A new petition wants improved sexual consent education in Australian schools
Following a week dominated by allegations of sexual assault in Parliament House, a new petition has been created to have sexual consent education taught earlier and more effectively in schools across the country.
The petition has been signed by 6000 people so far. The document being circulated includes first-hand accounts of sexual assault from over 700 women during their schooling years. The petition says "the majority of signatories have long graduated...yet, they are advocating for younger generations to receive an education they were deprived of or received far too late".
Speaking to The Daily Aus, petition creator Chanel Contos said "if nothing else, I am so thankful for the discussions and reflections that this petition has stirred worldwide. I hope the petition brings change to sexuality education. It needs to be more holistic not only by incorporating consent but also the forces that shape behaviours such as toxic masculinity, and rape culture. I hope this will better equip younger generations so they never have the delayed realisation that they’ve been victims or perpetrators of sexual assault"
"We hope this petition can help bring awareness to the conversation we are trying to start in schools. It’s a conversation that also needs to be continued in households and the broader community on a daily basis. Key messages around freely given and informed consent should underpin all sexuality and relationship education curriculums. Many schools will cover the basics of consent relating to age laws, but this needs to be broadened to unpack victim blaming, explore real-life relationships and interactions, as well as seeking help and supporting peers" - Brandon Friedman, Co-Founder of Elephant Ed
REACHING OUT FOR HELP
1800 Respect national helpline - 1800 737 732
Women's Crisis Line - 1800 811 811
Men's Referral Service - 1300 766 491
Lifeline (24 hour crisis line) - 131 114
Relationships Australia - 1300 364 277