By KATH GANNAWAY
THERE’S no missing the messages around equality and respectful relationships at Upper Yarra Secondary College.
Banners, posters, stencils, 150 life-sized male and female hands, even temporary tattoos, are all part of a social marketing campaign at the school.
The campaign has been developed in conjunction with students to create an awareness of the link between mutual equality and respect and the prevention of violence against women.
The initiative is a partnership of Inspiro Health Service and Yarra Valley Community Health Service to develop and deliver the campaign in conjunction with UYSC and Healesville High School.
“Essentially it is a violence prevention campaign,” YVCHS Health Promotion Officer Julia Blackburn said.
“We know that promoting equal and respectful relationships is one of the primary things in the prevention of violence against women and we’re starting with young people and trying to get that message out,” Ms Blackburn said.
The campaign is delivered to all student levels with the messages tailored to suit and tapping into opportunities in the classroom.
Targeted sessions promote awareness and discussion around what equality and respect means, she said.
“We have had amazing discussions with the Year 9 students, and while we pitched differently to the Year 7s, both were incredibly engaging,” Ms Blackburn said.
“We came away feeling really positive about the potential to create awareness about issues such as interpersonal relationships, about societal messaging and societal and generational stereotypes.
“We are acknowledging that we get our messaging from the home, and school and from all our interpersonal relationships, but also acknowledging that broader relationships affect us.”
The campaign will go to Healesville High School in third term.
Ms Blackburn said the schools had been very supportive of the campaign which is also supported by Yarra Ranges Youth Services, Medicare Local and Women’s Services Outer East.
“Young people are such great target groups for this type of work because there is still room to talk to them about these messages before their attitudes are too ingrained,” she said.
