Consent & Boundaries
People of any age may at times feel pressured to engage in sexual activities, even when they really don’t want to. Each of us has the right to be treated with safety and respect and the responsibility to act safely and respectfully towards ourselves and others.
Positive Consent means that each person:
- gets to choose to participate – or not;
- can change their mind at any time;
- will have their choice to stop be respected, right away – no matter what.
Adults and children can start to learn our Kidpower and Fullpower Consent Boundaries and Safety Rules to ensure positive consent for touch, games, and affection, and these rules stay relevant throughout their lives.
Touch or games for play, teasing, and affection should be:
- Safe so that no one gets hurt
- OK with Each Person so that each person says “yes” (people who are scared, sick, drunk, or otherwise impaired cannot say yes; people who say yes without enthusiasm, or while turning away are not saying yes…)
- Allowed by the adults in charge
- Not a secret so Others Can Know, because abusive behavior thrives in secrecy
Having skills for protecting and respecting healthy boundaries in daily activities is essential to preventing sexual abuse and assault, and ensuring consent in sexual activities as adults. At Empowerment Trust, we recognise:
- When kids can speak up about what kind of play and affection is and is not okay with them, even under emotional pressure to please someone, they are far better prepared to handle sexual pressure or coercion as they get older.
- When kids learn to manage their emotional triggers and stay in charge of what they say and do no matter how they feel inside, they become far less likely to cross the emotional, physical, and sexual boundaries of others.
Our primary prevention programmes support communities to build consent and boundary skills including for Young Children, Children, Youth, Adults, and people with different abilities.
If you are concerned about behaviour(s) you or someone you know has experienced or are experiencing, we encourage you to speak to someone you trust. There are some awesome support services for guidance including: