Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone Prevention of violence against women Instructional Manual Funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. 2 Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone 3 Contents Section 1: Background to Taking the Tackle: Section 4: Resources for facilitators 17 Respect is for Everyone 05 Activities, notes and materials 18 How did this DVD come about? 06 Activity 1: Setting up a safe space 19 Purpose of the Taking the Tackle DVD 07 Purpose of the Taking the Tackle Activity 2: Women in Sport 21 Facilitators’ Manual 07 Acknowledgements 08 Activity 3: Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD 25 Section 2: Essential information Chapter outlines, key messages for facilitators 09 and handy information 28 Talking about Violence Against Women 10 Activity 4: What’s your response? 39 Tips for facilitating open discussion 10 Activity 5: What is violence against women? 41 Additional challenges for the facilitator 11 Responding to disclosures from Activity 6: Impacts of violence against women 49 victims of violence 11 Responding to disclosures from Activity 7: Taking a stand on violence perpetrators of violence 12 against women 53 Where to go for help 12 Activity 8: Violence against women as a human rights issue 55 Section 3: Setting up a session 13 Other resources 58 Preparation for facilitators 14 Evaluation 61 Setting up a safe space 14 How to answer the FAQs What does a good session look like? 15 (Frequently Asked Questions) 62 Section 5: Support Services 65 Family Violence 66 Sexual Assault 66 Women’s Services 66 Men’s Services 67 Children and Young People’s Services 68 Gay and Lesbian Services 68 Aboriginal Services 68 Legal Services 69 4 Section 1 Background to Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD 6 Section 1 Background to Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD Section 1 Background to Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD How did this DVD come about? The AFL’s Respect and Responsibility Program is a primary prevention program that is focused on It is clear that women and girls form a vital creating safe, welcoming and inclusive football component of the Australian Football League (AFL) environments for women and girls across the elite and the broader football community through their and State League levels of football. support, participation and volunteerism, as well as their deep and abiding affection for the game. The AFL Victoria Fair Game Respect Matters Program is also focused on creating safe, Despite the importance of women and girls to the welcoming and inclusive community football game, research conducted at the community club environments for women and girls through the level has indicated that, at times, women and girls creation of quality football club environments. have not felt safe in some football environments. This localised program encourages safety for women and girls with an emphasis on changing As a large, diverse and vibrant community, the club environment, culture and behaviours. AFL believes that it has a significant role to play in sending a clear message that all forms of violence These programs form part of the AFL’s are unacceptable and to encourage respectful, commitment to playing a positive role in helping non-violent ways of relating to one another. to prevent violence against women by creating a community where violence – and attitudes that This DVD is an educational resource for support the use of violence – are not tolerated. community clubs who play Australian Rules Football to use in their training and education The need for this DVD and facilitators’ manual of players and club members in the issues of emerged from these programs because violence against women (VAW) and promoting local clubs throughout Australia requested respectful relationships. additional support and resources to develop their understanding of violence against women It is a new resource that builds upon two and to enhance their promotion of respectful exiting initiatives: (1) the AFL’s Respect and relationships. Responsibility Program, which is delivered to all elite AFL Football Clubs, elite developmental The development of Taking the Tackle: Respect teams and State League Clubs; and (2) AFL is for Everyone was supported by the Victorian Victoria’s community initiative Fair Game Respect Government. Matters Program, which has been trialled in the Northern Football League and recently implemented into the Essendon District Football League. Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone 7 Purpose of the Taking the Tackle Purpose of the Taking the Tackle DVD Facilitators’ Manual The purpose of this DVD is to raise awareness The purpose of this Facilitators’ Manual is to help around the prevalence, causes and impacts of facilitators of the program understand the issues, violence against women. present useful information and ensure the DVD session is delivered in an open and respectful It also aims to provide information about what way. individuals can do in their everyday lives to help prevent violence and to promote respect, The Facilitators’ Manual includes activities, notes, as well as providing information about how to handouts and contact numbers that can be used get involved in White Ribbon Day and other alongside the DVD. While each club and each community campaigns. facilitator will run their session differently, this Manual provides recommended timings, group The target audience for Taking the Tackle: Respect size and set-up to make the sessions work most is for Everyone is young men aged 15-24 who are effectively. playing Australian Rules Football at the local level. The themes of building respect and fostering The DVD provides an overview of violence respectful relationships feature throughout each against women and, used in conjunction with the chapter of the DVD and are presented as the most Facilitators’ Manual, covers the following topics: effective alternatives to violence, pressure and • Definitions: What is violence against women? coercion. While the DVD content provides these messages, the activities in this Manual allow • Prevalence: Statistics on violence and cost to clubs and young men to experience more in-depth the community learning and discussion about the topics. • Causes: The causes of violence against women • Fact and fiction: Community misconceptions and judgments about violence against women • Responsibility: Making informed choices about behaviour • Laws: In relation to sexual consent, sexual assault and family violence • The role for men: What men can do to prevent violence against women? 8 Section 1 Background to Taking the Tackle: Respect is for Everyone DVD Acknowledgements The AFL would like to acknowledge those who developed this resource as well as those who generously gave up their time to participate in the creation of the DVD. The Victorian Government Department of Justice provided funding to assist with the development of this resource and also technical and subject matter advice through both the Media and Communications team and the Victims Support Agency. Project Team Andrew Demetriou (CEO, AFL) Jennifer Adams and Clint Bizzell - Eve Media, Dr Melanie Heenan DVD Producers Brad Johnson Russell Robertson – DVD Narrator and former (Former Player Western Bulldogs Football Club) footballer for Melbourne Football Club Chris Johnson CASA House (The Royal Women’s Hospital) (AFL Indigenous Programs Coordinator) Education Team for the development of the Jules Lund manual (Television and Radio Presenter) AFL staff from the Cultural Strategy and Sam Mitchell Education Unit, Football Operations. (Footballer, Hawthorn Football Club) DVD Participants and Contributors Harry O’Brien (in alphabetical order) (Footballer, Collingwood Football Club) Luke Ablett Andrew O’Keefe (Lead Education Facilitator, AFL) (TV Host and Chairman of White Ribbon Foundation) Jane Ashton Daniel Pratt (Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service) (Footballer, North Melbourne Football Club) Lauren Caulfield Brad Scott (Crisis Support Advocate, Women’s Domestic (Coach, North Melbourne Football Club) Violence Crisis Service) Tom Scully Kate Ceberano (Footballer, Greater Western Sydney Football Club) (Singer) Michelle Sessler Sue Clark (Former AFL employee) (Cultural Strategy and Education Manager, AFL) Nerida Conway Emily (Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service) Detective Senior Sergeant Cam Davis (Victoria Police) Section 2 Essential information for facilitators 10 Section 2 Essential information for facilitators Section 2 Essential information for facilitators Talking about Violence Against Tips for facilitating an open and inclusive Women (VAW) discussion 1. Open, non-judgmental discussion allows Talking about violence against women (or VAW) the facilitators to model or demonstrate is often quite challenging. It is a sensitive issue respectful communication. and people can have strong personal responses to it. It is therefore important that facilitators of 2. Open discussion does not have to lead to this program have the necessary knowledge and consensus or group agreement. support to open up discussion around VAW. 3. As a facilitator it is not your job to be able to answer all the questions that are thrown at Prior to running the program – the DVD and you. In fact, even if you do know the answer accompanying activities, it’s important for it is often more powerful to ask the rest of facilitators to set some time aside to consider the the group what they think first. following: 4. Don’t give your own opinion away too easily • What support do you need from your club – invite participants to share their opinions in order to feel able to answers questions first, for example ‘what do others think around VAW and to facilitate discussion with about that?’ young men around this issue? 5. Move discussion around the room to • Are the people who hold leadership roles encourage all participants to share their in the club aware and supportive of the opinions. If you do not know everyone’s program? name bring nametags, as this will help you • Do you have time for debriefing after you have to move the discussion around.