The Department of Education is reaching out to parents about consent education in a bid to further the planning and development of resources to help create conversations around consent with children.

Engaging with student diversity across the state, focus groups have been conducted to include the perspective of Aboriginal parents and carers, parents of students with disability, and others held in different languages.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education said that in their responses, parents offered that learning about consent is important in the context of both interpersonal and sexual relationships. 

“They shared their views that schools, parents and the whole family network have an important role, in collaboration with each other, in helping our children and young people develop the skills to form healthy and respectful relationships, and expressed interest in being involved in these conversations,” they said.

Operations Manager of the Dubbo Family Planning Clinic Sarah Dowe said that young people in Australia have been calling out for better education around consent, which often requires more open conversations.

“Some parents are very comfortable discussing sex, sexuality, consent and relationships with their children. For those that are less comfortable, they can share resources from trusted sex and relationships educators,” Ms Dowe said. 

Ms Dowe said that avoiding the topic, however, can also unintentiaonally reinforce feelings of shame that young people may experience.

“It’s important that sexual consent education is specific, realistic, inclusive and evidence-based. Young people have told us they don’t connect with metaphorical or euphemistic scenarios regarding sex and feel strongly that this does not adequately prepare them for sexual activities,” Ms Dowe said. 

This year has seen an unprecedented amount of attention directed at consent in the Australian curriculum, and how adequately it is covered, following a campaign led by student and activist Chanel Contos.

Since the movement, a clearer focus has been drawn towards the topic of consent, with the condom brand YeahNah Condoms being the first Australian brand to put consent warnings on their packaging. 

“When you buy cigarettes, there’s a warning; alcohol, there’s a warning- even fast-food organisations are required to put calories against each item to serve as, you guessed it: a warning! It seems only logical as an industry, there needs to be a standard, to put consent warnings on condoms,” YeahNah Co-founder Adam Levin said. 

With the surveys having finished, support resources for parents and carers will soon be developed and released by the Department of Education to assist parents in approaching the topic of consent.