The Albanese Labor Government is today launching a new campaign to help reduce the incidence of sexual violence in Australia by improving community understanding and attitudes on consent and respectful relationships.
The consent campaign helps adults be informed and understand consent so that they feel comfortable and confident having conversations with young people. “If we don’t know the answers, how will our kids,” the campaign asks.
Reducing sexual violence is a key priority under the National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032, with 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men in Australia reporting having experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
Australians know that sex without consent is wrong, however there can be high levels of confusion around the definition of consent, and who is accountable in non-consensual scenarios.
Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth highlighted that this campaign is a key part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ending gender-based violence in a generation.
“Learning about consent isn’t just about reducing harm, it is about providing the next generation with skills to have safe, healthy relationships for life,” Minister Rishworth said.
“Even though research shows that 86 per cent of Australians agree that adults need to talk to young people about consent, it’s something many of us aren’t talking about at all, because it might feel uncomfortable and awkward.
“This national campaign encourages people to learn more about consent, talk about it with other adults, and ultimately build a shared community understanding of the topic for the benefit of the next generation.”
The consent campaign will feature on television, online video, social media and cinema to encourage adults to check their understanding and have conversations with each other – and then with young people – about consent. It will run through to May 2025.
It will build on the work of the Stop it at the Start campaign to promote positive attitudes and behaviours on respectful relationships and gender equality among young people, by targeting their key adult influencers.
Evidence shows the importance of providing positive examples of consent to young people in an age-appropriate way during their early years and adolescence to help them gain the skills for respectful relationships and reduce harm.
While three in four Australians agree consent is a very important topic, one in two adults are conflicted in their understanding of consent.
Around 25 per cent of teenage boys in Australia look up to social media personalities who perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes and condone violence against women.
Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence Justine Elliot said getting clear messages through to young people was critical to achieving a cultural shift.
“There’s a lot of contradictory messages and myths around consent, so it’s vital that we provide clarity and consistency on the messaging,” Assistant Minister Elliot said.
“In fact, in Australia, one in five women and one in sixteen men has experienced sexual violence since the age of 15, with women most likely to experience this at the hands of an intimate partner.”
“This campaign will ensure everyone in the community has a better understanding around consent and help us to come together in preventing this violence.”
The Government has committed $40 million in funding for the national consent campaign.
The campaign has been informed by extensive developmental research with more than 2600 Australians, and alongside consultation with a panel of sexual violence and consent experts. This includes founder of Teach Us Consent Chanel Contos, National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence board member Kathryn Fordyce and Head of Engagement at No To Violence Lizette Twisleton.
Ms Twisleton said of the campaign: “Compared to every other consent campaign in history, this really nails it. It is invitational and appealing in a really great way. Fantastic job”.
Ms Contos, who is also a campaign ambassador, said: “It's really exciting this is going to be shown around Australia. I think the impact of normalising public conversations about consent will be a significant step”.
Daniel Principe, campaign ambassador, said: “We have such an opportunity before us to help young people form healthy relationships and understand what true intimacy looks like”.
A dedicated website consent.gov.au will be established to help broaden understanding of consent with an interactive ‘Check Your Understanding’ question generator and ‘Misconception Cards’ which will debunk common myths about consent.
The website will also feature conversation guides to assist adults to speak with other adults about consent and then speak with children and young people which include five key concepts about consent.
The campaign builds on the Albanese Labor Government’s $3.4 billion investment in women’s safety. To specifically address consent and respectful relationships, this includes:
- $6.5 million for a pilot of age assurance technology to protect children from harmful content, like pornography and other age-restricted online services.
- $3.5 million for Teach Us Consent to develop and distribute social media resources for young people aged 16 years and above about consent, sexual harm and healthy sexual relationships.
- $8.3 million to design, deliver and evaluate multiple small-scale trials to prevent sexual harm and violence.
- $3.5 million for a Healthy Masculinities Trial and Evaluation (Healthy MaTE) to help provide school-aged boys with greater understanding of ways to have healthy relationships with masculinity and to better equip this cohort to develop healthier and more satisfying relationships.
- $83.5 million for the Consent and Respectful Relationships Education measure which aims to ensure that students from Foundation to Year 10 receive age-appropriate education on positive, respectful relationships and consent.
- $100.4 million to Our Watch over 2022-2027 to continue its important work as the national leader in primary prevention. This includes funding for The Line - Our Watch’s primary prevention social marketing campaign.
If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, chat online via www.1800RESPECT.org.au, or text 0458 737 732.
If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit http://www.ntv.org.au.
Feeling worried or no good? No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn. Speak to a 13YARN Crisis Support Worker on 13 92 76. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more information about the consent campaign visit consent.gov.au.