Pathways to Prevention

Create cultural change by promoting bystander intervention, consent education, and allyship, ensuring students recognise and challenge harmful behaviours.

Our Social Issue

Gender-Based Violence Prevention – Challenging harmful social norms, promoting bystander intervention, and fostering allyship through the White Ribbon Campaign and education initiatives.

Why We Chose It

Our team selected gender-based violence (GBV) prevention through community mapping and brainstorming, considering issues like mental health, misinformation, and body dysmorphia. However, we kept returning to GBV because it affects so many people but is often normalised or ignored. Many of us have witnessed or experienced harassment, coercion, and harmful behaviours that society downplays as “banter” or “boys being boys.” We realised that while extreme cases of GBV get attention, the everyday behaviours that enable abuse are rarely challenged. Our project focuses on education, bystander intervention, and allyship to create real, lasting cultural change.

Our Goal

Pathways to Prevention aims to challenge harmful social norms that contribute to gender-based violence (GBV) and empower students to be active allies. Rather than simply raising awareness, we focus on intervention, education, and cultural change. Originally, the White Ribbon Pledge was planned as a male-led initiative, but senior female students requested inclusion, reinforcing that GBV prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Our goal is to embed bystander intervention training into TY, ensure long-term White Ribbon commitment, and encourage students to challenge harmful behaviours like catcalling and coercion, leading to a lasting shift in attitudes and school culture.

Our Innovative Action

We launched the White Ribbon Pledge in our school, focusing on bystander intervention and allyship. Originally planned as a male-led initiative, senior female students requested inclusion, making it a collaborative movement. All staff signed first, setting a strong example. We organised bystander intervention training for all TY students, with plans to expand to senior years. To raise awareness, we created a Swan Mural symbolising allyship, and held a bake sale, donating proceeds to the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre. Future actions include student-led workshops using short films and discussion-based learning.

Our Impact

Pathways to Prevention has sparked real conversations about gender-based violence (GBV), allyship, and bystander intervention, making students and staff more aware of their role in challenging harmful behaviours. The White Ribbon Campaign created visible commitment, with staff and senior students leading by example. The Swan Mural reinforced this, providing a lasting symbol of allyship. Bystander intervention training helped students recognise their power to act, with many feeling more confident speaking up. Our bake sale fundraiser also provided direct support to the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre, turning awareness into meaningful action beyond our school.