Before you get started

• It is beneficial to complete to following lessons prior to this lesson, or ensure students have the appropriate knowledge:

  • Sexual consent and the law

  • Safer sex - condoms

  • Sexting: To send or not to send

• Protective interrupting - Teachers need to know and understand how to use this technique to prevent students form potentially disclosing sensitive information or abuse in front of other students.

• Dealing with disclosures - Teachers must be aware of the school and legal procedures if a student discloses personal issues, particularly disclosures of sexual abuse.

• Exploring my own values - Consider your own thoughts, feelings, attitudes and values on this topic and be aware of how they may influence the way you present this activity. Be aware of your own self-care and support networks

• Question box - Have a question box available in every lesson to allow students the opportunity to ask questions that may be too embarrassing or unsafe for them to ask openly in class. See Setting up the question box and Types of questions for further information. For ways to answer some of the curly questions, see Student FAQs.

• Preview Laugh and learn - keeping safe (2min 8sec)

• Background teacher notes/guides provide content knowledge for teachers prior to lesson delivery: Respectful relationships; Safer sex and contraception; Sex and alcohol and other drugs; Sex and the law; Discrimination

• Visit these external sites for further essential information on consent, safer sex and taking selfies:

  • Sex and the Law | Get the Facts (external link)

  • Sex & Dating | Legal Support in Western Australia | Youth Law Australia (external link)

  • King Edward Memorial Hospital - Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) (external link)

 

Group agreement

Teaching tip: A group agreement must be established before any Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) program begins to ensure a safe learning environment. Read: Essential information: Establishing a group agreement for tips on how to create one and what to include.

1. Revise the class group agreement. 

2. Remind students that throughout the lesson they can write any questions down and add them to the question box at the end of the lesson (if they do not wish to ask them during the lesson). See Essential information - Setting up a question box.

   ⚠️Trigger warning 

   3.  Say:

      "This lesson covers topics that can sometimes be difficult for people. If you feel uncomfortable, you may like to take a break from the room.

      Before we start, let's check that everyone knows where to go for help if you want to check anything that this lesson raises for you."

       Teaching Tip: You may wish to offer students the option of asking to use the toilet or have a non-verbal signal that students can use so that they can take a break without having to identify themselves to the class.

      4.  Ask students:

      ❓ Who are some trusted adults you can talk to?

      (Possible answers: parents, grandparents, teacher, older siblings, doctor, other family members, etc)

      Teaching tip: It is important not to tell students who their trusted adults are or should be. You can offer a list of suggestions of who they might be. For some students, some of the people you suggest, may not be people that are safe for them to talk to. Students should not be made to share their list of trusted adults publicly unless they wish to do so.

      ❓ Who are some people at this school that you can talk to?

      (Possible answers: class teacher, other teachers, school psychologist, community health nurse, youth workers, etc )

      ❓ What services and online support is available?

      (Possible answers: Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC), Kidshelpline, Headspace, GPs, Sexual Health Quarters, Beyond Blue, Lifeline, 1800 Respect)

       

Laugh and learn video - safer sex

5.  Say:

"In this video there are some words and phrases that need some thinking about and discussing before we get to see the video."

6.  Divide the class into groups to discuss the following questions. Ask for responses from each group.

❓ What do you think 'ramification' means? Use a dictionary if you don't know. 

(Consequence, result, aftermath, outcome, effect.)

❓ Thinking about the topic of 'staying safe in a sexual situation' - what do you think would be covered in a 'proper talk'?

(e.g., Communicating about individual wants; consent; STI and pregnancy prevention.)

❓ What do you understand 'safe sex' measures to be? 

(Using a condom to prevent STIs and/or pregnancy and using a contraceptive method to prevent pregnancy.)

7.  Explain:

"The term 'safe sex' and 'safer sex' are often used interchangeably. In this video the term 'safe sex' is used, however, the more accurate term is 'safer sex' as no sexual activity is 100% safe."

For a more detailed explanation see Safer sex (external link) and What is safer sex? (external link). 

