The Center at 909
  • Home
  • Messages for Survivors
  • About
    • SART Protocol
    • Patient 909
    • Sexual Assault Statistics >
      • Children & Teens
      • Disability Communities
      • LGBTQIA
      • Men
      • Military
      • People of Color >
        • African Americans
        • Asian & Pacific Islander
        • Hispanic/Latinx
        • Native Americans
      • PREA
    • Sexual Assault >
      • If A Loved One Was Assaulted
      • Alcohol, Drugs, and Sexual Assault >
        • Alcohol Safety
      • What is Consent?
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Stalking
    • Human Trafficking
    • Domestic Violence
    • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
    • Services Provided
    • Georgia Laws
  • Get Help
    • Help for Victims >
      • Medical Information >
        • Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault
      • Law Enforcement Process
      • Safety Planning
      • Counseling
      • Group Counseling
      • Georgia Victim's Compensation
    • Help for Loved Ones of Survivors
    • How Can I Help a Survivor?
    • Help for Military Survivors
    • Help for College Students
    • Help for LGBTQIA Survivors
    • Community Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Work for SASC
    • Become an Advocate
    • Invite Us to Speak
    • Community Events
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Chat now
    • Share Your Story
  • Escape Site
Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent & Respect:
Teaching young children about body boundaries, both theirs and others, is crucial to a child’s growing sense of self, their confidence and how they should expect to be treated by others. A child growing up knowing they have a right to their own personal space, gives that child ownership and choices as to what happens to them and to their body. It is equally important a child understands, from a very young age, they need to respect another person’s body boundary and ask for their consent when entering their personal space. This book explores these concepts with children in a child-friendly and easily-understood manner, providing familiar scenarios for children to engage with and discuss. It is important that the reader and the child take the time required to unpack each scenario and explore what they mean both to the character in the book, who may not be respecting someone’s body boundary, and to the character who is being disrespected. It is through these vital discussions that children will learn the meaning of body boundaries, consent and respect. Learning these key social skills through such stories as 'Let’s Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent and Respect' and role-modelling by significant adults can, importantly, carry forward into a child’s teenage years and adult life.
Picture
"As important as consent is, we don’t talk about it enough. So it’s understandable if you’re a little unsure about what it is – and what it isn’t. You may have heard the idea that “no means no,” but this doesn’t really provide a complete picture of consent because it puts the responsibility on one person to resist or accept. It also makes consent about what a partner doesn’t want, instead of being able to openly express what they do want.

Well, how does it work? Some people are worried that talking about consent will be awkward or that it will ruin the mood, which is far from true. If anything, the mood is much more positive when both partners are happy and can freely communicate what they want. First off, talk about what terms like “hooking up” or “going all the way” mean to each partner. Consider having these conversations during a time when you’re not being physically intimate.

If you are in the heat if the moment, here are some suggestions of things to say:
  • Are you comfortable?
  • Is this okay?
  • Do you want to slow down?
  • Do you want to go any further?

What consent looks like:
  • Communicating every step of the way. For example, during a hookup, ask if it’s okay to take your partner’s shirt off and don’t just assume that they are comfortable with it.
  • Respecting that when they don’t say “no,” it doesn’t mean “yes.”
  • Breaking away from gender “rules.” Girls are not the only ones who might want to take it slow. Also, it’s not a guy’s job to initiate the action (or anything else, really).

What consent does NOT look like:
  • Assuming that dressing sexy, flirting, accepting a ride, accepting a drink etc. is in any way consenting to anything more.
  • Saying yes (or saying nothing) while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • Saying yes or giving into something because you feel too pressured or too afraid to say no.

Here are some red flags that indicate your partner doesn’t respect consent:
  • They pressure or guilt you into doing things you may not want to do.
  • They make you feel like you “owe” them — because you’re dating, or they gave you a gift, etc.
  • They react negatively (with sadness, anger or resentment) if you say “no” to something, or don’t immediately consent.
  • They ignore your wishes, and don’t pay attention to nonverbal cues that could show you’re not consenting (ex: pulling/pushing away).

Get Consent Every Time
In a healthy relationship, it’s important to discuss and respect each other’s boundaries consistently. It’s not ok to assume that once someone consents to an activity, it means they are consenting to it anytime in the future as well. Whether it’s the first time or the hundredth time, a hookup, a committed relationship or even marriage, nobody is ever obligated to give consent just because they have done so in the past. A person can decide to stop an activity at any time, even if they agreed to it earlier. Above all, everyone has a right to their own body and to feel comfortable with how they use it — no matter what has happened in the past."

This excellent information on consent used from www.loveisrespect.org.


The following wonderful video about consent is from the YouTube user, Blue Seat Studios.

Home

About

Donate

Contact

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
24/7 Hotline: 706.571.6010

Picture
This website is supported by sub-grant #C16-8-083 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women and administered by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.  The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice.  Office on Violence Against Women or the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.

  • Home
  • Messages for Survivors
  • About
    • SART Protocol
    • Patient 909
    • Sexual Assault Statistics >
      • Children & Teens
      • Disability Communities
      • LGBTQIA
      • Men
      • Military
      • People of Color >
        • African Americans
        • Asian & Pacific Islander
        • Hispanic/Latinx
        • Native Americans
      • PREA
    • Sexual Assault >
      • If A Loved One Was Assaulted
      • Alcohol, Drugs, and Sexual Assault >
        • Alcohol Safety
      • What is Consent?
    • Sexual Harassment
    • Stalking
    • Human Trafficking
    • Domestic Violence
    • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
    • Services Provided
    • Georgia Laws
  • Get Help
    • Help for Victims >
      • Medical Information >
        • Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault
      • Law Enforcement Process
      • Safety Planning
      • Counseling
      • Group Counseling
      • Georgia Victim's Compensation
    • Help for Loved Ones of Survivors
    • How Can I Help a Survivor?
    • Help for Military Survivors
    • Help for College Students
    • Help for LGBTQIA Survivors
    • Community Resources
  • Get Involved
    • Work for SASC
    • Become an Advocate
    • Invite Us to Speak
    • Community Events
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Chat now
    • Share Your Story
  • Escape Site