JCU Respect: Training and Events
JCU has a comprehensive suite of activities involving staff and student communities designed to prevent and respond to sexual harassment and sexual assault.
JCU Respect online module
The JCU Respect is an online module addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault that all students and staff are required to complete. The module provides introductory content on recognising a problem (including basic consent/bystander behaviours), responding to disclosures by others, referring to appropriate support services, and reporting to the University and other agencies.
All students and staff are automatically enrolled into the module, and will find it listed under the subjects tab after logging into LearnJCU. Students need to complete the module by census date in their first study period at JCU. Staff complete the module on commencing work at JCU and refresh the module every three years.
The module address sexual harassment and sexual assault. If you feel unable to complete the module for personal reasons you can contact a Sexual Misconduct Officer to arrange a confidential exemption.
The JCU Respect online module includes discussion of sexual harassment and sexual assault. If you feel unable to complete the module for personal reasons you can contact a Sexual Misconduct Officer to arrange a confidential exemption.
Workshops
JCU Respectful Relationships Workshops - HDR Candidates is a compulsory, practical, interactive workshop that explores issues of gender, power, relationships, consent and ethics in contemporary Australian society, with particular relevance to HDR candidates. The workshop addresses issues of sexist behaviours, sexual harassment and assault, and equips you to recognise and respond to situations within the research environment. The workshops run by zoom with 20 – 25 participants, and you will need a good internet connection, working camera and speaker to participate. Candidates book workshops HERE
.JCU Respectful Relationships Workshops – Advisors is a compulsory, practical, interactive workshop that explores issues of gender, power, relationships, consent and ethics in contemporary Australian society, with particular relevance to research supervision. The workshop addresses sexual harassment and assault, safeguarding practices, and adviser obligations to ensure a safe and respectful research training environment. The workshops run by zoom with 20 – 25 participants, and you will need a good internet connection, working camera and speaker to participate. Advisors book workshops HERE.
The Respectful Relationships workshops include discussion of sexual harassment and sexual assault. If you feel unable to complete a workshop for personal reasons you can contact a Sexual Misconduct Officer to arrange a confidential exemption.
The JCU Respect Student Reference Group are an integral component of JCU’s commitment to creating change. The JCU Respect Student Reference Group are students who are passionate about facilitating conversations for change around the issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault. Students are involved in the design and delivery of workshops, they can provide support to student clubs and societies, and they directly create opportunities for formal and informal conversations. The Student Reference Group currently comprises 7 students, both undergraduate and postgraduate.
For more information about the Reference Group or to be involved in the group please contact Dr Chris Pam, jcurespect@jcu.edu.au, tel: 4781 6014.
All residential college students are required to attend a program of three Respectful Relationships workshop over the 18 months of living at [college name]. These are face to face interactive workshops that support you to take an active role in ensuring a fun, strong and safe residential college community, free from sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Students complete 2 workshops in their first year at college. Students complete the final workshop in the first half of their second year at college. RR 1 (Foundations) is a prerequisite for RR 2 and RR
JCU Respectful Relationships 1 (RR1) – Foundations is a compulsory 2-hour interactive workshop that supports you to take an active role in ensuring a fun, strong and safe residential college community, free from sexual harassment and sexual assault. The workshop covers the topics of gender, relationships and sexuality, consent and ethics within contemporary Australian society. This workshop complements the JCU Respect online module (located in LearnJCU), which all residential students are required to complete.
JCU Respectful Relationships 2 (RR2) – Let’s Talk Respect is a compulsory 1.5 hour interactive session where we explore what’s needed from residents and residential leaders in order that our college communities feel safe, and where sexism, sexual harassment and sexual assault have no place at all. This workshop digs into the topics you’ve told us you want to talk more about, including setting and respecting boundaries, alcohol and drugs and consent, the impact of pornography on relationships, and how to talk to, and challenge, your friends about these issues.
