Prevention and Support

Targeted prevention education and student wellbeing programs have an important role to play in supporting a school’s sexuality education program. This section provides links to websites and resources relating to student wellbeing, sexual diversity, anti-bullying, pregnancy, sexual assault and gender identity.

Programs to support the wellbeing of students who have, for example, been sexually assaulted, and programs designed to prevent chlamydia, unwanted pregnancies and homophobic bullying, can assist in informing the content of the school’s sexuality education program.

The consistency of messages in prevention and wellbeing programs and in the school’s sexuality education program will support powerful student learning in sexuality education.

The occurrence of sex-related critical incidents, such as sexual assault and homophobic bullying, can also alert the school to the need to re-evaluate the current sexuality education curriculum, teaching strategies and student learning needs.

• Student wellbeing and anti-bullying
• Pregnant and parenting students
• Sexual assault
• Secondary school nurses
• SSAFE – Gender identity

External providers - This page provides a policy outline on the use of external providers offering targeted education, prevention and wellbeing support. A number of providers are identified across a range of areas, including sexually transmissible infections, sexual diversity and sexual assault.

Student wellbeing and anti-bullying

• Health and Wellbeing - This site provides educators, parents and the community with policies and programs to enhance the health and resilience of young people in Victoria.
  
• Building Respectful and Safe Schools - The Building Respectful and Safe Schools website provides information on a wide range of issues relating to bullying in schools.
  
• The Peers Outsmarting Homophobia (POSH) booklet (http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ssay/posh) - This booklet from Health Sciences, La Trobe University, is for youth specifically focussing on overcoming homophobia.
  
• Knowledge Bank: Breaking Through: A Program To Reduce Bullying And Promote Greater Acceptance And Celebration Of Diversity In Schools (http://knowledge.education.vic.gov.au) - The Knowledge Bank provides an outline of the Bouverie Centre’s ‘Breaking Through’ program. This is a program to reduce bullying and promote greater acceptance and celebration of diversity in schools.

Pregnant and parenting students

• Pregnant and parenting students - Section 4.5.10.10 of the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide outlines the Department’s policy related to pregnant and parenting students.
  
• Reach Out! – Sex and Pregnancy (http://au.reachout.com/find/issues/sex-pregnancy)
  Developed by The Inspire Foundation, a non-government organisation for young people’s health, this website provides a number of fact sheets with a focus on pregnancy and other sex-related matters.

Sexual assault

• Student Critical Advisory Unit - Information on the Department’s Student Critical Incident Advisory Unit, including Responding to Allegations of Student Sexual Assault – Procedures for Victorian Government Schools.
  
• Centre Against Sexual Assault (http://www.casa.org.au) - These centres help survivors of sexual assault to obtain comprehensive, timely support and intervention to address their needs. In some regions, the CASA also offers targeted prevention education programs, for example, the Respect, Protect, Connect Program in the Eastern region (with Women’s Health East) and the CASA House Secondary Schools Program in the north-west metropolitan region. For more information about the Respect, Protect, Connect Program, see: External providers
  
• Sexual Ethics (http://www.sexualethics.org.au) - The University of Western Sydney and the NSW Rape Crisis Centre are currently conducting a study to examine the adequacy of education designed to prevent sexual assault. Their stage one report and further information is available from their website. 

Secondary school nurses

Secondary school nurses commonly work with a health and support focus. They may also liaise closely with teachers of sexuality education to ensure a consistent message between wellbeing and student learning programs, help identify potential learning needs, and provide health expertise. 

See: Victorian Secondary School Nursing Program Guidelines (http://www.health.vic.gov.au/schoolnursing/publications/sec_guidelines.htm)

Gender identity

Many young people expressing gender non-conforming behaviours face the same risk factors as same-sex attracted people. The following resources focus on the support needs of students who may be experiencing gender identity issues.

SSAFE Gender Identity Issues (PDF - 53Kb) - This resource was produced by the Same-Sex Attracted Family Environments (SSAFE) in Schools Project, Family Planning Victoria and funded by the Premier’s Drug Prevention Council and VicHealth.

GQ: Gender Questioning (http://www.glhv.org.au/node/242) - This resource is available from Gay and Lesbian Health Victoria. It is designed to provide information and support to young people between 16 and 25 who are questioning their gender or supporting someone who is doing so.

Victorian student health policy
The Student health section of the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide provides an outline of policy for government schools relating to gender identity and students with a transgender or intersex status (subsection 4.5.10.11).

See: 4.5 Student health