What evidence is our resource collection based on?
Change the story
The Educator and practitioner resources are underpinned by evidence from Change the story: a shared framework for the primary prevention of violence against women and their children in Australia. Change the story brings together the international and domestic research, and nationwide experience, on what works to prevent violence against women and their children. It shows us that violence against women begins with gender inequality, disrespect towards women and girls, and sexist attitudes.
Change the story points to the need for us to work together to address gendered power imbalances, restrictive gender stereotypes and attitudes that excuse violence against women, and promote relationships based on equality and respect.
The Line evaluation data
These resources have been informed by surveys conducted with young people and parents. These surveys are regularly undertaken to assess The Line’s impact, and explore young people’s attitudes to sex, relationships and violence against women.
Please see the Snapshot evaluation findings for The Line campaign 2015-2017 for more information.
How were the resources developed?
In 2018, Our Watch consulted with a range of professionals who work with young people on topics relating to sex and relationships via a survey and face-to-face workshops.
We also sought feedback from The Line’s Digital Youth Committee (DYC) on the content created for direct use with young people. The DYC is an online group of young people brought together by The Line to advise and provide feedback on The Line’s digital content, campaigns, messaging, language and events.
Our Watch also engaged the expertise of YWCA Canberra.
Guiding principles
The principles that underpin the resources are:
Sex-positive
Sexual exploration, expression and connection are a normal, healthy part of the human experience.
We want to enable young people to have age-appropriate “…pleasurable, safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.” [1]
Gender equality and respect
Young people’s intimate and peer relationships should be equal and respectful. To achieve this, we need to work with young people to tackle unequal power relations, and address the impact of limiting gender stereotypes on young women, young men and trans and non-binary young people. Importantly, this means also addressing the way that different groups of young women and young men experience gender inequality due to intersecting forms of discrimination.
LGBTIQ-inclusive
Work with young people must reflect, welcome and include young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex queer and those who are questioning (LGBTIQ).
Recognising and valuing diversity
There are many different aspects of identity that shape how we experience the world, and the resources and opportunities available. This includes gender, class, race and ethnicity, and disability, for example.
It is critical to account for the power, privilege and/or discrimination that young people experience because of how society is organised in relation to these aspects of identity.
This means ensuring that our work with young people is accessible, inclusive and non-discriminatory.
Youth-directed learning
Young people have the capacity to answer, explore and lead discussion and reflection. They have valuable perspectives, ideas, opinions and experiences to offer both peers and adults.
Working with young people on the prevention of violence against women means supporting them to develop the knowledge and skills for equal and respectful relationships. It also means supporting young people to critique the messages they receive from peers, family, the media and society about gender, sex and relationships.
Resources will need to be tailored to young people and adapted to reflect the different contexts in which you work.
Teachers and schools
While the Educator and practitioner resources may be useful for teachers and schools, they have not been specifically designed with this setting in mind. Teachers and school staff are advised to use their professional judgement when drawing from the resources. For more on working in schools, please see the Our Watch website about respectful relationships education.
References
[1] World Health Organization. Defining Sexual Health: Report of a Technical Consultation on Sexual Health. 28-31 January 2002. Geneva: WHO, 2006.