The ‘Best Interests Children’s Law’, podcast aims to “raise awareness about the rights and interests of children – one conversation at a time…” Hosts are Arna Delle-Vergini, children’s law specialist and recipient of the 2023 Lawyers Weekly Women in Law award for Barrister of the Year and forensic psychologist William Wainwright.
Arna and William interviewed MTR and child safeguarding expert and lawyer Maha Melhem in their Melbourne studio and the episode went to air last week. It is described as follows:
‘Harmful sexual behaviours are considered a serious and growing concern in secondary schools. This harm can encompass a range of behaviours such as sexual harassment, assault, bullying and use of online technology to stalk, harass, groom and menace. The ongoing nature of these behaviours has catastrophic effects on those victimised and can implant and magnify attitudes and behaviours that will carry on to adulthood’.
In the episode, we unpack widespread harmful sexual behaviours in Australian schools, explore contributing factors, and most importantly, how schools can respond. You can listen to it here and read Arna’s Linked In post about the program.
For school leaders wanting expert input on how to address these rising harmful behaviours, Maha and I have developed a specialist offering: ‘Responding effectively to harmful s*xual behaviours – what school leaders need to know’. Learn more here.
See also: “It’s out of control…it’s insidious…it’s not okay!” Sexual Harassment of Teachers Report (published by Collective Shout/Maggie Dent. Eds Melinda Tankard Reist/Maha Melhem).
