Respectful Relationships in Secondary Schools

Respectful relationships education in secondary schools: A statistical social network analysis of a program intervention designed to build positive gender-related attitudes and respectful peer relationships in Australian schools.

This project was funded by ANROWS and was a joint research project between the University of Melbourne and SNA Toolbox. The project used social network analysis to demonstrate the importance of peer relationships to student attitudes towards gender equity and violence. 

Gender-based violence remains a significant issue within society. In the Australian context, one in four (23%) women and one in fourteen (7.3%) men have experienced violence by an intimate partner since the age of 15 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). The project provides a snapshot of how attitudes towards use of violence and gender equality intersect and influence student wellbeing, relationships and behaviour in markedly gendered ways.

Main points to take away from the research are:

• Improvements in social capability and respectful regard were stronger for students in high-fidelity classes
• Gender segregation is the norm in student friendships
• Students have friendships with those who hold similar attitudes
• Those who excuse violence are also more likely to hold gender unequal attitudes
• Boys are less likely than girls and gender diverse students to say they would intervene in response to peer-perpetrated sexual harassment.
• Higher confidence (individualised resilience) was a positive predictor for pro-violence attitudes. 
• Higher social capability and strong respectful regard (social resilience) is associated with
  rejection of use of violence and support for gender equality. 
• For teachers to establish positive relationships among students, they should foster a respectful class climate and help students to mix across friendship and gender divides.

More information about the project can be found here, along with a project summary and the full report.