The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They are the ones who will shape our society, they will form our culture and define our values.
They are the ones who can make a change that could potentially save hundreds of lives each year.
Already, Tasmanian students are being taught that sexual assaults are not acceptable as classes in schools across the state expand to include education on sexual safety.
The cultural changes that are needed to stop people from feeling scared, helpless and intimidated are in their hands.
Statistics show that one fifth of all Australian women have experienced sexual violence.
Eighty per cent of all women aged between 18 and 24 were harassed on the street in the past year, and one quarter of all women have experienced physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner.
Sexual assaults are becoming a common occurrence in today’s society, but as a new generation of children enter school, education around respect, equality and values is more important than ever.
Family Planning Tasmania is already working in schools across the state to teach children about respectful relationships and bodies.
This education can start as early as kindergarten and includes learning what public and private body parts are.
As children get older, they learn about personal safety, decision making, sexual safety, and sexual rights and responsibilities.
Chief executive Cedric Manen said sexuality education can help people to understand how they relate to themselves and to others.
“There is evidence to suggest that school-based interventions which are reinforced in community settings over a longer period, can effectively prevent intimate partner violence and victimisation among adolescents,” Mr Manen said.
“Learning about respectful relationships has life-long benefits for the individual and the community.”
He said young people who had participated in the program were able to be more assertive in saying what they did and did not want, and in identifying and responding to unsafe situations.
A Department of Education spokesperson said it was important to recognise that violence against anyone, in any form, was unacceptable.
Last year, the government launched the Family Violence Action Plan, Safe Homes, Safe Families and the department’s Respectful Relationships Education Package.
“The package assists schools in developing a culture of respectful relationships throughout the school community, and contains teaching and learning resources and is supported by professional learning,” the spokesperson said.
“Providing all students with age-appropriate understanding of these issues is a crucial aspect of developing healthy relationships throughout their lives.”