Empowering families to address hidden trends of disrespect
This article is part of a paid partnership with the Stop it at the Start, an Australian Government initiative.
In today’s hyperconnected world, young people are constantly exposed to messages online and offline that can shape their attitudes and behaviours. While many of these influences are positive, some promote disrespect, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and contribute to attitudes that condone violence. The Stop it at the Start campaign, now in its fifth phase, is tackling these challenges head-on with resources designed to help families and communities understand the hidden trends of disrespect and counter these negative voices with reason and respect.
This article explores the tools and strategies available through the campaign, showing how adults can guide young people to recognise and reject disrespect while fostering respectful relationships.
Understanding the hidden trends of disrespect
Subtle yet harmful trends that normalise disrespect are becoming more common across online platforms, often hidden in jokes, memes or influencer content. Social media algorithms – the systems that decide what appears in your feed – tend to highlight and spread this type of material even more if a person engages with this content. This means that young people can increasingly become exposed to negative influences more often than we might realise. Over time, this can shape their views on relationships, equality and respect, sometimes in ways that go unnoticed.
For parents, carers, and community leaders, this digital world can feel unfamiliar and overwhelming, making it difficult to know how to address these influences. Bridging the gap between what young people see online and the values we want to teach them in everyday life requires open conversations, guidance and awareness of the challenges they face in this fast-changing digital environment.
The Stop it at the Start campaign empowers families and adults to recognise these hidden trends of disrespect and provides practical tools to help them start meaningful conversations with young people. The campaign encourages adults to play an active role in fostering respectful behaviours from an early age. At its heart, the campaign reminds us that it is important for adults to understand the digital world young people are navigating, as they remain the trusted individuals young people look to for guidance. By having these conversations, adults can help shape positive attitudes and behaviours that prevent disrespect from leading to violence.
Campaign resources for families and communities
The Stop it at the Start campaign website respect.gov.au offers practical tools and resources to help adults understand the issues and have conversations about respect with the young people in their lives. The resource hub has resources in 11 languages (including Hindi and Punjabi) and in different formats, including PDF, DOCX, and Easy Read.
Here’s how you can use them:
1. The Hidden Trends of Disrespect Guide
This guide explains how harmful trends spread online and provides practical steps for parents to intervene and guide their children toward positive behaviours.
Case study: Priya, a mother of two teenage boys, noticed her children sharing memes that demeaned women. Using the guide, she started a discussion at the dinner table, asking her boys why they thought those memes were funny and explained how they reinforced negative stereotypes. By staying calm and curious, she turned an uncomfortable topic into a teaching moment.
2. The Pocket Guide to Respectful Conversations
Starting conversations about sensitive topics like disrespect can feel challenging. This guide offers simple steps to break the ice, encourage open dialogue and build trust.
Case study: Rajesh, a father in a busy household, used the guide to introduce weekly “family check-ins”. These informal conversations gave his kids space to talk about their online experiences, from gaming to social media trends. Over time, Rajesh noticed his children becoming more open about their online interactions, allowing him to provide gentle guidance when needed.
3. Interactive tool – The Algorithm of DisrespectTM
This tool recreates a typical online experience of a young person, showing how social media algorithms amplify harmful content. It’s an eye-opener for parents who want to understand what their child might be exposed to in the digital world.
Case study: Anita, a tech-savvy mum, was shocked by the type of content her teenage daughter was at risk of being exposed to online. After using the tool, Anita introduced family discussions about questioning social media posts and identifying harmful trends. Together, they even created a “positive content” list, curating accounts that inspire and uplift.
4. Translated resources
The campaign recognises the diversity of Australia’s communities, offering resources in languages like Hindi, Punjabi, and more. This ensures that families from culturally diverse backgrounds can access tools that resonate with their values.
Case study: Sukhdeep, a Punjabi-speaking grandmother helping raise her grandchildren, used the translated guides to discuss respect and equality with her family. By sharing stories of strong women from Punjabi history, she bridged the gap between traditional values and modern challenges.
How families can take action
For Indian families, traditional values of respect and family unity provide a strong foundation for addressing these issues. Here’s how you can use the campaign’s resources in your everyday life:
- Storytelling: Share stories about people who challenge stereotypes—like a father balancing home duties or a woman leading a business. These examples help children question outdated norms. Having open conversations with other adults and children about gender roles, expectations, respect and healthy relationships can help to create a society where violence against women is not tolerated.
- Model respectful behaviour: Parents can demonstrate equality in decision-making and household responsibilities, showing children that respect begins at home.
- Engage with media: Discuss TV shows, movies, or viral trends. Ask children what they think about the messages they see and whether they promote respect.
- Start conversations: Use the guides to initiate discussions during routine activities, like car rides or family meals. Make these conversations regular, so children feel safe sharing their thoughts.
Take the first step
The Stop it at the Start campaign equips families and communities with the knowledge and tools to tackle hidden trends of disrespect. By accessing these resources and starting meaningful conversations, you can help shape the attitudes and behaviours of young people.
Visit respect.gov.au/translated to learn more. Together, we can ensure respect begins at home and grows throughout our communities.
