Safe Schools Coalition Victoria


Creating safe and supportive school environments

Latest:

Safe Schools Coalition Victoria (SSCV) supports sexual diversity in schools. An initiative incubated by FYA and grown through a partnership with Rainbow Network Victoria, it is now an independent coalition funded by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) and the Department of Health (DOH). The coalition of schools and supporters is dedicated to creating safer educational environments where same sex attracted and gender questioning young people are supported, every family can belong, every teacher can teach, and every student can learn. SSCV provides training and resources for every school in Victoria to support sexual and gender diversity. The coalition recognises that a supportive and inclusive school environment is a key factor in well being and educational outcomes and a right for all young people. Any school that is a member of SSCV provides students with the opportunities and environment to have the courage to speak up and be who they are, the imagination to see a bright future and the will to make it happen.

Safe Schools Coalition Victoria: Initiative Summary (PDF)

Why?

Going to school should be straightforward: young people learning insafe and inspiring environments. However, many Australian students experience homophobia, which affects their well being and impedes their ability to learn and stay engaged in school.

  • Between 7 percent and 11 percent of young people are attracted to others of their own sex or are unsure of their sexual attraction.
  • 75 percent of young people report experiencing some sort of homophobic abuse.
  • 80 percent of this abuse occurs at school.

Supportive and inclusive school environments have a huge impact, with research showing that students feel safer; that young people are less likely to self harm or attempt suicide; and that they are less likely to be abused (Hillier et al., 2010).

 

Objectives

Safe Schools Coalition Victoria aims to:

  • Reduce homophobia and transphobia in schools.
  • Create and deliver inspiring and useful resources and training to provide all Victorian schools with the tools they need to meet the needs of their same sex attracted and gender diverse students.

 

Outcomes

Over 100 Victorian schools have developed effective policies andimplemented teaching practices that challenge homophobia. This number will continue to grow as more Victorian schools join thecoalition to decrease the amount of abuse experienced by same sex attracted and gender questioning students. The ultimate outcome is to create a safe school environment for all young people.