Key Messages

  • Consent must be sought
  • There are many ways to check for consent
  • Clear verbal communication is the clearest way to check for consent.

Learning Intention

Students will:

  • identify realistic ways of communicating consent
  • brainstorm ways of asking for consent
  • brainstorm yes and no responses

Time

30 minutes

Required Resources

  • Small pieces of paper of 3 different colours
  • Pens
  • Container for collecting responses

Teaching Notes

This is a fun activity that demonstrates that it can be difficult to find the right words to ask clearly for sexual consent. Students might write ‘joke’ or funny responses. These give opportunity to discuss what is
realistic and why it might be hard to think of something genuine.

Allow for discussion when reading out questions and answers. There is also opportunity to discuss how to respond to a yes or no answer. Students could discuss ways to accept rejection or do further
checking in for progressive consent.

This activity may present an opportunity to challenge the idea that it would be embarrassing to ask out loud for sexual consent. It is clearly a worse outcome to engage in sex with a person who has been
unclear about consent than asking and being embarrassed.

Affirmative Consent

The Affirmative Consent Model brings focus to the importance of asking for consent.

If a sexual crime is prosecuted, the accused perpetrator will be required to explain how they sought consent. Victims of sexual crimes should not be expected to explain how they denied consent.

See more at https://www.moores.com.au/a-change-in-consent-laws-the-adoption-of-an-affirmative-consent-model-in-victoria/

Procedure

  1. Distribute 3 small pieces of differently coloured paper to students. Instruct that what they write is anonymous, but will be read aloud in class.
  2. On colour 1 students write a way they would ask for consent to sex.
  3. On colour 2 students write a way they would refuse consent.
  4. On colour 3 students write a way they would give consent.
  5. Collect all papers.
  6. Redistribute papers so each person has responses that are not their own.
  7. Select a student to read out a way to ask for consent and another student to reply with either a yes or no response.
  8. Repeat until all students have had an opportunity to ask for consent and receive a reply.

NOTE: facilitator can read the questions and responses if students are too shy or unwilling.

Questioning

  • Which was harder to write, the question or the answer?
  • Which questions or answers were realistic?
  • Which questions or answers were funny?
  • Were any of the questions unclear or ambiguous?
  • Were any answers unclear or ambiguous?
  • How did it feel to get a ‘no’ response?
  • Could body language work for asking or answering?
  • Are there gender rules about who asks?

Summary

In a sexual situation asking for consent is important both legally and ethically. Some ways of communicating are going to be clearer than others. Specific, clear, verbal, ongoing communication is the best way to check for consent.

Curriculum Information