Call for young children to be taught about consent ‘as young as possible’

Experts say it’s important kids as young as three are taught about body parts, touching and respect.

Sexual consent education should start in early childhood, with kids as young as three learning about body parts, touching and respect, experts say.

Some even suggest babies can be reassured by safe and respectful nappy changing which lets them know what is happening to them.

Dr Allie Carter from New South Wales University said it was “important to teach young people, including little kids, about consent and their bodies as young as possible – long before it has anything to do with sex”.

“For example, early education can centre around learning the correct names for body parts, respecting a child’s choices about touch, teaching children to respect other people’s boundaries, asking for consent, and identifying and expressing feelings,” she said.

Her comments come as former Australian of the Year Grace Tame called this week for sexual assault prevention education to “stop these things before they even start”.

Dr Carter, a senior lecturer with the Kirby Institute, said education programs should continue through primary school in an age-appropriate way to ensure people understand body autonomy before they are sexually active.

A professor says sexual consent education should start in early childhood. Picture: iStock

She said this early approach can lay the foundation for open, frank, and informative discussions about sexual consent with teenagers, from helping them develop empathy for others to building positive relationship skills.

On average, Australians are sexually active by ages 16 -17.

Victoria’s sexual consent education runs from prep to year 12, and is a compulsory part of the curriculum. Parent consent is not required but parents can decide not to allow their children to take part.

Sexuality education in primary school teaches the names of the body parts and how they work, the importance of respect in relationships and how babies are conceived and born. It notes that children from the ages of six are likely to hear stories about sex in the playground, know about masturbation and know that some body parts are private.

The Respectful Relationships curriculum also teaches children from prep about what to do if someone is touching their private parts, how to say no and who to tell.

Material on the Early Childhood Australia website suggests educators of babies should “support knowledge about consent and body safety”.

“Let the child know what you are doing and why you’re doing it before picking them up and moving them. Use language such as: ‘I am going to pick your body up off the ground to change your nappy. I am changing it to keep your body healthy’”.

Education Minister James Merlino said teaching positive, inclusive consent education delivers better outcomes to young people. “That’s why age-appropriate consent education is mandatory in all Victorian government schools from Prep to Year 12,” he said.