The Federal Government has launched a new consent campaign, aimed at curbing sexual violence in Australia.
It comes after new government research found nearly half of Australian adults didn’t clearly understand consent.
Over the next 12 months, TV and social media ads will be targeted at educating adults about consent, so that they can better help their children understand the issue.
An interactive question generator will also be rolled out online to debunk misconceptions about consent.
Sexual violence in Australia
The goal of the consent campaign is to reduce sexual violence rates.
About one-fifth of Australian women are estimated to have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15.
A 10-year national plan to end violence against women was launched in 2022, after the first 10-year plan (launched in 2010) failed.
The plan sets out an objective for a 25% annual reduction in female victims of intimate partner homicide.
Consent framework
Consent education was made mandatory in all Australian schools last year.
The campaign follows a framework released by the Government in January that defines consent as: “A free, voluntary and informed agreement between people to participate in a sexual act. This agreement is only present when these people mutually and genuinely want to engage in that sexual act, and actively ensure their partner does too.“
Consent guide
Guides to help adults have conversations with children about consent will also be rolled out.
This will include examples of how consent can be asked for in an informal or casual manner, and ways to withdraw consent.
Parents will also have access to advice on the best ways to discuss consent with children of different ages.
