What can schools do to create a culture of effective response to disclosures?
Finally, a whole-of-school approach is crucial. This approach involves the development of policies, programs and procedures in collaboration with staff, students, and parents that emphasise respect and non-violence in all relationships, including intimate ones. A whole-of-school approach is aided by: • agreed definitions of sexual assault; • a statement about consequences for offending; • clear publication of policies and procedures; • regular reviewing, monitoring and evaluation of policies and procedures; • the introduction of best-practice prevention programs for students, teachers and families; • education on the long-term impacts of sexual assault on victim/survivors; and • an emphasis on a victim-centred policies. The Victorian Ombudsman (2005) has recommended: • The development of a common terminology in plain language to describe the incidents involving sexual assault that takes into account the continuum of sexual behaviour exhibited by children, young people and adults, and r
