While the UK and Australia are catching up, SafeBAE has been leading this work all along.

SafeBAE: The Experts Leading the Whole-School Approach in the U.S.

At SafeBAE, we’ve always known that real prevention doesn’t happen in a single assembly or a one-time lesson—it happens when an entire school culture shifts. That’s why we’ve been dedicated to implementing the Whole-School Approach in the U.S. for nearly a decade, ensuring that sexual violence prevention is embedded at every level of a school’s environment—not just in what students are taught, but in how teachers, parents, and administrators engage with these critical conversations.

Now, international education systems are recognizing the necessity of this approach. In the UK, experts are pushing for high-quality, ongoing education on relationships and consent as part of a school-wide strategy to address gender-based violence. Australia is tackling the growing issue of misogyny in classrooms by integrating Respectful Relationships Education throughout schools, recognizing that real prevention requires systemic change, not just individual lessons.

But while countries like the UK and Australia are taking steps to implement the Whole-School Approach on a national level, the U.S. still lacks a comprehensive strategy to address sexual violence in schools. That’s why SafeBAE has been working to fill that gap, developing the tools, training, and programs that make this model possible in American schools—long before it was part of the larger global conversation.

What the UK & Australia Are Doing – And Why the U.S. Is Behind

While the U.S. continues to lag in implementing a nationwide strategy to prevent sexual violence in schools, both the UK and Australia are making significant moves toward adopting the Whole-School Approach as a standard, not an exception. Their governments and education leaders are recognizing that prevention only works when it is integrated into every aspect of school culture.

In the UK, a new study by University College London (UCL) and the UK Home Office found that investing in comprehensive relationships and sex education (RSE) across all school levels is essential in reducing violence against women and girls. The study called for schools to take a holistic, whole-school approach, incorporating teacher training, student-led initiatives, and a culture of active intervention. Professor Jessica Ringrose, a lead researcher on the study, emphasized that “schools need to be equipped with the tools to challenge toxic behaviors before they escalate.” (UCL)

Meanwhile, in Australia, educators and policymakers are responding to growing concerns over misogyny and sexual harassment in classrooms. A new report, highlighted in The Guardian, exposes how school environments have become a breeding ground for harmful gender norms, peer pressure, and unchecked harassment. According to journalist Jess Hill, who wrote the Quarterly Essay report on school cultures, Australian educators are now working to embed Respectful Relationships education into schools nationwide. This model directly aligns with the Whole-School Approach, emphasizing that prevention must go beyond individual lessons and become a fundamental part of school culture, policies, and staff training. Patty Kinnersly, CEO of Our Watch, stated that “ending gender-based violence starts in schools, but it cannot be left to a few standalone lessons—this work needs to be woven into the fabric of every classroom.” (The Guardian)

As international education systems take meaningful steps toward institutionalizing prevention, it reinforces what SafeBAE has been advocating for all along: prevention isn’t effective unless it’s embedded at every level of school culture.

Other countries are just now catching up, but we’ve been here, leading this work, and proving that it works.

How SafeBAE is Leading the Whole-School Approach in the U.S.

While other countries are now formally recognizing the Whole-School Approach as the key to preventing sexual violence, SafeBAE has been committed to advancing this work in the U.S. for years. We didn’t wait for national mandates or government funding—we built programs that directly train students, educators, and entire school communities to take prevention seriously.

In school after school, we’ve seen the same patterns. Students sit through a one-time lesson on consent and are expected to figure out the rest on their own. Teachers and administrators want to help but aren’t given the training or resources to recognize red flags or respond appropriately when a student comes to them. Parents don’t always know these conversations are happening, leaving them unprepared to support their children in real-life situations. Prevention becomes an afterthought, a reaction, a box to check.

SafeBAE has always known that this isn’t enough. That’s why we’ve spent years working to create real, systemic change in schools across the country—making sure that prevention education isn’t just something students hear once, but something they experience every day. We train teachers to handle disclosures and reinforce consent culture in their classrooms. We give students the tools to become peer educators because research shows that young people listen to each other more than they do adults. We work with school districts to develop policies that prioritize survivors over reputation management. And just as importantly, we bring parents into the conversation, offering presentations and resources so that prevention doesn’t stop at the school doors but becomes a conversation happening at home, too.

While the UK and Australia are now rolling out nationwide plans to implement these strategies, SafeBAE has already been helping schools build this model in the U.S., proving that it works and watching it change lives. The question now isn’t whether the Whole-School Approach is the right solution—it’s why more schools in the U.S. haven’t caught up yet.

The Urgency for U.S. Schools to Act Now

The research is clear, the global momentum is undeniable, and SafeBAE has been proving for years that the Whole-School Approach works. But despite all of this, most schools in the U.S. still haven’t implemented it. Every day that prevention is treated as an afterthought is another day that students experience harm that could have been prevented. Schools have a choice: continue the cycle of reactive, inadequate responses, or take action now to build a culture of safety and respect.

The Whole-School Approach isn’t just about protecting students—it’s about empowering entire school communities to be part of the solution. When schools partner with SafeBAE, they aren’t just checking a compliance box. They’re making a real investment in prevention by:

• Bringing in student-led peer education programs that make consent and bystander intervention real and relatable.
• Training faculty and staff to properly recognize, respond to, and prevent harm.
• Engaging parents and caregivers so that these critical conversations don’t stop at school.
• Strengthening school policies to center survivor support, accountability, and cultural change.

There’s no reason for schools to wait. The UK and Australia are proving what we already knew: this approach works, and it’s time for the U.S. to catch up.

If you want to bring the Whole-School Approach to your school, SafeBAE is here to make it happen. Host a speaker. Start a SafeBAE club. Train your faculty. Bring parents into the conversation. It starts with action, and that action starts now.

To learn more or get started, visit SafeBAE.org today or email us directly at info@safebae.org.