What’s Consent Got to Do with It?

Consent-Based Strategies for Preventing Sexual Violence With Adolescents

According to the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 11% of high school students were forced into sexual activity (including kissing, touching, or being physically forced to have sexual intercourse) when they did not want to and 8% of high school students have been physically forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to. LGBTQ+ high school students were impacted at even higher rates. One important way to combat this pervasive issue is to equip young people with the information and skills they need to give and get consent when they engage in sexual activity. This workshop will provide participants with the background information, framework, concrete activities, and conversation starters to use with adolescents to teach them the importance of consent.

Learning Objectives

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Understand relevant research around rates of sexual assault amongst adolescent

• Describe why talking about consent with adolescents is important for preventing sexual violence and promoting healthy sexual development

• Practice a strengths-based approach to adolescent sexual health

• Apply conversation starters and activities for teaching consent to adolescents