Gender-based violence in schools – the facts
Violence against women can take many forms. We must all know how to recognise it in the workplace.
What is work-related gendered violence? (WorkSafe)
Work-related gendered violence is any behaviour, directed at any person, or that affects a person, because of their sex, gender or sexual orientation, or because they do not adhere to socially prescribed gender roles, that creates a risk to health and safety.
It can range in severity from comments and gestures, through to sexual assault and rape.
Types of work-related gendered violence include:
stalking, intimidation or threats
verbal abuse
ostracism or exclusion
sexually explicit gestures
offensive language and imagery
put downs, innuendo, and insinuations
being undermined in your role or position
sexual harassment
sexual assault or rape.
Work-related sexual harassment
Work-related sexual harassment is sexual harassment directed at a person, that can happen at work, work related events, or between people sharing the same workplace.
It can be a one-off incident and can involve unwanted or unwelcome:
touching
staring or leering
suggestive comments or jokes
sexually explicit pictures or posters
repeated invitations to go out on dates
requests for sex
intrusive questions about a person's private life or body
unnecessary contact, such as deliberately brushing up against a person
insults or taunts based on sex or gender
sexually explicit physical contact
sexually explicit emails, text messages or social media activity.
Employers must consult with health and safety representatives (HSRs) and their employees about health and safety issues that may directly affect them. Consultation about gendered violence must occur when:
identifying or assessing hazards or risks in the workplace
making decisions about measures to be taken to prevent and manage gendered violence risks
making decisions about procedures to resolve health or safety issues
making decisions about procedures to monitor employee health
making decisions about information and training on work-related gendered violence
proposing changes that may affect the health and safety of employees.
Our Watch on the causes of gender-based violence
Our Watch is an independent not-for-profit organisation working to “embed gender equality and prevent violence where Australians live, learn, work and socialise”.
It says, “men who use violence generally have two things in common – they don’t respect women and do not see them as their equals. These attitudes are prevalent in our society, including in our schools, and they are a key driver of violence against women”.
“Violence against women is the most common form of gender-based violence in Australia... The evidence shows that violence against women is much more likely to occur when power, opportunities and resources are not shared equally between men and women in society and when women are not valued and respected as much as men.”
Our Watch says the four key drivers of violence against women are:
condoning of violence against women
men’s control of decision-making and limits to women’s independence in public and private life
rigid gender stereotyping and dominant forms of masculinity
male peer relations and cultures of masculinity that emphasise aggression, dominance and control.
In schools, examples of these drivers include:
parents minimise the aggressive behaviour of boys to girls stating, ‘It’s just boys being boys’
the assumptions that male principals and teachers are ‘stronger’ or ‘firmer’ than female teachers or have better leadership skills, which creates an implicit preference for male teachers and executive staff
gendered school uniforms including those that limit the activities that girls choose to participate in at school
male students 'ranking' female peers online.
Research from the Man Cave found one third of Australian teenage boys admire “manfluencer” Andrew Tate and almost all knew who he was. Tate advocates for women to serve men and is on charges of human trafficking of women.
Suggestions for schools
Academics writing for The Conversation have offered four things schools should do now to prevent gender-based violence.
make ‘pornography literacy’ a mandatory part of the curriculum
keep teaching about sex and relationships in Year 11 and 12 (rather than stopping at Year 10)
teach all young people how to stand up to bad behaviours
train teachers to teach sensitive content.
What the experts say teachers need
The Conversation academics – from various Australian universities – said that teaching such sensitive content is difficult and requires specific training.
“But at the moment, there is not enough training in sexuality education for teachers before they start teaching and once they are in classrooms. Teachers from other areas – such as maths or history – often find themselves delivering sex and relationships content.
“This leaves teachers underprepared and under supported to deliver this content.
“So we need to make sure specific units on sexuality and relationships are part of all teaching degrees and there is professional development for existing teachers. This training should be mandated and funded by governments.”
What do you think? What measures work to reduce gender-based violence in schools? Send your ideas and experiences to ThePoint@ieuvictas.org.au