sex.

Common factor across all forms of

violence against women
A perpetrator uses manipulation,
intimidation and creates fear in order to
obtain and maintain power and control
over their intimate partner.

Impacts on young people

Domestic violence has a clear and negative
impact on childrens and young peoples
behavioural, cognitive and emotional functioning
and social development. Childrens and young
peoples education and later employment
prospects are harmed by domestic violence.
(Flood and Fergus, 2008)

Violence against women

Violence is the leading contributor to death,
disability and illness of Victorian women aged 15
to 44 years
(VicHealth, 2004)

Violence against women is prevalent

Women are more likely to experience violence
from men they know, with one in three Australian
women (34 per cent) having experienced
physical violence and one in five Australian
women (19 per cent) having experienced sexual
violence since the age of 15 years.
(ABS, 2012)

Violence against women is costly

Cost to the Australian economy in 2009

$13,600,000,000
Estimated rise by 2020

$15,577,000,000
(The National Council to Reduce Violence Against
Women and their Children, 2009)

Violence against men

Men are most likely to experience violence
from other men, who they do not know at a
place of recreation, entertainment or outside
location
(ABS, 2012)

Recognise, respond and refer

Be aware of signs of abuse
Find an appropriate time and place to discuss with the
young person
Be direct
Let them know you are available if they ever want to talk
Refer
Any person who is registered as a teacher under the Education and
Training Reform Act (2006), or any person who has been granted to teach
under the Act, including principals, is mandated to make a report to the
Department of Human Services Child Protection. Teachers and principals
are mandated by law under section 184 of the Children Youth and Families
Act 2005 to make a report to child protection.
Non-mandated school staff members who believe on reasonable grounds
that a child is in need of protection are encouraged to speak to their
principal as well as being able to make a report to DHS Child Protection.

Where can I go for help?

Victoria Police
Call 000

Womens Health West: Family Violence Intake Service

Specialist family violence service for the west of Melbourne, risk assessments, safety planning, case management and
childrens counselling
Phone: (03) 9689 9588

Womens Domestic Violence Crisis Service

Statewide service that provides support (24 hours, 7 days per week) for refuge and crisis accommodation
Phone: 1800 015 188

cohealth
Victims assistance and counselling program
Phone: (03) 8398 4100
Counselling line
Phone: (03) 8398 4178

Western Region Centre Against Sexual Assault

Counselling service and after hours crisis service for anyone 12 years and above who is a victim or survivor of sexual assault
Counselling line: (03) 9687 5811
Administration line: (03) 9687 8637
24 hour crisis line: 1800 806 292

MensLine Australia
Professional telephone and online support, information and referral service, helping men to deal with relationship problems in a
practical and effective way
Phone: 1300 78 99 78

Myths and attitudes

Violence against women is not common in Australia

Violence against women is caused by alcohol and substance abuse

The violence happens when the abuser just loses control or gets angry

A woman is contributing to the problem if she doesnt leave the violent

relationship. It is her own fault if she stays. Things cant be that bad if
she hasnt left

Violence against women is mostly committed by strangers

If a woman is wearing revealing clothes, she is asking for it or she

deserved it

Its a mans right to have sex within a marriage or relationship

Some people deserve to be beaten because they provoke the violence

by their nagging and irritating behaviours

Children who grow up in violent homes become violent when they are
adults

Mythbusting attitudes
Violence against women is not common in Australia
Violence against women is extremely common in Australia. One in three
women have experienced violence at least once in their lives (ABS, 2012).
If a woman is wearing revealing clothes, she is asking for it or she
deserved it
Rape or sexual assault is not caused by a woman choosing to wear certain
clothes. It happens because the perpetrator chooses to commit a crime. No
one asks to be raped and no one deserves it.
Violence is caused by alcohol and substance abuse
Violence is a choice. Alcohol and drugs are often used by perpetrators as an
excuse for their behaviour. Almost equal numbers of perpetrators are drunk or
sober.

Mythbusting attitudes
Men are naturally violent and sometimes just lose their temper and cant
control it
Violence is a choice. Being angry is an emotion, but people choose whether or not to be
violent. Men are not naturally violent. They are conditioned by our society to believe that
violence is normal and acceptable. Often perpetrators are not violent towards other men or
people in positions of power. Perpetrators choose to use violence to gain power and control.

Sexual assault occurs because men cant control their need for sex
Violence is a choice. Men can make choices not to assault someone. Perpetrators use
sexual assault to gain power and control.

A woman is contributing to the problem if she doesnt leave the violent

relationship. It is her own fault if she stays. Things cant be that bad if she
hasnt left.
There are many reasons that women dont leave a violent relationship, such as lack of
finances, isolation and lack of support, social stigma, fear that violence will escalate,
commitment and concern for the children. Abusive partners often go to great lengths to
make it hard for a victim/survivor to leave a relationship, such as social isolation, economic
deprivation, threats of violence, controlling and demanding to know the persons
whereabouts at all times.

Mythbusting attitudes
It is a mans right to have sex within a marriage or relationship
Rape is rape. Sex in marriage and relationships should always be consensual and
never forced.
Violence against women only occurs in certain groups
Violence against women occurs in every community.
Violence against women is mostly committed by strangers
More than two-thirds of women who have experienced violence have known the
person who committed the violence.
Some people deserve to be beaten because they provoke the violence.
No one deserves to be assaulted. The responsibility rests solely with the
perpetrator. There is no excuse for violence. Some women will defend themselves
in an abusive relationship but there is a difference between abusing someone and
defending yourself from being abused further.

Preventing violence
against women

What is primary prevention?

