Bundaberg Police Patrol Group, community organisations and local schools have partnered together since 2010 to deliver the NAPCAN LoVE BiTES program to young people aged 14 to 16 years. The program is delivered in workshops focusing on Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault where students can share their learnings in a creative way throughout the day.
Adults who work with young people have the opportunity to attend a two day LoVE BiTES facilitator workshop at Hervey Bay on October 26 and 27. Bookings and registration details can be accessed here.
Feedback received over the years from a youth perspective includes:
- “It’s informing, real and confronting. Makes you understand and realise things like this happen everyday to anyone”
- “Police talk”
- “The activities, especially painting, expressing your creativity and incorporating the DV message into the artwork”
- “They really got into detail and helped understand the seriousness of such delicate subjects”
- “It taught us not to become victims and know when to get out of relationships”
- “The knowledge on how to stay safe – many types of abuse/violence/harassment”
- “I learnt a lot more about sexual assault”
- “The age difference and what happens with consent and no consent”
- “That it teaches us where we can go for help if something bad happens to me or someone else”
- “That only 15% of people report incident and the police/children detectives do acknowledge and do stuff about it. I think that it’s an amazing program”
- “You learn new things – the different laws and the different forms of sexual assault”
- “The information and the story’s to really make you realise – the statistics and the consequences”
- “I learnt about laws, legal age, about different situations that can occur and the best way to deal with these situations. I would like for the program Love Bites to be in the school system compulsory to educate people about laws and assault”
- “Gives us a chance to talk about stuff that might be awkward to bring up in casual conversation”
- “Give us teenagers a reminder of what to do in these type of situations and where to get help”
- “It taught you about Domestic Violence and abuse. It also shows us how to avoid or what to do in an attempt to stop sexual abuse”
- “Support links and consequences people get for what they’ve done”
- “It inspired me to be a better person”
- “It allowed us to see in depth really what sexual abuse is and how it can change someone’s life”
- “Yes, it helped clear up some “fuzzy” views I had”
- “Statistics…but they can be higher because people don’t report it”
- “Do not abuse girlfriend and respect each other”
- “Yeah, I guess relationships are all different but domestic violence is very real”
- “Yes, talk to people about your problems it can help you in the long run”
- “There are people out there who can help”
- “I wouldn’t change anything about this program, I learnt heaps, so I think it can help others”
- “There should be more police give talks about more issues”
- “The way I act and how much it hurts my parents when I take it out on them”
- “I want to take what I’ve learnt and use it in life”