St Joseph’s College headmaster Michael Blake has urged students at the Hunters Hill boys’ school to consider how their conduct can contribute to the safety of women and girls, following separate sexual assault allegations involving students at other Sydney schools.
Mr Blake used the wider public discussion to speak about the standards expected of young men, telling students that women who encounter a “Joe Boy” should be safer because he is there, rather than simply safe from harm caused by him. St Joseph’s College and its students are not linked to the alleged incidents in other schools.
Mr Blake also argued that the dividing line between acceptable and destructive behaviour needed to be drawn well before conduct reached a criminal threshold. His address focused on the experiences of women for whom concerns about violence and personal safety can be an ongoing reality, rather than on the discomfort such allegations may cause men.
A message tied to Joeys’ stated values
St Joseph’s College has operated at Hunters Hill since 1881 and remains closely associated with the suburb. Its public material says the school seeks to develop young men who are dependable, kind and respectful, with respectful relationships included in its broader educational approach.
Mr Blake’s address linked those stated values directly to students’ behaviour towards women and girls. His message went beyond avoiding misconduct and asked boys to recognise that their conduct can affect how safe other people feel around them.
Published reports said the speech was shared among Joeys parents and attracted praise. The attention centred on Mr Blake’s argument that good character could not be measured simply by the absence of criminal behaviour, but also by the standards young men accepted in everyday conduct.
Respectful relationships under greater scrutiny
The speech came amid wider discussion about how schools address consent, respectful relationships, misogyny and attitudes towards women.
NSW education programs covering respectful relationships include material on consent, coercive control and the social influences that shape attitudes towards women. Department resources also address expressions of masculinity, sexist behaviour, online misogyny and the importance of positive male role models.
The NSW Government announced that another 150 public schools would join its respectful relationships education program during 2026. The program is aimed at addressing the drivers of gender-based violence and strengthening students’ understanding of respect, safety and healthy relationships.
Separate criminal proceedings involving teenage boys accused of sexual offences in two Sydney cases provided part of the backdrop to the renewed debate. The allegations have not been proven and the matters remain before the courts.
Published 11-Sept-2026
