THE Swan Hill office of Youth Affairs Council Victoria’s YacVic Rural is aiming to educate young people about changes to legislation covering sexual consent.
YacVic affirmative consent project officer Laura Crozier said the changes would come into place across Victoria in July.
The changes aim to shift responsibility for sexual assault from victim-survivors to perpetrators by ensuring a clear “yes” is agreed on.
This will eliminate the defence of “they didn’t say no” by ensuring boundaries are clearly outlined before sex.
“Affirmative consent laws are really shifting the responsibility from victims having to prove a non-consensual act occurred and places it on the perpetrator to prove they sought consent,” Ms Crozier said.
“My role is to ensure young people, and those who work with young people, are aware of the changes and to provide education around what that means in practice in real-world settings.”
The Labor government invested $3.5 million to provide consent education across the state through 12 organisations, including YacVic.
The initiative forms part of the government’s agenda to end all forms of violence against women, including sexual and family violence.
Ms Crozier said legislation amendment was a positive step but changes to cultural views in society were also important.
“Providing education helps young people to understand what is OK and what is not OK when it comes to sexual activity,” she said.
“There is not always a clear line for young people navigating sexual relationships and education about what is appropriate can come from ill-informed sources such as friends or abusive partners.
“Taking legal action has been a compounding trauma for victims in the past and this change is designed to make victims feel heard and safer when reporting sexual assault.”
The program has employed six peer educators across the Mallee region to deliver out-of-school education programs.
This tailored approach will help young people aged 12-25 develop an early understanding of affirmative consent and how they must seek it as they become sexually active.
The reforms make it clear that everyone has a responsibility to get consent before and while engaging in sexual activity.
“It really comes down to teaching young people about respect and boundaries in regard to sexual activity,” Ms Crozier said.
For more information or to schedule a free information session for community groups, contact Ms Crozier on 0428 456 931 or lcrozier@yacvic.org.au.
