May 5th 2024.
As the crisis of domestic violence continues to plague our country, there is a growing call for consent education to become a normalized topic among young people. Many believe that addressing this issue in schools could potentially prevent men's violence towards women. However, while consent education is an important piece of the puzzle, leaders stress that more needs to be done overall.
Shureeka Alves, the manager of therapeutic services at Kids First Australia, is a strong advocate for consent education. Having worked with young perpetrators, she has seen firsthand the positive impact that education can have on their beliefs. Alves leads a consent education course that tackles harmful stereotypes through evidence-based and age-appropriate information.
According to Alves, teaching young people about consent, equality, and respect is crucial in preventing gender-based violence. She believes that this education should start from a very young age, even when it comes to something as simple as understanding hugs and asking for permission. However, consent education can be a challenging topic to teach, especially with outside influences such as misogynistic influencers and violent pornography.
Despite these challenges, consent education became mandatory in Australia last year, with each state and territory responsible for implementing it in their schools. The federal government also released guidelines on how to approach consent education, emphasizing the importance of providing a clear definition and practical advice on healthy sexual relationships.
Alves leads the To Future Me online program, which has had a successful pilot run in schools across the state. She hopes that this program will help reduce gender-based violence by reaching all students, not just those who are receptive to the message.
Unfortunately, despite efforts to educate young people about consent, the rates of gender-based violence in Australia have not decreased. Kathleen Maltzahn, the chief executive at Sexual Assault Services, believes that there needs to be more than just consent education in schools to bring about change. She stresses the importance of addressing the issue outside of the classroom and showing children that what they are learning applies in the broader society.
Maltzahn also highlights the need for improvements in the criminal justice system and addressing the influence of pornography, which often perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes and non-consensual behavior. She believes that we should also be funding sexual violence services and taking action to ensure that victims receive the support and justice they deserve.
In the end, it's not fair to place the burden of changing society's attitudes towards consent solely on young people. As Maltzahn puts it, “It's unfair to take the people with the least power in the community, such as children and young people, and expect them to change." In order to truly combat the crisis of domestic violence, it will take a collective effort and a multifaceted approach. But with initiatives like consent education and a continued push for change, we can move towards a future where gender-based violence is no longer a widespread issue. Remember, if you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call triple zero or reach out to the National Domestic Violence Service at 1800 RESPECT.
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