SBS Australia's Asking for it brings consent education into the spotlight.

The second episode of SBS’s Asking for It continues to bring attention to the interplay of sexual assault and consent education (or lack thereof) in Australia, delving deeper into the murky world of sexual violence; notably the ways in which the Australian justice system works – and doesn't work – to bring justice to victims of sexual assault.

One of the main themes explored in the episode is the issue of consent and how it is often ignored or misunderstood. The show highlights the confusing nature of consent, and how it is rarely portrayed accurately on screen and in popular culture.

Culture often masks sexual assault as passion and romance, perpetuating harmful myths and misconceptions around consent.

The episode goes on to explore the disturbing world of pornography. The prevalence of misleading stereotypes in easily accessible pornographic material is contributing to harmful attitudes towards sex and consent, presenter Jess Hill contends. The episode goes on to reveal that in Australia, on average young people are just shy of 14 years old when they first see pornography, highlighting the fact that mainstream porn often depicts women wanting physical aggression, which can have a damaging impact on viewers and reinforce harmful attitudes towards consent.

Age-appropriate sex education can go some way to combating these harmful depictions and stereotypes. We can’t shield our children from ever seeing pornography. Asking For It shows us that this is 100% impossible. What we can do is teach our young people about sex and consent; that respect, communication, curiosity and clear boundaries make for meaningful, safe connections, which will enrich their lives.

?The episode also features convicted rapists speaking from jail, giving a chilling insight into the addictive feeling of power that is often sought by perpetrators of sexual assault. If these individuals had received sex and consent education as young people, would they still have behaved the same way?

The fact that people who rape rarely face justice – less than 1% of accused rapists are ever convicted in Australia – is a stark reminder of how much more work needs to be done to change attitudes towards consent and sexual violence in our society.

One of the most powerful segments of the episode follows a victim as she navigates the process of reporting her sexual assault. The traumatic nature of the process of reporting is something commonly noted by victims of sexual assault. More needs to be done to ensure this process reduces the chance of further trauma for victims; the process need to become more compassionate, and trauma-informed.

The episode ends on a hopeful note, highlighting the positive changes made in South Africa around sexual assault. These changes include the creation of specialist sexual violence support hubs that guide victims through the process of reporting and receiving treatment after an assault. The episode also explores New Zealand's restorative justice process for victims, which emphasises and explores compassion and healing as ways of addressing the trauma afflicted after a sexual assault.

Given both of these countries also inherited England’s common law justice system, it stands to reason that Australia could, and arguably should, adopt these strategies to further support victims in their quest for justice, and as one victim put it, “a sense of peace.”

One cannot come away from watching the second episode of Asking For It without the belief that age-appropriate sex and consent education is key to not only empowering, but also protecting the next generation of adults.

The urgent need for targeted education and support for young people, as well as the need for reform within our justice system to better support and protect survivors of sexual assault, should not be ignored.

Watch SBS Australia's Asking For It here.

Learn about To Future Me, consent education for the next generation.

Author: April Chaplin, Communications Lead at Kids First Australia.