It's Never too Early to Talk About Consent

Parents can find a wealth of information about caring for their young children. One area of information, however, is often overlooked: Sex education. Including consent. This absence may be because we as a society are not comfortable talking about sexuality and consent in general, let alone thinking about it as important for young children.

However, experts say that talking about sexuality and modelling consent early in a child's life can have a lifelong positive impact. Age-appropriate sexuality and consent education may help prevent sexual violence or help children and teens to talk about it. This awareness may increase the chances of older children and teens developing healthy relationships and recognizing harmful ones.

Fortunately, there is a growing library of guidance available for parents of young children. Here are some tips for starting the consent conversation with young children:

Start with these simple steps!

• Show toddlers and young children that they have control over their body: ·

Parents and caregivers can model consent by asking young children if it’s ok to give them a hug. · Adults can also ask young children how they would like to greet relatives, rather than forcing children to “give auntie a hug.” · Caregivers can talk with children about the importance of listening to their “tummy.”. Affirm children's feelings when they say something feels “icky.”

• Demonstrate that it is safe to talk about sexuality: ·

Parents and caregivers can begin teaching children at a very young age the correct terms for their body parts. · Adults can read age-appropriate stories or watch videos that include correct terms for body parts and model healthy friendships. Parents and caregivers can build these steps into daily life with their young children and, eventually, it will become part of the normal routine. As children grow older they will be able to build on these steps with greater understanding of their bodies and relationships.

Resources for age-appropriate consent:

Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Partners for Prevention project, blog posts, information and resources for talking about consent with all ages of children.

Amaze Junior: video clips starting for age 4, coloring books, and other resources.