READ / WATCH / DO
Talks, workshops, at-home activism and campaign contributions: the latest sex & relationships things on the Outspoken radar that you can look into and do right now
DO YOU DARE… We think the excellent new comic by Toby Morris The Side Eye: Porn sex and real sex (The Spinoff, 8/11/22) is useful for both parents to read (think of it as an informative visual primer – it covers aspects of porn that might not occur to you, maybe breaking the ice for you to take the plunge to talk openly) and of course the target audience, teens. With funny, relatable and sometimes explicit images, this thoughtfully done cartoon makes great points about porn that we can bring up with our kids, such as“film trickery”, violence, anxiety about real-life sex, the male gaze, unrealistic bodies and – this is vital – what’s missing (intimacy and safe sex)…
EXTRA CREDIT! In The Know – “info, help and tips on porn & online sexual stuff” for ages 13+. Could you also dare send it to your teen?
READ Relationships and Sex Education: The Evidence (Sex Education Forum, 2/11/22), which confirms the benefits of parental engagement in sex ed (including the importance of dads talking) and tells us that kids want to learn sooner about healthy relationships, abuse (online too) and consent. Meanwhile to learn about RSE turn to The Parents’ Guide to Relationships and Sex Education – what does this mean for my teen and how can I help as a parent (8/11/22)
DO USE as ways in… the Bold Voices toolkit How To Talk To Young People About Andrew Tate; the 2-minute Mayor of London video at Have A Word With Yourself, Then With Your Mates; the White Ribbon promise; the Draw the Line app. It all ties in with the NEU toolkit It’s Not OK: Preventing Sexism And Sexual Harassment In Schools; Tender’s Ending Gender-based Violence and Abuse in Young People’s Relationships and the Enough Home Office campaign – all cited in our recent blog post
WATCH then show your teen or preteen the 2.5-minute video The Basics of Sexual Consent in which 3 young people aged 16 & 17 compare asking for consent with asking to borrow a phone (which makes a change from the Tea Consent classic). We were reminded of this old but still valid video in reading the quite enlightening My son was 5 years old when I overheard him mimicking the sound of a female orgasm (Mamamia, 29/10/22) about talking openly…