Young people, ethical sex and violence prevention

Educating young people about sexual assault and other forms of intimate partner violence is a challenging area for school educators. This is despite the fact that young people self-report high levels of violence in early dating relationships. Historically this area has tended to be ignored in most personal development curricula and when it has been acknowledged, anti-violence workers from victim services have often been brought in to provide input. More recently in Australian and UK schools, additional curricula have been developed which attempt to educate young people about sexual consent and ‘healthy’ relationships. This chapter will explore these developments and argue that they often unwittingly foster a range of degendered discourses. This impacts on how sexuality, violence and intimacy are conceptualised. Unwittingly this can result in reinforcing traditional discourses of heteronormativity and excludes same-sex attracted young people. An alternative approach based on sexual ethics will be discussed based on empirical research with rural and city young women and men of diverse sexualities who have participated in the Sex & Ethics sexual assault prevention education programme developed by the author (Carmody, 2009b). This programme offers a framework for young people to explore knowledge and skills of ethical decision-making that balances both pleasure and danger in intimate relationships.