Talking to children and young people about consent

In our recent episode on the Australian Child Maltreatment study, Professor Daryl Higgins shared some of the latest findings around child abuse in Australia. Daryl and his team found that while rates of familial child sexual abuse have decreased, children and young people are at increased risk of being abused by their peers. He emphasised the need for a prevention and early intervention response that builds children’s knowledge about consent and promotes help-seeking behaviour.  

For a lot of adults, talking with children and young people about consent – and sexual consent in particular – can feel daunting and uncomfortable. How should parents and trusted adults go about having these conversations? When should they begin talking to children about their bodies and relationships, and what should they even say? 

In this episode from our Emerging Minds Families podcast, Kirsty (Schools Coordinator, SHINE SA) discusses ways to equip children with the knowledge and skills to make informed and empowered decisions about their bodies and relationships. Kirsty shares how parents can start these conversations with their children, how adults can effectively model consent, and how these conversations support children’s wellbeing.  

In this episode, you will learn: 

• the difference between consent and sexual consent and why it is important to talk to children about both [02:13] 

• when parents should start talking to children about consent and how to start the conversation in age-appropriate ways [06:22] 

• how adults can model consent to children [18:51] 

• how using young people’s own language is key in conversations about sexual consent [29:37].

Further information and resources:

SHINE SA: Sexual health information networking and education  

Family Planning Alliance Australia  

The Commonwealth Consent Policy Framework  

Consent.gov.au