Mates & Dates Programme Term 3 2021

 Our Year 11 students will be participating in the ACC school-based healthy relationships programme called Mates & Dates during Term 3.

ACC has developed Mates & Dates to help to prevent dating and sexual violence. This is important given that one in five female and one in ten male secondary students say they have had some form of unwanted sexual contact. 57% of those who experience this tell no one.

Mates & Dates is about all kinds of relationships - including friends, family and whānau.

The programme teaches students how to:

• have healthy relationships built on respect, equality, and consent. This includes communication skills, problem solving and decision-making skills

• exercise their rights and responsibilities related to consent and safety

• be critical of ideas in the media about equality, gender, body image and sexualisation

• identify inappropriate and abusive behaviours

• access help from trusted adults and professionals in their community. Help seeking is for more than just abuse

• safely intervene in situations that could lead to harm

Mates & Dates is a strengths-based programme that believes all young people are able to act with respect towards their mates, dates, and family in all interactions.