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In this first lesson, we decided on the norms for our class. They are:

Everyone has a right to pass

Don't ask personal questions or tell personal stories (talk in 3rd person)

Be respectful of other people's questions and opinions

Have a non-judgemental attitude towards people's opinions and questions

Use respectful terminology

Have an anonymous question box

I think these will be really helpful for ensuring that everyone feels safe and happy in our class.

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What is 'Relationships and Sexual Health'?

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What is 'Relationships and Sexual Health'?

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As a unit, relationships and sexual health is all about staying safe and happy when it comes to interactions with others. This includes family relationships, friends, coworkers, teachers and other trusted adults, and in romantic relationships with partners. By doing this course, we can gain a better understanding of how to keep safe.

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“People of all genders benefit from living in communities that promote gender equality.”

1. Is this above statement true?

Yes, this statement is true - if everyone is treated as equal, everyone's life will be better overall.

2. What are some benefits for men?

When people are treated as equals, men are able to express their emotions more freely, and don't feel pressured to conform to so called 'manly' standards. They also have the freedom to enjoy interests that may be considered just for women. It allows them to express themselves more freely.

3. What are some benefits for women?

In this world, women are able to be freed from constraints such as the idea that they should live only to look after their husbands. They can live and become their own people, as well as taking on careers that may be considered 'manly' or unfit for a women to have. It allows them to live their own lives, and feel safe to be themselves.

4. What are some benefits for people who are transgender or gender diverse?

If people could respect the experience of transgender and gender diverse people, they would be able to live their lives a lot more freely. Sadly, because of the stigma these people face, they often live in fear and can be bullied or attacked for being themselves. They would be able to live safely in an idea world.

5. Describe 5 actions/strategies that young people can take to closing the “Gender Gap” and work towards gender equality

Educate themselves and others on gender issues

Take action when they see gender inequality/bullying - don't be a bystander

Recognise their own internal biases and work to correct them

Build friendships with people of all genders to understand their experiences

Take part in activism about creating gender equality

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“Power can be used positively or negatively. People occupy different positions in relation to power, which can vary in many ways due to things such as class, ethnicity, age, size, and gender.”

Watch the following video called “Trusted Moments”:

1. How do the dynamics of power play out in this scenario? Who has power and why?

There are many power dynamics that occur within this video. Bianca has power over Mel, as she is giving her advice and telling her what will and won't make her cool. Nick has power over Cody, his friend, and convinces him to stay at the party. Nick also has power over Mel, as he physically forces her to do what he wants. Finally, Reece uses an embarrassing video on his phone to take power over Krystal.

2. How is power being abused in this scenario?

In this scenario, Nick uses his power in the strength and age advantage he has over Mel to force her to do what he wants. In addition, Reece abuses his power over Krystal with the embarrassing video by showing it to everyone and embarrassing her.

3. How could power be used/was power used in a positive way so that these scenarios have a positive outcome?

If Nick had been respectful of Mel, they may have been able to develop a relationship over a longer term in a healthy way, as she was also attracted to him somewhat. Reece could have been kinder to Krystal rather than dragging her into something that she didn't deserve just because he liked someone.

4. What does power look like in a healthy relationship?

In a healthy relationship, partners have an equal and low amount of power over each other - the dynamic is balanced. They have enough power that they can trust each other and their trust won't be broken.

5. What do you think the expression ‘trust your gut instinct’ means, and are there any indications of the characters having a gut instinct they didn’t act on? Why might people not act on gut instinct?

A 'gut instinct' is an internal, almost subconscious feeling about a situation. it is often used when referring to getting the sense that something is off; it's a warning sign of sorts. Within this video, there are two moments where Mel seems to get a gut instinct that something is off;

When Bianca essentially tells her to show some more skin

When Nick wraps his arms around her to take a photo despite them barely knowing each other

Had she trusted her gut here, she may not have ended up in an awful situation with Nick.

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During this lesson, we learned about power in relationships, and how scary and difficult it is for victims of domestic violence to get away from their abusers.

As a part of this, we did some research into where these victims can go for help. I made a poster detailing 5 levels of severity when it comes to domestic violence, and help that can be found for each level.

This assignment not only allowed me to understand more about the terrifying situations domestic violence victims find themselves in, but also allowed me to give myself that baseline research should I ever need to find help. I think it is really important for students to understand that they aren't alone and they can find help if they need to.

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Diversity of Sexual Attraction Reflection

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Diversity of Sexual Attraction Reflection

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“A person’s sexuality is defined by many parts including their gender identity and the attraction they feel for others.”

1. If someone has a sexual experience with someone of the same gender, does that mean they are gay/lesbian/bisexual? Who decides? Can someone’s sexual preferences change over their lifetime?

Having a sexual experience with someone of the same gender does not necessarily mean that a person is lesbian, gay or bisexual. First of all, there are more sexualities than that, but just generally it's up to the person - they get to decide what their sexuality is. Sexual preferences can often change and develop over someone's lifetime, but for many people they stay the same.

2. Are people in same gender relationships in Australia supported? What laws support or don’t support them?

People in same gender relationships in Australia are reasonably supported - it is generally pretty accepting in Australia. There are many laws built to assist these people; discrimination against gender diverse people is prohibited and there are federal protections around people's gender and sexual diversity. A lot of these are under the Equal Opportunity Act. However, there are not so many laws around holding people accountable for actions against LGBTQ+ people.

In Australia, LGBTQ+ people were given the right to marry in late 2017, which was a positive step towards Australian acceptance.

3. Research shows that young people are more homophobic in high school (aged 14–17) and less homophobic when they leave (aged 18–24). Why do you think this is?

I think a lot of it comes from immaturity. People don't understand how harmful the views they have or the words they say are. Additionally, high schools tend to be bigger and give a wider scope for opening people's minds because people are exposed to more.

4. You overhear a peer at school yell, “...that’s so gay!” What do you do?

You should try to find a way to let them know it's a harmful phrase. However, there is every likelihood they already know it's harmful and continue to use it anyway. In that case, it may be good to tell a teacher/trusted adult so they can assist with the situation.