Year 7, Big Transitions: Building Respectful Relationships and Digital Safety – Together

Year 7 is a pivotal year. New school, new mates, new phones - and for many, a first real encounter with social media's attention economy. That's why inyourskin and Evolve Education have partnered to deliver a whole-of-cohort program that supports 12-13 year-olds in building healthy, respectful relationships whilst navigating a rapidly changing online world.

The need is crystal clear. Fresh national research from the eSafety Commissioner reveals 96% of Australian 10-15 year-olds used social media in the past year, with 7 in 10 encountering harmful content, 1 in 2 experiencing online hate or bullying, and 1 in 7 facing grooming-style approaches or unwanted contact - most of them on mainstream platforms (Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Discord) that students use daily¹. These realities aren't just "online problems"- they spill into classrooms, corridors and homes, shaping identity, mood, friendships and learning.

Schools are already on the move. The updated Australian Curriculum (Version 9.0) makes consent and respectful relationships more explicit across Years F–10, and asks schools to teach protective behaviours and help-seeking, both on and offline². Queensland's Respect program and whole-school approach guidance reinforce that classroom learning should be backed by consistent culture, policies and partnerships³.

Our joint Year 7 offering meets this moment with four linked workshops that schools can timetable across the year:

1. Bodies, Boundaries & Belonging. Age-appropriate foundations for puberty, identity and respect. Students practise everyday consent ('ask, listen, respect') and learn how empathy, values and stereotypes shape behaviour.
2. Media Mindfulness & Algorithms. How feeds, trends and recommenders shape what we see - and how we feel. Students learn practical strategies for attention, sleep, privacy, and what to do when content crosses the line.
3. Relationships, Ethics & the Law. Clear, stigma-free guidance on rights, responsibilities and help-seeking. We unpack peer pressure, rumours, bystanding vs. upstanding, and the basics of Australian law around sharing images and harassment.
4. Consent in Everyday Life. From group chats to lunchtime to sport - and, later, dating - students rehearse consent and refusal skills through scenarios, with language they can actually use.

Why This Model Works

Year 7 students are forming identity and social norms in tandem with their first independent digital experiences. For many, the "digital mirror" is now a primary site of identity work - rewarding conformity, confidence and visibility, often at the expense of nuance. Boys in particular are targeted by "masculinity" content: some supportive, some deeply harmful. eSafety's Being a Young Man Online work highlights how quickly boys can encounter misogyny, risk-taking cultures and status games, underscoring the need for early intervention and critical literacy⁴.

What students tell us they need isn't more fear, but skills - how to pause, question, check sources, set boundaries, help a mate, and ask for help. Our sessions are practical, trauma-informed and inclusive. We focus on curiosity, care, and evidence-based strategies that young people can practise the same day.

What teachers and families need is alignment. The program maps to AC v9.0 HPE outcomes for Years 7–8 (identity, empathy, stereotypes, assertive communication, protective behaviours, and health information appraisal), and complements existing school initiatives (pastoral care, wellbeing days, digital citizenship, anti-bullying)⁵. We provide pre-briefs, slide decks and post-session activities so classroom teachers can revisit concepts in pastoral care/wellbeing sessions or Health classes, and we offer optional staff PD and parent webinars to create a consistent support network that reinforces learning at school and home.

Why This Matters

This is about culture as much as content. The IYS × EE Year 7 program takes an evidence-led, strengths-based and school-ready approach, designed to keep students safer, kinder and more connected - online and off.

What changes when schools invest early?

Students practise consent and help-seeking before romantic relationships begin, reducing confusion and harm later⁶. Cohorts share a common language for boundaries and bystander action, which improves day-to-day climate⁷. Families get consistent messages and practical tools to support phone, sleep and social media use at home⁸.

If your school is planning 2025 wellbeing or RRE priorities, we'd love to collaborate. We can help you map your existing work, align to AC v9.0, and co-design delivery that fits your calendar and cohort. Together, we can give Year 7s what they deserve: not just warnings, but workable skills for respectful relationships and digital safety that last right through secondary school.

References

1. eSafety Commissioner. (2024). Annual Report on Online Safety for Young Australians. Australian Government.
2. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023). Australian Curriculum Version 9.0: Health and Physical Education. Retrieved from australiancurriculum.edu.au 
3. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2024). Respect: Relationships and Sexuality Education Program. Queensland Government Department of Education. 
4. eSafety Commissioner. (2024). Being a Young Man Online: Understanding Digital Masculinity. Australian Government. 
5. Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2023). Health and Physical Education Curriculum Guidelines Years 7-8. Queensland Government. 
6. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023). Protective Behaviours and Help-Seeking: Implementation Guidelines. Retrieved from australiancurriculum.edu.au 
7. Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2023). Social and Emotional Learning Framework: Building School Culture. Retrieved from australiancurriculum.edu.au 
8. eSafety Commissioner. (2024). Family Digital Wellbeing: Supporting Parents and Carers. Australian Government.