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A police-run programme promoting healthy relationships among senior school students, often timed to coincide with ball season, won’t be held at either Mahurangi College or Rodney College in the foreseeable future.
Waitematā north area prevention manager Senior Sergeant Roger Small says staff who deliver the programme have been redeployed to other duties for three months from April 8.
He did not say what the other duties were and denied that the programme had been cancelled.
“The programme has not been cancelled, but some delivery will be delayed during this temporary redeployment,” Small says.
Mahurangi College senior school deputy principal Catherine Hutton says the college has run the Loves-Me-Not day for many years.
“We are gutted that the police have been reassigned and are unable to join us for the day,” she says. “As yet, we are unsure of our next steps, and how we could run this without them. They have been essential to the success of the day.”
The Loves-Me-Not programme was developed by the Sophie Elliott Foundation* to help young people keep themselves safe. It was piloted in schools in 2013, then formally launched in 2014.
It includes a one-day workshop facilitated by police, school staff and some non-governmental organisations, where students discuss how to take action – personal action, effective bystander action and community action – to prevent harm from relationship abuse.
Hutton says Mahurangi runs the programme with its Year 12 students.
“The students, in mufti for the day, are placed in groups and each group has a teacher, a police officer and a relevant non-government representative leading them. This way they get insights from multi-perspectives, real life stories and are able to engage in a more adult manner, which has worked really well,” she says.
“We cover consent, alcohol consumption, influence of social media/porn, what a healthy relationship looks like and much more.
“These students are 16 and 17 years old so it is very relevant to their lives. Our students have always found a lot to engage in from this day, and one really good side benefit is being with police and experiencing them as knowledgeable, caring and warm. It is worthwhile building that connection to encourage positive relationships with our police.”
Rodney College deputy principal Alison Middleton said the programme had been held at the school for the past six or seven years.
“It will be very disappointing if it doesn’t continue,” she says. “I’m very disappointed for the students. It’s a day to share really important messages in a positive and engaging way.”
*Sophie Elliott was murdered in 2008 by her former boyfriend and university lecturer, Clayton Weatherston. During the police investigation, it became clear Sophie’s murderer was a typical abuser who had a track record of treating partners badly. The foundation was set up by Sophie’s mother Lesley to raise awareness among all young women, their friends and families of the signs of partner abuse.
