Empowering young voices: A child-centred approach to protective behaviours

An exciting initiative is taking place at a Darwin primary school. One of the teachers from the school has written a unit of work on protective behaviours and safety for her young children. Her aim is to develop the children’s connections to their own bodies and feelings and to develop their voices to identify what is safe compared to unsafe behaviour and who is a safe person and who isn’t. The unit of work was written for five-year-olds in transition class and it has two features that make it unique and different to protective behaviours, respectful relationships and child- safe curriculum in other states. It is a child-rights based pedagogy with the aim of countering coercively controlling, violent and sexually abusive behaviours from adults. The school intends to continue this important work as the child progresses through the grades so as the original transition students (and those coming next) move through the school from year to year their voices will continue to be heard and their connections with their bodies and feelings will continue to grow through the ensuing units of work.