Consent is an important component in keeping individuals safe. Although there is a law on consent, it seems to still confuse some people when it shouldn’t.
Unfortunately, we still live in a society that believes that rape culture is acceptable. This acceptance is largely condoned by our justice system and how they treat perpetrators and survivors. Every time a perpetrator receives a reduced sentence or the validity of a survivor’s disclosure is questioned. It reinforces rape culture.
The important take away here is, that we continue to talk about the laws of consent to educate our youth. Starting with our young children. The discussion should not be just one, it should be several conversations with your children.
The Huffington Post wrote an article about teaching your child about consent. I paraphrased some key points below, but it is a recommended read.
- Teach your child to ask for permission
- Help create empathy
- Teach your child that “no” and “stop” are important words. Your child may say no and stop often, so it is important that you listen and stop.
- Teach your child about non-verbal cues ie. facial expressions
- Never force your child to kiss, hug, or touch another person
- Encourage your child to wash their own genitals
- Teach your child about their body and allow them to talk about it.
These are just a few important points but the article has so much more to offer in educating parents and children.
The video below was so brilliant that It had to be circulated regrading consent.
photo taken from cliparts.co