Consent/Sexual Assault Theme 6
We build off the prior lesson to address consent and sexual assault. Students are empowered to recognize, analyze, and deal with risky situations, negotiating consent, unwanted sexual behaviors and how to respect and protect others’ rights.
The #MeToo movement, which was started in 2006 by a sexual harassment survivor, has grown dramatically in the United States and has forced some of our most powerful figures to be held accountable for sexual assault and harassment, in a way that was seldom true in previous generations. Consent is something that we must learn to exercise at a very young age. It is a basic life skill, useful throughout all aspects of life. For too long we have normalized and accepted rape culture and the abuse of power that comes with it. It’s not enough to teach students to avoid sexual assault. We also need to make sure we teach them how to intervene in situations where consent is not freely given, as well as how to actively ask for consent and respect others’ rights.
Pre-Video Activities Prepare
Get ready to teach using tools provided in this section.
Consent? Partial Class
At the sight of her friend being taken advantage of at a party, Claudia struggles to find a way to confront the situation as a bystander.
Tackling Rape Culture Full Class
In this video, the Sex Squad challenges the idea that sexual assault survivors were “asking for it.”
A Sexy Recipe for Consent Multi-Class
The host and guest of a cooking show talk about the ingredients needed to ensure that both intimate partners can consent to sex.
Statistics Resources
Reference these key facts as needed to support discussions throughout this lesson.