At Melba Copland College today, Menslink CEO Martin Fisk, Principal Michael Battenally and Brumbies legends Ben Alexander and Clyde Rathbone will launch the 2014 Silence is Deadly campaign.
Following on from the success of last year’s campaign (which saw schools report an average increase of 133% in young men seeking help for mental health and other life problems), Menslink and the Brumbies are this year delivering the key Silence is Deadly message to male students across high schools and colleges.
The launch (in front of Y11 and 12 male students) features video presentations from key Brumbies players and coach Stephen Larkham, as well as presentations from Melba Copland Principal Michael Battenally, Menslink CEO Martin Fisk and Brumbies players Clyde Rathbone and Ben Alexander.
The campaign aims to reduce the stigma amongst male students about getting help and talking about their problems. It encourages young men to talk to their mates and professionals like counsellors and youth workers, rather than bottling problems up and staying silent about them.
Martin Fisk, CEO of Menslink, describes how young men are three times less likely to seek help when struggling with life issues while at the same time, the suicide rate for men is three times the rate of women. “I believe there is a strong correlation. If more men had stronger support networks – if they got help earlier and talked openly to their mates and sought counselling, we would see a significant reduction in the suicide rates and maybe even crime rates in this country. The Silence is Deadly campaign shows young guys that strong successful men – like the Brumbies players – aren’t afraid to talk to their teammates and get help when facing tough times.”
Menslink is proud to acknowledge the support of our sponsors ACT Policing and the Snow Foundation. Here is what Deputy Chief Police Officer David Pryce had to say about the program:
“For ACT Policing, our work is two-fold; while our officers are often the first responders when members of the community find themselves in distress, we also work to protect our own staff from the strains and stresses associated with this kind of work. We strive to ensure a supportive working environment and culture that provides our members with multiple avenues and opportunities to speak up. And that is what this ‘Silence is Deadly’ is all about – helping people to speak up about hassles and problems before they become too difficult to deal with. There is nothing wrong with having difficulties at times, that’s life. But there is something wrong with staying silent and letting these pressures bottle-up inside.”
“I’m not ashamed to admit that at times I turn to my close friends, family or even colleagues for support. I’ve also been there for friends when they have needed help. Asking someone if they are okay is such a powerful gesture: it gives permission for someone to ask for help.”
“I support the Silence is Deadly campaign because the consequences of emotional isolation, especially in young men, can be severe. Tragedies can be avoided if more men can be encouraged to speak up and seek help. This is not a weakness, it is actually a strength.”
“ACT Policing is proud to support the ‘Silence is Deadly’ initiative through ACT schools to help reduce the stigma and long-term effects of young people not feeling confident to ask for support when they need it,” Commander Pryce said.
Stephen Gaffey, a Director of the Snow Foundation and a former pupil at Melba Copland himself said that:
The success of the “Silence is Deadly” program during 2013 was one of the reasons the Snow Foundation had no hesitation in ensuring Menslink continue the program in 2014. The organisation, headed up by their passionate CEO Martin Fisk is an ideal fit for us as it sits within two of our focus areas of Education and Life Skills and Health and Disability. The program focuses on adolescent mental health and family issues and when these concerns are successfully addressed leads to long term positive changes to a young man’s life. The volunteer mentors and counselling services offered by Menslink are an integral part of the success story of Menslink and the Snow Foundation are delighted to be supporting all aspects of the organisation.
Brumbies CEO Doug Edwards commented that, while Brumbies Rugby have supported Menslink for a number of years now, they were particularly pleased to support the Silence is Deadly campaign:
Too often we see young men bottling up their problems and not talking about the things that matter in life. We see what happens when they bottle things up and turn to violence or even self harm and suicide.As a club, we emphasise to all our players the importance of both physical and mental fitness, and encourage all of them to talk to their team, coaches and counsellors to work through problems and stay on top of their game. We’re very pleased to be able to help Menslink take this message to the next generation of young men across our community.”
More information on the campaign (including this year’s videos and TV commercial) is available from the Silence is Deadly website.