Sexual Education at Australian Schools Essay Example

Is Australia doing enough to ensure that kids are getting the best education to sophisticate their learning of consent and sexual education? Australia must protect our juniors and teach them about consent, too many youths are clueless on the topic of consent as it is not being taught in schools. Most teens get their wisdom from social media. The consequences of not being taught about consent could be detrimental as they would face trauma and have health effects. Parents should not be taking responsibility for their kids not being taught about consent.   

Teens need to learn about consent and know why it is valuable. Far too many teens are oblivious to the idea of consent. Consent is a valuable lesson that must be taught in schools, consent teaches teens that they have the right to say no. Young people still need skills and information to navigate through changes that are experienced through all teens. Their brains still have not fully developed and this is the best moment to educate them about consent. Teens need to learn the different ways people will peer pressure them into doing things they don’t want to and how to manage these situations. Imagine if your kid was put in a corner and was forced to do something they did not want to so please lets protect all Australians youths from having to experience anything like that and add consent into the Australian curriculum. Higher power though have an issue with teachers stating that they do not feel comfortable teaching consent. To challenge this issue, the Australian government should invest money into teaching teachers how to educate teens about consent. Some people argue that parents should also be teaching their kids about consent. Why do parents send their kids to school for? The answer is for them to learn about the world around them. It is not the parent job to teach consent maybe have a little influence and teach them some tips and tricks, but teachers get paid for a reason, to educate youths about the world around them and have them ready to enter reality. Social media is another factor that must be taught at schools.

Most of teenagers get their knowledge from social media. We must protect what they see on social media and the misinformation online which changes their perspective on reality. Almost everything is free and accessible on social media. The Australian curriculum must teach teens how to manage their social media and how to know if something is false. Teens could get messages from strangers to meet up, or they could ask for inappropriate images. They need to learn how to adapt to these situations and how to mange them. Does Australia even care about our youth’s mental health?  Why are they not applying this in their studies? This is where the Australian government must implement a study of consent about social media as well. Teens spend most of their teenage years on social media, so it must be applied to the Australian curriculum and be taught throughout Australia. Parents also need to stay in touch with their kids about social media. What parents can do is have a connection with their teachers and see what their kids are being taught. To also seek professional assistance if required. 

Seeking professional assistance is very vital. If the Australian government does not want to protect our teens at least there is professional assistance for people who have experienced anything detrimental. The ramifications of sexual assault could be lifelong for victims. Through Australia’s inaction, we are putting people in harms way and stealing their future in the process. Any form  rape or peer pressure to do something sexual can be influential on future acts and can cause PTSD. Some teens even get pregnant at such a young age. Stephanie a young teen was pushed by her boyfriend to watch porn and preform increasingly demeaning sex acts. Do we need this in the world? When we can avoid this situation and help millions of teens in Australia, why is the government not acting upon this? We have teens that have stated that they don’t know how to say no. This must be taught; it is unbelievable that a country like Australia with its magnitude cannot supply schools with the right resources to teach our teens about consent to protect them. 

We must consider the actions that Australian government is taking to protect our youth. Ask yourself, are they doing enough? Consent is very valuable as it can affect youths’ health, and it can be lifelong damaging. Australia must change its school’s curriculum and be more advantageous for young Australians. If Australia does not add consent in the curriculum more teens will get raped, peer pressured to do things without agreeing to it. It will have a lifelong effect on teens health and can cause them disturbance. The government will also have to educate teens about how to use social media and how to avoid any unnecessary messages. If you or you know someone that needs help please call 1800 respect national helpline, sexual assault crisis line Victoria, safe steps crisis line and lifeline for any assistance.