BENDIGO\u2019S Centre for Non-Violence has said the Federal Government needs to rethink how consent is educated.<\/p>\n
It comes after the Department of Education\u2019s recent Respect Matters campaign likened milkshakes and tacos to sexual topics.<\/p>\n
CEO of Centre for Non-Violence Margaret Augerinos said the campaign failed to incorporate any research and trivialises a very serious issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t appear to have any filter or input from experts in these matters to really help advise about the best ways to have conversations about consent, about violence and abuse,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think someone\u2019s thought maybe if it\u2019s a little bit funky and edgy it might appeal to young people, but it just appears to miss on all fronts.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems quite strange that we\u2019re being asked to somehow consider that consenting to eat a taco is equivalent to consent around sexual respect or sexual contact between young people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Augerinos said a sexual consent campaign needs should mention the actual issues it focuses on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that young people really appreciate direct conversation, they\u2019re very open to talking about these things and going about it in this way seems a little bit like we shouldn\u2019t be talking about these things.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the Federal Government needs to address the reality of sexual violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that one in five Australian women have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, we know that one in four women have experience sexual violence by a current or former intimate partner,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny campaign also needs to address the drivers behind violence and disrespect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Centre for Non-Violence offers services and programs that respond to and work to prevent family violence across the Loddon region.<\/p>\n
Ms Augerinos said their services have become even more important since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
She said the centre received less calls during lockdowns, which lead to concerns about women\u2019s\u2019 safety.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we discovered pretty soon after was women were reporting much more insidious and coercive controlling tactics by men,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe types of things they talked about was men talking about how they weren\u2019t allowed to leave the house.\u201d<\/p>\n
The not-for-profit organisation partners with other family violence services across the region, forming the Loddon Gender Equality and Violence Prevention Consortium.<\/p>\n
Ms Augerinos said the Consortium works together so each organisation is supported, and programs can be accessed across the whole of the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve been able to pool our resources and thinking to pull together a program that value adds to even the base level of funding,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a new therapeutic program that\u2019s been rolled out across the region called Safe Thriving and Connected which delivers therapeutic services where people need it and how people need it.\u201d<\/p>\n
If you need to access Centre for Non-Violence\u2019s services, contact 1800 884 292, or for 24-hour state-wide family violence crisis response contact 1800 015 188.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BENDIGO\u2019S Centre for Non-Violence has said the Federal Government needs to rethink how consent is educated. It comes after the Department of Education\u2019s recent Respect Matters campaign likened milkshakes and tacos to sexual topics. CEO of Centre for Non-Violence Margaret Augerinos said the campaign failed to incorporate any research and trivialises a very serious issue. […]<\/p>\n