Prevention of Violence Against Women Lead, Danielle McCaffrey and Health Promotion Officer, Yihan Li are re-invigorating the Critical Friends Network to ensure that those working in our schools, under the Respectful Relationships initiative, have the support and encouragement they need.

The Respectful Relationships initiative is a whole-school approach to the prevention of family and gender-based violence across Victoria. With over 1500 schools participating, the Respectful Relationships initiative aims to create a culture of respect and equality now, to change the story of family violence for future generations.

The Critical Friends Network (CFN) is a vital part of the Respectful Relationships initiative in the Southern Metropolitan Melbourne. CFN is a group of diverse professionals who have been recruited and trained by WHISE and the Department of Education and Training (DET). Their shared commitment to promoting respectful relationships, preventing family violence, and promoting gender equality in schools makes them essential.

Critical Friends play a key role in providing valuable feedback, guidance, and support to schools and other stakeholders, ensuring that the Respectful Relationships initiative is effective and responsive to the needs of the community. Their insights and expertise help shape the initiative’s direction and impact, making the CFN an essential and valued part of the broader effort to prevent and address family violence in the Southern Metropolitan Melbourne.

If you have staff who are engaging with schools, or would like more engagement with schools around social and emotional wellbeing and/or student voice, please contact yli@whise.org.au.  We are looking to continue training sessions for staff to provide a whole of school approach to primary prevention in primary and secondary schools.