2026 School Principals' Event

An evening of professional discussion, networking and collaboration for school principals and senior school leaders from across the region.
About this Event

Schools as Prevention Settings: Leadership, Culture and Community Connections

Hosted by the Reducing Gender-Based Violence Research Group, this panel will explore the vital role secondary schools play in the primary prevention of sexual violence.

Drawing on research and practice in consent and respectful relationships education, alongside community-based prevention initiatives, the discussion will consider what effective whole-of-school prevention looks like in practice. It will also highlight the opportunities and challenges faced by principals, particularly in regional and rural settings.

The panel will further reflect on school culture, technology-facilitated abuse, and the connections between schools and community sport—recognising sport as another influential setting where young people learn, socialise, and form ideas about gender and relationships.

Rather than offering simple solutions, the session will invite principals into a practical and collaborative conversation about how schools, researchers, and community partners can work together to build safer, more respectful communities.

Panel Chair: Professor Leesa Hooker
Panel Members: Dr Freda Haylett, Dr Jacqueline Kuruppu, Associate Professor Kirsty Forsdike