Townsville Catholic Education is committed to providing our students access to programs and learning that may not exactly fit in the box of traditional schooling. One of these programs offered is the highly successful Love Bite program.

Originally developed in in NSW in 2004, Love Bites is based on best practice standards for education programs as recommended by the Federal Government funded Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearing House and other leading academics in the area of violence against women.

In 2022 approximately ,1353 students from schools across the Townsville Diocese have enjoyed the program which focuses on respectful relationships for students agreed 11 to 17 years.

Love Bites is a Respectful Relationships Education Program for young people aged 15-17 years. It consists of two interactive workshops: one on Relationship Violence, and one on Sex and Relationships, followed by creative workshops. The program emphasises the importance of a whole-of-school commitment to respectful relationship education.

Love Bites aims to provide young people with a safe environment to examine, discuss and explore respectful relationships.

Love Bites education is focused on three critical areas for learning:

• Knowledge: youth-led collaborative learning
• Attitudes: critical thinking and decision-making and
• Behaviours: problem solving and communication skills

The program aims to equip young people with the knowledge needed to have respectful relationships, encourage and develop their skills in critical thinking and assist them in being able to problem solve and communicate effectively. When equipped with these skills young people can make the right choices for themselves and their relationships that are free from violence and abuse.

Love Bites Junior is a respectful relationships education program that focuses on the development of respectful relationships for 11-14 year olds.

The Love Bites Junior Program consists of 3 programs:

• #friends (Year 7) which covers themes such as communicating mindfully, warning signs of abusive behaviour, power in relationships, responding to concerns as bystanders, seeking help and rights and responsibilities in relation to sharing sexualised images
• Respectful Relationships, Bullying and Gender (Year 8) which covers themes such as respect in relationships, gender roles and stereotypes, gender and relationships, jealousy, sexual harassment and homophobia, challenging harassment, discrimination and gender stereotypes and seeking help
• Relationships, Love and Control (Year 9) which covers themes such as gender expectations and relationships, responding to jealous feelings, love and control, warning signs of a controlling/abusive relationship, supporting friends, seeking help and breaking up with respect.