Consent and becoming an active bystander
At Reading, we are committed to creating a safe, fun and respectful environment for all where we can all thrive and a community where we all look out for one another. Talking about sex and consent can be difficult, but it is so important that we all build a shared understanding of what consent is, how to respect boundaries and how to positively intervene in a situation as an active bystander.
All students are expected to complete the Consent Matters programme consisting of three short modules. The course is all online, so you can work through the material privately and at your own pace.
The three modules cover:
- Module 1: Thinking about consent (20mins). This module looks at what consent means in normal, everyday situations before exploring why it is important to have sexual consent. It also empowers students to apply the principle of affirmative consent to both 'real-life' and online situations.
- Module 2: Communication skills and relationships (20mins). This module asks you to consider what you value in your relationships, prompts you to reflect on your personal boundaries, and suggests approaches for communicating effectively with partners. It also looks at both communicating sexual boundaries and more general relationship boundaries.
- Module 3: Looking out for others (20mins). This module informs you all about being an active bystander, helping you to look out for others and intervene when you see behaviour that makes you uncomfortable, such as verbal, physical or sexual harassment.