Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the film Rear Window are great examples of how parents and teachers can use movies and books to start discussions with young people about consent.
To be effective, a video needs to be clear about its message and relatable. The government’s milkshake video seemingly about consent failed on both counts. But these videos get it right.
A gender-justice researcher reviewed the entire newly released government sexuality education resource for teachers. She found several significant problems.
A study on the delivery of sexuality education found some teachers were anxious about parental fear, negative media and political hysteria. Sometimes they watered down ‘risky’ content.
Children take their lead from their parents. And it is, after all parents, not teachers, who have regular, long-term contact with children from birth onwards.
Juries in rape cases must decide whether the prosecution has proven there was no free and voluntary consent. And this is where broader societal attitudes come into play.
Millions of people are reading young adult fantasy novels like Twilight or A Court of Thorns and Roses. But the way sexual consent is depicted in these can be confusing or even harmful.
In interviews, female teachers at three all-boy schools in three capital cities have disclosed instances of sexism from students, male colleagues and parents.
A sexual education program in Mexico City provides a blueprint for Australia. It shows how to engage students in conversations about lived experiences, among other effective methods.
All-boys’ schools often choose texts for English study written by men. But the sexism goes beyond that. They are more likely to shy away from any exploration of gender in literature.
Sexual negotiation can be a difficult process. It’s about reading body language as well as verbal cues, and respecting the wants and needs of your partner. Schools need to teach it early and often.
Forty years since Fame showed the vulnerability of performing arts students, we can still do more to protect them. As we resume physical contact, we can use performance to renegotiate safe intimacy.
As the Harvey Weinstein trials start, a psychology scholar explains why jurors may be biased on the question of consent. While the situations examined in these studies are not equivalent to sexual assault, they illustrate a pervasive psychological bias.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary