Returning to Respect: End The Silence on Lateral Violence

03/09/2026

❗Sensitive issue❗
This Su***de Prevention Month, we acknowledge the devastating impact su***de continues to have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and communities—particularly our young people.

The ongoing effects of colonisation, intergenerational trauma, racism and disconnection from Country cannot be ignored.

We must also speak honestly about gatekeeping and lateral violence within our communities.

Excluding people, questioning their identity or deciding who belongs can deepen isolation and stop someone from reaching out.

Lateral violence is not our culture.

Care, respect, connection and responsibility for one another are.

Culture, Country, kinship, language and community can be powerful medicine.

Check in, listen without judgement and remind our people that asking for help is a sign of strength—not shame.

For culturally safe support, call **13YARN on 13 92 76** or **Lifeline on 13 11 14**. If someone is in immediate danger, call **000**.

04/08/2026

https://speechify.app.link/Aedmbiu1j5b

Sixty-two percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people report experiencing lateral violence, a systemic issue that often thrives under the guise of family loyalty. Sammy Wyborn calls for a courageous cultural shift to replace silence and identity policing with accountability.

03/08/2026

This quote is a reminder that character isn’t measured by titles, reputation, or public appearances. It’s measured by what we consistently do when no one is watching.

Anyone can present themselves as kind, moral, or respected for a few hours each week. The real test of character is how we treat people in everyday life—our family, our colleagues, our community, and even those we disagree with.

For me, this also speaks directly to lateral violence. We cannot claim to value respect, culture, healing, and unity while participating in gossip, character assassination, intimidation, or exclusion. Our actions either strengthen our communities or weaken them.

Integrity means your private behaviour matches your public values. It means showing honesty, accountability, humility, and respect even when it’s difficult.

As Aboriginal people, our culture teaches us about respect, responsibility, and caring for one another. Those values should be reflected in how we speak, how we resolve conflict, and how we hold each other accountable—with fairness, not harm.

At the end of the day, people will remember how we made them feel far longer than they will remember the positions we held or the places we sat.

02/08/2026

01/08/2026

Breaking the cycle of lateral violence starts with
refusing to let anger dictate our actions.

31/07/2026

30/07/2026

30/07/2026

You Are Not Alone

“One of the greatest harms of lateral violence is that it makes people feel isolated. It convinces them that they are standing alone, when in reality many others have experienced the same behaviours in silence.”

We see you.
“If you’re experiencing gossip, exclusion, intimidation, character assassination, or bullying, know this: your experience matters. You don’t have to prove your pain for it to be real.”

Your identity is valid.
“No one has the right to question who you are, where you belong, or your connection to your family, culture, or Country. Your identity is not determined by rumours or other people’s opinions.”

Your culture belongs to you.
“Culture is something that lives within you. It cannot be taken away through bullying, shame, exclusion, or attempts to silence you. Your connection remains yours.”

You deserve safety.
“Every person deserves to feel emotionally, culturally, and physically safe—in their workplace, community, and family. Safety is not a privilege; it is a basic human right.”

You deserve respect.
“Respect isn’t something you have to earn by staying silent or accepting poor treatment. Mutual respect should exist even when people disagree.”

You deserve peace.
“Healing doesn’t always mean getting an apology. Sometimes healing means choosing not to carry someone else’s bitterness any longer. Protecting your peace is an act of strength.”

Reflection
“‘Never let someone else’s bitterness define your worth.’ People may project their hurt, anger, or unresolved trauma onto you, but that does not become your identity. Their behaviour reflects them—not you.”

“If this message speaks to you, I want you to remember this: you are not weak because you were hurt. You are strong because you continue to choose healing over harm, truth over rumours, and respect over retaliation. You are not alone, and together we can return to respect.”

29/07/2026

The red flags can be exhausting.

Not because they are loud, but because they often come wrapped in familiarity, loyalty, obligation or culture.

Manipulation.
Rumours.
Character assassination.
Playing the victim while causing harm.
Avoiding accountability.
Turning people against one another.

These behaviours don’t represent who we are as Aboriginal people. They are behaviours that can occur in any community, and in our communities they can be especially damaging because they fracture kinship, trust and opportunities.

We can honour our culture while refusing to normalise harmful behaviour.

Returning to respect starts with recognising the red flags—and choosing a different path.

29/07/2026

If you want to know
who the bully is and who the victim is, look at who stands alone.

The victim is often isolated, while the bully is backed by a crowd that laughs and enables it.

This is literally myself at this present time, this is why I have chosen to create this page and raise awareness because I know I am not the only one who is facing this.