JCU Respectful Relationships 3 (RR3) Film and Panel Discussion is a compulsory 1.5-hour interactive session where we’ll be watching an interesting film with a discussion to follow – a great opportunity to continue the conversation.
JCU Respectful Relationships workshops – Residential Student Leaders
All students deserve to live in fun, strong and safe residential communities. This 3-hour training workshop is an opportunity to explore the important role Student Leaders play in preventing and responding to sexual harassment and sexual assault in residential college communities. By working through different scenarios, you will be supported to develop the skills you need as a Residential Leader to challenge the culture around these behaviours and create a safe and respectful residential college community.
The Respectful Relationships workshops include discussion of sexual harassment and sexual assault. If you feel unable to complete a workshop for personal reasons you can contact a Sexual Misconduct Officer to arrange a confidential exemption.
This free 1 hour webinar hosted by MATES gives excellent, practical advice on how to respectfully challenge problematic behaviour.
As effective bystanders, holding people accountable for any form of violence, abuse or problematic behaviour is confronting. Shaan and Anoushka discuss some strategies that will assist proactive bystanders to challenge behaviour effectively and respectfully.
In this webinar, they cover:
- Why it is important to challenge problematic behaviour
- The barriers we face, and how we can overcome them
- How to address controlling behaviour, sexism, racism, disrespect in the workplace and harmful attitudes
- Bystander self-care and where to from here
Remember, being an effective bystander doesn’t require confrontation or accusation. It is about challenging people to consider the impact of their behaviour on others and sending a message of accountability to enable them to do so. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
Events
JCU supports the Townsville Sexual Assault Support Service and the Cairns Sexual Assault Service to promote awareness raising activities during Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
2024
Reclaim the Night
Townsville: Friday 25 October 2024, 5.30pm, meet outside The Women's Centre, 118 Charles Street, Aitkenvale.
Cairns: gather at the Lagoon, Friday 25 October 6 - 7pm.
Townsville: Friday 28 October 2022, 4.30pm, meet outside The Women's Centre, 118 Charles Street, Aitkenvale. Banner Making and screen printing for women happening every Thursday in October (Thursday in Black) from 2.30pm - 4.30pm. Evening workshops on Thursday 13th & 27 October from 5 - 7pm. Tshirt provided .
Cairns: Friday 28 October 2022, 6pm - 7pm. Cairns Lagoon Plaza (The Esplanade, opposite McDonalds). BYO : Voice, placards, drums and noisemakers. Key note speaker Professor Caroline Taylor AM, exhilarating performance from local First Nations musician Dizzie Doolan playing her hit “Strictly Women’s Business” and “Won’t Take It No More”. After Party: 7.30pm at Miss Chief Bar with Pink Noise.
2021
Reclaim the Night
Townsville: Friday 29 October 2021, 5pm, Meet outside the Women's Centre, Corner of Nathan and Charles Street, Aitkenvale. All Women Welcome.
Cairns: Friday 29 October 2021, 6pm - 7pm. Corner of Shields and Lake Streets, Cairns CBD (in front of Cairns City Tattoo). March route: Lake Street to Spence Street to Abbott S, to Shields Street to Lake Street. Dress Purple. BYO: Voice, placards, drums and noisemakers.
2020
Reclaim the Night
Townsville: Meet outside the Townsville Women's Centre at 118 Charles Street, Aitkenvale 4814 at 4.30pm on Friday 30 October 2020
Cairns: Cnr Shields and Lake Streets, near Cairns Museum, 6pm - 7pm on Friday 23 October 2020
2019
In 2019 we hosted the Tears Tell Stories artwork. The art was created by Karen Doolan.
"When we cry we are healing, every tear has a story and it can tell us when
we are sad, happy, angry, and all the other emotions that come with tears,
we need to cry as this is part of life and human nature also to relieve our
self so we don't get sick,its ok to cry let it all go don't be shame to cry people
need to know how you feel, you always feel better after you had a cry
this is how we were made.
