Seattle-area podcast explores how to talk to kids about consent

SEATTLE — All schools in Washington state are now required to teach sexual health education. A new podcast provides a window into those classroom conversations in the Seattle area.

Last month, the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center launched “The Link to Prevention,” a series centered on how the organization talks to middle schoolers about consent, healthy relationships and boundaries. It’s designed for parents who are wondering about what their kids are learning, and how to best continue those conversations outside of the classroom.

“We really wanted to get ahead of that fear about what’s being talked about,” said Chris Johnson, director of prevention and education services at KCSARC. “The info we’re delivering (in the classroom) is age appropriate and really fundamental to being good people.”

Sexual violence prevention is a major component of the state’s comprehensive sexual health education law, which took effect last school year. After its approval in the Legislature in 2020, opponents amassed enough signatures for a referendum to voters. It was approved with 57% of the vote. Under the law, school districts must adopt a curriculum that includes early conversations about healthy relationships.

Around 15 percent of high school seniors reported they felt controlled, threatened or unsafe around a dating partner, according to a 2021 survey of Washington state youth.

The podcast, available on Spotify or on the web at https://www.kcsarc.org/en/introducing-the-link-to-prevention-podcast/, is centered on discussions with preteens and teens in the Renton School District, where KCSARC deploys prevention specialists.

With younger kids, Johnson said, conversations about consent don’t need to be about sex. In the second episode of the podcast, the hosts explain that they introduce consent by listing examples of respectful permission-seeking that is a part of every day life — like knocking on doors, or asking to borrow a jacket.

The episodes will also tackle some of the more difficult questions that come up among kids, such as how to support a friend who confides in them.

The episodes are meant to be a gesture of partnership with parents, Johnson said. Kids are only at school, learning about these topics, for a brief period. Parents have the ability to propel those conversations forward.