As the date nears for compulsory Relationship and Sex Education (RSE), the Department for Education's guidance on sexual consent education remains vague.
While many secondary schools in the UK teach about consent, it is often not until year 9. These lessons regularly focus on consent as it pertains to sexual intercourse. However, sexual consent education should start earlier and include other sexual activities.
Data collected by sexual health researchers at Teesside University suggests consent education is needed as early as year 7.
The key is to discuss consent in developmentally-appropriate ways, such as talking about sexual consent as it relates to kissing and touching - behaviours common among pupils in years 7 and 8.
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