Respectful relationships education: a case study of working in schools

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a persistent social problem that is serious, prevalent and preventable. While both women and men can be victims of GBV, the vast majority of those who are affected are women. Globally, almost one third of women have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence and 7 per cent have been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner (García-Moreno et al. 2013). In Australia nearly one in three women over the age of 15 years report being subjected to violence at some time and one in five have experienced sexual violence from a male partner or stranger (National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2009). With recognition of the scope and impact of GBV on individuals, families and communities, prevention has become a priority. To prevent GBV it is important to understand the factors that lead some men to believe it is acceptable to use violence or abuse in their intimate relationships or with strangers. It is accepted that while individual psychological issues or socioeconomic conditions may be contributing factors, the most compelling evidence for a cause points to an association between GBV and the systemic inequalities rooted in structural power imbalances between men and women which reinforce the sense of entitlement referred to in the introductory quote (Dyson 2014; UN Women 2015).