Modelling respect and equality in schools

In 2017, Jesuit Social Services established The Men’s Project, informed by our decades of work with boys and men who perpetrate, and are often also the victims of, violence. By working directly with boys and men, as well as those in their lives, we can promote positive forms of masculinity and work to prevent gender-based violence.

This work has taken us far and wide – from inside sports clubs, alongside community and faith leaders, and into male-dominated industries like the construction sector.

Another key location in which we effect broader societal change is in classrooms, staff rooms and communities that shape young people. The Men’s Project’s Modelling Respect and Equality (MoRE) program empowers school staff to be agents of cultural transformation—challenging rigid gender roles, promoting respect and equality, and cultivating a more inclusive vision of masculinity.

The importance of challenging rigid gender roles is made clear in our Man Box research into the attitudes and behaviours of Australian men – where we found that men who most strongly endorse harmful ideas about what it means to be ‘a real man’ were 17 times more likely to have hit their partner compared with the men who least strongly believed in them.

Since it began, MoRE has engaged over 200 participants spanning 60 schools across Victoria. Two staff members from each participating school attend intensive training days, where they reflect, build skills, and develop action plans tailored to their school context. Following the training, we collaborate with each school to co-design an action plan for their unique environment and then coach them over the coming semester to implement the plan. This ongoing collaboration promotes sustainable change across the whole school.

“It was a great opportunity for us to come together as a school with our colleagues and to reflect on some of the social norms and expectations,” said Ashley Mills, Head of Wellbeing and Learning at Iona College.

“Particularly the ones placed on our young men as students, on us as teachers, and collectively on our roles within the community.”

MoRE is rooted in the belief that role models, of all genders, in everyday settings play a critical role in shaping values. The program builds participants’ confidence and capacity to model positive behaviours, spark respectful dialogue, and challenge limiting stereotypes that contribute to gender inequality and, at times, to violence.

“It allowed us to be able to just pause and think about some of the things that are impacting on the behaviours of our boys. We know that underneath behaviours, there’s always factors, including sociocultural factors that are impacting on the boys’ expectations about the way that they should behave,” said Ashley.

The work also extends beyond the classroom, with 120 parents and guardians from the school’s community attending a parent workshop run by The Men’s Project. An evaluation of the pilot program found that two thirds of participants said they intended to make change in their school culture and environment. One participant referred to the work as ‘useful and life changing’, providing a chance to reflect on how promoting positive cultures of masculinity can help prevent violence against women. The success of this work was recognised in 2024 when The Men’s Project received further funding from the Victorian Government to roll out the program into a further 240 schools over the next four years.

However, we know that more is needed. In our submission to the 2025-26 Victorian State Budget, we highlighted the need for investment in a violence prevention workforce strategy that foregrounds working with men and boys across a range of settings. This would have the clear potential to reduce harm to women and children and to drive significant savings in response and recovery services.

Ashley emphasised the impact MoRE has on staff and students alike: “It was an opportunity to come together with colleagues to reflect on your own place in society, how you behave and challenge some of your own thought patterns as well. It also allowed us to think about better ways to support all of our students, but particularly focusing on our young men, which make up 50 per cent of our student cohort.”

MoRE’s success lies in its human-centred approach, promoting understanding, compassion and responsibility.

“It’s really clear that these sessions aren’t about judging men or speaking negatively about men,” Ashley said. “In fact, it’s about stripping things back and exploring the root causes behind men’s poorer health outcomes— and how these can contribute to behaviours that harm others in the community.”

And while the cultural shifts MoRE seeks are profound, its approach reminds us that change often starts small.

“Even taking small actions can trigger a positive response,” reflects Ashley. “It starts with one conversation, one reflection, one choice to do things differently.”