Stand Up, Speak Out

Stand Up,

Speak Out By Tom Bragg, Year 12 student & TGS Interact Club President

The boys at Grammar are becoming standouts in educating the community about domestic violence with record numbers joining the White Ribbon Committee this year.

Toowoomba Grammar School became a White Ribbon School in 2017. The White Ribbon Committee was formed with the purpose of educating and raising awareness about domestic violence issues with the students and our broader School community.

The Committee is passionate about eliminating gendered violence, encouraging students to end men’s violence against women and girls, and promoting gender equality for men to build positive, healthy, and respectful relationships into the future.

For me personally, the decision to be part of this committee was easy. I still remember the White Ribbon Race in 2018 and being nominated to run in the event. I remember seeing Old Boys’ Memorial Oval covered with white ribbons. I was instantly intrigued and fascinated, and I wanted to learn more

Tom Bragg about the White Ribbon Committee and how I could contribute. I believed that through being involved I could learn more about the issues of domestic violence in my community and understand the impact that I could have in changing the attitudes of others, whether that be my friends or family. I think the most important part, but sometimes the most difficult, is coming together and simply discussing these issues with the hope of changing attitudes and behaviours.

The Committee has successfully raised awareness about these issues through various activities held each year. Most notably, the White Ribbon Committee has been involved in hosting the White Ribbon Gift at the Term 2 Track and Field Carnival, and the annual ‘Christmas in July’ white-themed dinner for boarders.

There has been a positive and strong uptake in the involvement of students in the Committee, which has steadily increased each year, leading to a record number of 66 students joining the Committee in 2022.

These students, consisting of Years 11 and 12 boys, have played an active role in promoting the issues of domestic violence in our community. This has included encouraging boys to change their conversations about women during lunch time, discussing respectful relationships during Pastoral Care Groups, placing posters around the School, assembly addresses, social media posts, and participation in White Ribbon themed events. TGS boys are passionate about doing the right thing and educating each other about treating women with respect and learning what having healthy relationships look like with their own family and with girls.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my involvement in the White Ribbon Committee this year, it has been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. I believe that I have grown personally by broadening my perspective and gaining a deeper understanding about domestic violence in my community. For me personally, a memorable highlight was my involvement in the filming of the “Not in Our Community” campaign earlier in the year. I am proud of the TGS commitment to speaking out about, and acting on, domestic violence. I believe this will play an important role in contributing to the education of our community in preventing men’s violence against women.

The awareness spread through the White Ribbon Committee will have a tidal effect on the School’s culture and the wider community moving forward. I think all boys should be part of the Committee at some stage during their time here.

This knowledge and these skills are powerful, they will help to change the attitude of the next generation of men and challenge us to be more respectful towards women and build strong and healthy relationships in the future.

‘Not in Our Community’ video production