The Respectful Relationships Initiative: Rights, Resilience and Respectful Relationships Skills
“The education system sets the foundation for creating future generations of successful learners, confident and creative individuals, and active and informed citizens.”
– Our Watch
“Respectful Relationships is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, sporting fields, and social events. This approach leads to positive impacts on student’s academic outcomes, their mental health, classroom behaviour, and relationships between teachers and students.”
– Victorian Government
The Respectful Relationships Initiative provides the framework to explicitly teach our students these skills:
- Understand and manage emotions
- Set and achieve positive goals
- Feel and show empathy for others
- Establish and maintaining positive relationships
- Make responsible decisions
- Develop resilience to deal with change
- Create positive gender norms
- Contribute to social cohesion.
We know these skills are dynamic and inter-related and underpin both personal resilience and healthy relationships resulting in:
- More positive social behaviour
- Less risky and disruptive behaviour
- Improvements in academic performance with an average 11% gain in academic achievement
(Durlak et al. 2011, CASEL 2013; Frydenberg 2010; Hromek & Roffey 2009)
In 2017 we recognised and actioned our responsibility to assist our students in developing the necessary skills to reach their full potential and engage meaningfully in all aspects of their lives including learning, work, family and community.
To learn more about the initiative, watch the Victorian Government’s informative video by clicking HERE.
Find out more by clicking HERE.
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