Talking about sexual safety can be sensitive, awkward and sometimes a little bit embarrassing – but these discussions are so important! Life Without Barriers has recently released a new tool which can help support these important conversations with young people. This week, we wanted to share a bit about the series and where you can find it.
Life Without Barriers has worked with the National Office for Child Safety, the Australian Centre for Child Protection and One Vision Productions to develop a new Sexual Safety Series for young people aged 12-17 years old. This evidence-based series aims to support safe and respectful relationships and prevent sexual abuse, assault and exploitation.
The series is made up of six videos covering topics such as respectful relationships, consent, and intimate images. The videos run for 3-6 minutes and have been reviewed by members of NAPCAN Youth Speak Out – they are engaging and age-appropriate.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse highlighted the need for organisations to understand the risk of child sexual abuse and take action to protect children and young people. The Royal Commission also found that when children and young people know the difference between appropriate and inappropriate sexual behaviour this is a key protective factor against sexual abuse.
It is important to talk directly with children and young people about sexual safety. We know that these talks can sometimes be hard to have, so this new resource is a great tool to support these conversations.
As the Guardian and Training Centre Visitor, Shona Reid has told us:
“Every child and young person has the right to be protected from child sexual abuse, assault and exploitation. The prevalence of child sexual abuse within our society, while uncomfortable, needs to be called out. It is simply unacceptable.
We all have a responsibility to work together in the prevention of sexual abuse, assault and exploitation; and to empower young people to assert their rights to sexual safety.
We must encourage children and young people to call out unacceptable behaviours. We must listen to their voices, we must believe them, and we must act.
It’s also so important that we can help them learn about what it means to keep other people safe, and how to be responsible about consent.
I thank Life Without Barriers, the National Office for Child Safety, the Australian Centre for Child Protection and One Vision Productions for working together to develop this important resource for young people.”
