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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-26 Daily Xml
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ANTI-VIOLENCE COMMUNITY AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about the Anti-Violence Community Awareness Campaign grants.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: In the 2008-09 state budget, the government committed $868,000 over four years to an anti-violence community awareness campaign. The campaign is aimed at informing and educating and, ultimately, we all hope, reducing incidents of rape, sexual assault, and domestic and family violence in South Australia.

As part of the campaign, a community education grant fund has been established. The grant fund is for informing and educating groups in the community who would not necessarily receive the messages of the mainstream campaign. Will the minister advise the chamber of the recipients of the first funding rounds and what those projects entail?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for the City of Adelaide) (15:17): As members may remember, the Anti-Violence Community Education Grant Fund, which forms part of the broader Anti-Violence Community Awareness Campaign, has been established and is aimed at informing and educating groups in the community who would not necessarily be targeted through the mainstream campaigns and general public information available.

Two funding rounds have been made available, and these gave organisations the opportunity to receive up to $10,000 towards an anti-violence education program. I had the great pleasure last week of launching a theatrical performance which discusses important issues, such as sexual assault, in a way that engages with young people. I was very pleased to see that the Hon. Stephen Wade was also in attendance at that launch. It was, indeed, quite a confronting performance, and very powerful. They are to be absolutely congratulated on their efforts.

Expect Respect was the name of the program presented by the Legal Services Commission in collaboration with the youth-led ActNow Theatre for Social Change. It is a legal education program featuring live performances of real-life scenarios, which is being offered to schools and youth agencies, targeting 15 to 18 year olds, over the next three months. It is funded by a government anti-violence community education grant through the Office for Women. Expect Respect was developed to help young people understand the new laws around sexual assault.

The launch of Expect Respect held at the offices of the Legal Services Commission last week included a shortened version of the performance, which consolidated the messages of the Don't Cross the Line anti-violence community education campaign. The project is an extremely innovative way to connect with young people about one of the most serious issues they face.

Of course, these issues involve a high degree of complexity and different layers, such as legal and other issues around values to do with young men and women. This is targeted by using a method and language that clearly resonate with young people. As I said, they were indeed very confronting messages. I was sitting in the front row, and it was an interactive experience, so I was feeling even more uncomfortable than most perhaps.

However, helping young people develop healthy and safe relationships is obviously key to reducing intimidation and violence in our community. The performance provided a clear and positive message to young people about the implications of sexual assault, including sexting, which is texting photographs and—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: Talk to Russell.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: —things like date rape. That is outrageous. That is an outrageous thing to say in this place. I won't repeat it, but it is absolutely outrageous—absolutely outrageous.

I am advised that 18 Expect Respect workshops are planned. I understand that the performances have already been delivered to high school students at Seaview High School and Ocean View College. I am advised that positive feedback from teachers in these schools highlighted the potential of this drama-based education as a really effective way to engage young people in a realistic and positive manner about complex social and legal issues.

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