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Australian school students are encouraged to share their ideas of respect and disrespect through a national animation competition.

Launching today, the Stop it At the Start campaign’s Respect Competition invites young Australians in years 4–9 across the country to raise awareness about respect by creating a storyboard using illustrations and words.

Winning entries will be transformed into a 30 second animation by a professional animation studio. Read the Minister’s media release.

More than 500 students around the country have participated in the Stop it at the Start campaign’s Respect Competition to help foster greater awareness about healthy relationships and respect.

Students from every state and territory took part in the competition that encouraged young Australians to show what respect means to them, putting thoughts to paper to create heartwarming and inspiring stories.

The competition gave students a creative outlet to express their views about respect and a way for parents, carers and teachers to see what it means to young people.

Two young winners have had their drawings transformed into an animation by a professional animation studio and received a $500 gift card for themselves and one for their school. Ten runners-up across both categories were each awarded a $250 gift card. Read the Minister’s media release.

Much-loved Australian media personality and founder of Gotcha 4 Life, Gus Worland, has joined the campaign as a Stop it at the Start ambassador.

Speaking about the new and hidden forms of disrespect young people are being exposed to everyday online, Gus acknowledges the challenges parents and carers face. 

“I think it's really hard for parents at the moment to understand the type of world that some of their kids are in. Unfortunately, with social media, they're one click away from a world which must be very, very confusing for them,” he said. 

Encouraging proactive conversations about the online influences impacting young people and how they form ideas about respect is vitally important – but not always easy to do.

“As adults, parents and carers, we need to be vulnerable and brave ourselves, to have tough conversations with children. We must speak up at every opportunity and play a role in breaking the cycle of disrespect.”

Gus is also on the judging panel for the Respect Competition which gives students in years 4 – 9 the opportunity to create an animation storyboard about what respect means in their world. The winning submission to be turned into a professional animation and receive a $500 gift card for themselves and one for their school.

Find out more about the Respect Competition