Update from our Sexual Violence Prevention Worker

It is great to be back visiting some of Moray’s High Schools now that the new Academic Year has started and whilst the summer break gave me scope to continue my professional development, join webinars/seminars and bring my sexual violence prevention research together, nothing quite beats being back around the young people of Moray as the Sexual Violence Prevention Programme workshops resume.

Many S1 students are being introduced to the concepts of ‘Consent’ and ‘Power’ and our more senior year groups are developing understandings around ‘Sexual Violence’ and the role ‘Pornography’ and online content shapes our ideas about what we believe relationships should look like.

Here are a couple of sentences S5 students gave in response to being posed the following questions in a Consent Workshop:

What might make it difficult for someone to communicate what they feel on the inside?

They are not entirely sure how they feel themselves so the don’t know how to communicate that to others.

They may not have power in the situation and are nervous what will happen.

Group pressure – consenting so you don’t become ostracised.

How do you know if someone is NOT consenting through their body language?

Closed off, folded arms.

Trying to push you off.

Staying very still.

Lack of eye contact.

Inconsistent facial expression.

They freeze.

Shy and unsure.

The Sexual Violence Prevention Programme runs throughout the year during a High School’s PSE lessons. For more information about the programme, please visit our website.