The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation’s annual ‘Strive To Be Kind’ campaign was announced last Friday, the 28th July, aiming to raise awareness for domestic and family violence whilst promoting kindness in the community. The campaign culminated with the ‘Strive To Be Kind Day’ held on Friday July 28th at Howard Smith Wharves, where it launched its new youth focused campaign; ‘Toxic Love’.
The ‘Toxic Love’ campaign, which will run for several months, is an education and prevention based program that aims to teach teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 years the toxic signs or ‘red flags’ of coercive control in a relationship. The campaign uses tools such as an educational video and the new ‘Teen Power of Control’ Wheel to demonstrate the various layers of intimate abuse such as physical, emotional, sexual and technological. Some examples shown on the wheel, are technology warning signs around the use of emails and texts to make threats and tracking and accessing bank accounts online.
Sister of the late Allison Baden-Clay, Co-Chair of the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Council and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Foundation, Vanessa Fowler shared her thoughts on the campaign,
“This campaign teaches young people about healthy relationships, consent, and respect, providing them the necessary knowledge and tools to recognise the signs of coercive control, develop respectful relationships, and become advocates for positive change.” she said.
“It is through educating our young people that we will see the generational change necessary to prevent domestic abuse. Young people normalise behaviours they witness at home and this can have long-term impacts of their future relationships, often leading to a continued cycle of violence”
The campaign launched with a video series and website (www.toxiclovesigns.com.au) and provides young people with resources and outreach groups to educate and assist further if they find themselves in an unhealthy relationship.
‘Strive To Be Kind’ Day was introduced in 2012 in memory of Allison Baden-Clay, who was murdered by her husband. The campaign encourages the community to embrace Allison’s values of respect, kindness and positivity to help spread kindness in the community, whilst increasing awareness of domestic and family violence. Again, the bridges of Brisbane were lit up in yellow in memory of Allison last Friday, on Strive to Be Kind Day.
The Foundation also encourages campaign support through wearing yellow, hosting an event or free dress day, or selling ribbons. Additionally, similarly to previous years, the Foundation will sell limited edition merchandise and sunflowers throughout July through participating schools and businesses in the Brisbane and Ipswich area, channelling Allison’s favourite colour, yellow and flower to support the campaign.
Throughout July, Kalbar Sunflower Farm, a local grower and supplier located just one hour from Brisbane’s CBD has donated over 1000 Sunflowers for the Foundation to send to nominated schools and businesses to sell. Representing Allison’s three daughters, the sunflowers have been wrapped in bundles of three with 100% of profits going towards The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation. Kalbar Sunflower’s generous donation has resulted in a significant contribution to the Foundation’s aim of spreading awareness and education in order to prevent family and domestic violence.
#strivetobekind #toxiclovesigns #theabcfoundation
Find us:
Instagram: @theabcfoundation
Facebook: @AllisonBadenClayFoundation
The Allison Baden-Clay Foundation acknowledges that men are victims of domestic violence, and that there are women perpetrators, further, domestic violence can be present within any form of personal relationship. Research has shown, however, that approximately 95% of all victims of violence, regardless of gender, experience violence at the hands of male perpetrators. It is with this in mind that we state our focus of looking beyond the labels of men being perpetrators and women being victims, to strive towards achieving gender equality and the broader prevention of domestic abuse.
Image Credit: Adam Shaw
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