Wellbeing News
Talking consent with your young people
Raising young people in the age of the internet and social media presents parents and guardians with challenges unknown to previous generations.
One area of particular challenge is education around issues of bodily autonomy and consent. If you would like to engage with your young person on this issue but are unsure where to start, SBS, in conjunction with the eSafety Commissioner and Body Safety Australia, has developed a range of resources. Although these resources have primarily been developed as teacher resources, they are also useful tools for parents.
There is a 3-part documentary that features Walkley award-winning journalist, Jess Hill, having an honest conversation about the urgency of changing consent culture. Interviewing a range of experts, survivors, and advocates, including educators, health specialists, law enforcement officers, and lawyers, Hill highlights the need for greater change around sex and consent. Episodes are rated M. https://www.sbs.com.au/whats-on/article/jess-hill-returns-with-landmark-documentary-series-asking-for-it/ohwsoqwu3
The teacher resources page also includes guiding questions that parents, as well as teachers, can use to explore issues of consent with their teens, such as:
- What does consent mean?
- When do we need to seek consent, and why is it essential?
- Who can we ask for help?
- How can I tell someone I don’t like what they are doing or saying?
- How can I develop help-seeking skills, and where can I go for support?
Please note that the content in this resource and documentary series relates to sex, consent, and sexual violence, which can be confronting. Parents, teachers, and students are encouraged to reach out for support if required at 1800 RESPECT or the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25). More contacts and reading materials are listed at the end of the resource.
Free Course for Parents and Guardians
– focus on school refusal.
Researchers from Monash University and Deakin University are offering parents a FREE parenting program as part of a research trial, available now to parents of secondary school students.
About the parenting program:
The program is designed to support parents of teenagers struggling with school attendance (often called ‘school refusal’) due to anxiety and/or depression. The program is self-guided and completed entirely online. The program is called Partners in Parenting – Education (‘PiP-Ed’). PiP-Ed is a new, updated version of the award-winning, evidence-based parenting program ‘Partners in Parenting.’ PiP-Ed provides parents with personalised and practical parenting strategies to respond to their teenager’s anxiety, depression, and school attendance difficulties, with the aim of improving their parenting confidence and supporting their teen’s mental health and education.
You can find out more information about the program on their https://partnersinparenting.com.au/
Who is the program for? The program is designed for parents/guardians of teenagers aged 12 to 18 who:
- Have difficulty attending school due to anxiety, depression, or emotional distress
- Live in Australia
- Are proficient in English
- Have regular internet access
This website has several useful resources for parents.