Learning Session 5: Communication, consent and relationships

Introduction

Described image
Figure 5.1 Talking about relationships

Communication, consent and relationships are topics which governments, schools and other institutions are often happy to include in sexuality education. They may have concerns about bullying or abuse, and want young people to have the information and skills to report coercive relationships. This is good and important.

However, as you will now understand from previous learning sessions, discussing communication, consent and relationships also needs to include what makes them good and positive. Young people need to understand that relationships should be pleasurable, as well as to understand what constitutes abuse – in effect, communicating with young people using a sex-positive approach.

Like the other learning sessions in Part 2 of this resource, this learning session aims to offer you some ideas for activities to use within your existing CSE sessions. It contains a mixture of preparatory activities for you to do yourself before teaching, and activities to use within a CSE session. By the end of this session you should:

  • Have some new ideas about how to include pleasure within CSE sessions you are leading which focus on communication, consent and relationships.
  • Feel more confident about including pleasure within these sessions.

5.1 A good relationship