Primary prevention refers to initiatives that aim
to prevent violence before it occurs by
redressing the underlying causes, such as
gender inequity
(VicHealth, 2007)

Prevention of violence
against women
Primary prevention (upstream)
Activities that take place before violence has occurred
Secondary prevention (midstream)
Immediate responses after violence has occurred to
deal with the short-term consequences
Tertiary prevention (downstream)
Long-term responses after violence has occurred to
deal with the lasting impact

Causes of
violence against
women

Gender
Sex =
Biological
characteristics

Gender =
Socially
determined Role

Definitions
Sex refers to physical characteristics such as hormones,
chromosomes and anatomy. People are generally described as male,
female or intersex based on these characteristics (WHW, 2014).
Gender encompasses the socially constructed norms, roles,
responsibilities and expectations that shape our understanding of what
it means to be a woman or a man within a given society at a particular
time (WHW, 2014).

Activity: Brainstorm
1. What ways are women and men unequal in
Australia in terms of:

Sport
Media
Home/Family
Work place

2. How might this affect womens position in

society?

Access to power and resources

in sport
On the way to the 2012 London Olympic
games

The Australian Male Basketball

team (yet to win an Olympic medal)
was flown Business Class
The Australian Female Basketball
team who were silver medal winners
at the last three Olympic games
were flown Premium Economy
(Lane, 2012)

Access to power and resources

at work
Australian labour force participation rates are 58.8% for
women and 71.7% men
Women constitute 70.1% of all part time employees
Women working full time earn on average 17.6% less
than men working full time
Female graduate salaries are 90.9% of male graduate
salaries
Average superannuation payments for women are
43.1% less than men
(Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Australian Government, 2013)

Access to power and resources

in the media
Of the 100 top grossing films of 2008, women
comprised of only:
8% of directors

13.6% of writers
19.1% of producers
(Smith and Choueiti, 2008)

Different and not equal

Less valued and therefore..
= less power

= less control
= less status

= less prestige
= less financial reward

Gender equity and

violence against women

(UNIFEM, 2010)

Gender equity and

violence against women
Australian and international research demonstrates:
Violence against women is more prevalent in societies in
which gender roles are more rigidly defined
Violence against women is more prevalent in societies
where manhood is culturally defined in terms of
dominance, toughness and male honour
Men are more likely to perpetuate violence against
women if they hold traditional attitudes to gender roles
People who hold traditional views about gender roles or
have low support for gender equality are more likely to
accept violence against women
(VicHealth, 2007)

Ecological model

Activity: What needs to be done at each level of

the ecological model to achieve gender equity?

Government
Media

Schools

Health services

Family

Individual qualities
Friends

Corporations
Partner
Faith institutions

Church

Causes of violence against women

1. Unequal power relations between men
and women
2. Adherence to rigid gender stereotypes
(VicHealth, 2007)

Causes and contributing factors

Causes (determinants):
A person or thing that gives rise to an action,
phenomenon, or condition
A factor that decisively affects the nature or
outcome of something

Contributing factors:
A factor that is partly responsible for a
development or phenomenon

You Me and Us as a strategy

to prevent violence against
women

How You, Me and Us works to

prevent violence before it occurs
Examples:
Reducing power inequalities between
women and men
Peer educators
2. Challenging gender stereotypes to
promote respectful relationships
Gender stereotypes activity

Making your organisation

action plan

Action planning
Curriculum, teaching and learning
Action 1: ____________________________________________________________
Action 2: ____________________________________________________________
Policy and practices
Action 3: ____________________________________________________________
Action 4: ____________________________________________________________
The relationship between the organisation, parents, family and the community
Action 5: ____________________________________________________________
Action 6: ____________________________________________________________
Organisational culture, ethos and environment
Action 7: ____________________________________________________________
Action 8: ____________________________________________________________

Follow up
Continue your action plan with key
people in your school or organisation

Put names and time frames against

actions!

Good luck!

References
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013, The Personal Safety Survey 2012, Cat. No. 4906.0, ABS, Canberra,
Dearden, J. and Jones, W. (2008) Homicide in Australia: 2006 07 National Homicide Monitoring Program Annual Report, Australian Institute of
Criminology: Canberra
Flood, M and Fergus, L 2008, An assault on our future: the impact of violence on young people and their relationships, White Ribbon Foundation,
Melbourne.
Imbesi, R 2008, Sexual assault prevention program for secondary schools: report, CASA House, Melbourne.
Lane, 2012, The London Age 2012, Second-class Olympians fume over team gender bias, cited online at, http://www.theage.com.au/olympics/newslondon-2012/secondclass-olympians-fume-over-team-gender-bias-20120719-22bb7.html
L. Smith and M. Choueiti, 2008, Gender inequality in cinematic content? A look at females on screen and behind the camera in top grossing 2008 films,
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California.
National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2009, Time for action: the national councils plan for Australia to reduce violence
against women and their children 20092021, The National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children, Canberra.
UNIFEM, 2010, Investing in Gender Equality: Ending Violence against Women, UN Women, Geneva.

United Nations 1993, Declaration on the elimination of violence against women, A/RES/48/104, United Nations General Assembly, Geneva.
VicHealth 2004, The health costs of violence: measuring the burden of disease caused by intimate partner violence, Victorian Health Promotion
Foundation, Carlton.
VicHealth 2007, Preventing violence before it occurs: a framework and background paper to guide the primary prevention of violence against women in
Victoria, Victorian Health Promotion Foundation: Melbourne
Womens Health West 2008, Family Violence Intervention and Prevention of Violence Against Women Training Package, Womens Health West,
Footscray, Victoria.

Workplace Gender Equality Agency. 2013, Gender workplace statistics at a glance, Australian Government, Canberra, Australia
Womens Health West 2014, Womens Health West guide to health promotion and gender equity, Womens Health West, Footscray, Victoria.