The symbols shaped like a u shape represent women sitting around the are
and the u shape on its own is a women who is sitting alone, the tracks leading
to the other women mean its time to sit with the elders who are always there
for us when we need them, they are waiting for us to go to them when we need
them and we think we know everything but we don't, we will always need our elders
for wisdom.
The women figures in the far corner are angels who are always watching
and will always be there for us in spirit.
This is the story of the artwork so I hope you are happy with it, I felt that people
do not cry enough as they don't want people to know how they are feeling it
seems that society tells us that this is not appropriate and it upsets others, so
people tend to cry alone and this is were we need to be with someone, we don't
need to say anything just hold them when they cry.
In aboriginal culture when there is sorry business or sadness women whale (sic)
and are not ashamed to cry."
In Cairns, the Department of Child Safety, Youth & Women, and the Cairns Sexual Assault Service hosted a screening of The Bystander Moment on the 29 October for regional services providers.
2018
In 2018, JCU hosted the 'What were you wearing' art installation, curated by the Townsville Sexual Assault Support Service, on the Townsville Campus.
We also participated in the Lifting the Lid on Institutional Sexual Abuse Forum held by the Cairns Sexual Assault Service.
Domestic and Family Violence Awareness Month Lecture May 2024
Ashton Kline, JCU's Lecturer in Nursing, shared his deeply personal story. Ashton, together with his brother Grant, suffered as children at the hands of their violent and controlling father, which culminated in the horrendous death of their mother at his hands. Then only 15, Ashton and six-year-old Grant were placed in foster care and lost not only the lives that they knew but also their home. Today, Ashton, an experienced nurse and lecturer, is an inspirational role model and Ambassador for the Alannah and Madeline Foundation.
Respect@Uni - Live @Lunch April 2024
In 2024, JCU Respect hosted Live@Lunch in Townsville and Cairns events with the specialist Sexual Assault Services and other groups attending.
Porn Culture, Consent and Respect lecture - September 2023
Melinda Tankard Reist and Daniel Principe ran a workshop with students.
The Bystander Moment - Screening and Discussion sessions 2022
During 2022, we will be hosting screenings with discussion of The Bystander Moment. The documentary explores the role of bystanders, especially friends, teammates, classmates, and co-workers—in perpetuating sexual harassment, sexual assault, and other forms of gender violence. The film also gives special attention to the peer culture dynamics -- in particular the male peer culture dynamics across race and ethnicity -- that help to normalize sexism and misogyny while silencing other men in the face of abuse.
The film goes for 49 minutes. All staff and students welcome. To organise a screening in your area email jcurespect@jcu.edu.au
The film can also be watched by any staff member or student, here
Nina Funnell - February and May 2019
Nina Funnell, anti-sexual assault advocate and author, and winner of 2017 Walkley Our Watch award and 2017 United Nations Media Award, spoke to student leaders of The John Flynn College in February (prior to O week) and gave the keynote presentation at The John Flynn Council Dinner (attended by 240 students and guests) in May.
Bri Lee - July 2019
Bri Lee is the author of Eggshell Skull - and gave the Colin Roderick Memorial Lecture in Cairns on Wednesday 17 July, and Townsville on Thursday 18 July.
Melinda Tankard Reist - July 2019
Melinda Tankard Reist delivered the lecture Sexuality, Porn Culture, Relationships and You! in July for residential college students.
Drawing from current global literature on sexualisation, objectification and porn culture - and supported by compelling personal testimony from students – writer, speaker and campaigner Melinda Tankard Reist explored with residential college students how entrenched and normalized cultural practices contribute to a distorted view of bodies, relationships and sexuality, impacting on the development of respectful physical, emotional and social relationships between people. Melinda unpacked how the proliferation and globalization of hyper-sexual images and messages position young men to develop a sense of entitlement to the bodies of women and girls, and young women to think they exist merely for male pleasure and gratification. Melinda explored how pornography eroticises and legitimises violence against women and related young women’s experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault in responding to this culture of objectification.