9. Watch Laugh and learn - keeping safe (2min 8sec)

10.  Ask:

❓ What do you think of the use of humour in this video?

❓ Does it help get information across? How?

❓ What is the message/information you got from this video?

(e.g. it is important to talk about safer sex beforehand; both partners need to be ready; the age of consent in WA is 16; partners should be aware of what each other want; consent is vital)

11. Say:

"While humour is useful and we can laugh at some aspects, there is a serious side to keeping safe that we need to look at. We're going to look at some of the important considerations around, and possible 'ramifications' (consequences) of, sexual activity."

 Ask:

❓ There were a number of positive key words you may have seen or heard in the video. What were they? (Give clues by writing these words with some letters missing.)

• communicate/communication/talk

• consent 

• comfort/comfortable

• conversation

• wants/expectations

❓ So why is it important to talk about safe sex beforehand?

(e.g., ready; comfortable; can be difficult because it is out of comfort zone; both need to be aware of each others expectations.)

 

Placemat: Keeping safe with sexual activity

12. Say:

"There are several aspects to keeping safe in sexual situations that need to be considered.

There are different areas that need to be considered when people are thinking about keeping themselves and their partners safe in sexual situations. As we have discussed, safety and wellbeing related to sexual activity is about more than just STI and pregnancy prevention. It is important to think about the issues and and impacts related to all areas: 

• physical (including sexual health)

• emotional

• social 

• respectful relationship with partner

• the law

Many of the issues and consequences considered in each area overlap and link with other areas. 

13. As a whole group, revise the legal aspects of consent in WA (legal age of consent in WA is 16; consent must be mutual, freely given, informed, certain, coherent, clear and ongoing; consent can be withdrawn at any time).

  Teaching tip:  For essential information about consent, safer sex and taking selfies go to the Youth Law Australia website (external site) and Get the Facts - Sex and the law (external site). 

14. Teaching strategy: Placemat activity

In groups of 4 students complete Student activity sheet: Keeping safe with sexual activity. Have each group discuss and record possible issues and ramifications associated with different aspects of keeping safe in sexual situations:

• physical (including sexual health)

• emotional

• social

• respectful relationship with partner

• the law

 

15. Have groups share ideas with the whole class. See Teacher resource: Placemat activity_answer sheet for possible answers.

16. Remind students that the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) is a free service available for people who have experienced sexual assault. Display the SARC website and crisis line phone numbers (08) 6458 1828 or free call 1800 199 888. Posters can be put up in class and other places around the school. 

 

Reflection

17. Ask students to write one new thing they have learnt from this lesson.

18. Ask for volunteers to share what they wrote.

19. Remind students that Get the Facts has a completely confidential 'ask a question' service that they may wish to use. All questions are answered by a qualified health professional with a week. 

 

Take home message

20. Remind students of the take home messages:

Communicating with your partner about readiness for sex, consent, STI prevention and contraception before sexual activity is essential.

 Keeping yourself and your partner safe in sexual situations means thinking about all aspects of safety and wellbeing including physical, emotional, social and legal. 

 It is important for partners to communicate about their expectations before sexual activity. 

 

Optional: Take home activity

21. Provide students with the Take home activity: Reliable RSE websites (electronic copy if possible). Remind them that it is best to use credible Western Australian and Australian websites to answer health questions rather than doing an internet search. 

 

Health promoting schools strategies

Background teacher note: Health promoting schools framework

Partnership with parents

• Share the  links with parents and students via your newsletters, social media and websites, for example:

  • Relationships | Get the Facts (health.wa.gov.au)

  • Keeping Safe | Get the Facts (health.wa.gov.au)

  • Building respectful relationships | Kids Helpline

  • Sex, Dating and Relationships? | The Line | The Line

  • King Edward Memorial Hospital - Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) (health.wa.gov.au)

  • Understanding sex and sexual health | headspace

Partnerships with staff

• Encourage all staff members to complete the SARC Sexual trauma and responding to disclosures of sexual assault free e-learning.