Youth Voices Participating in the Improvement of Sexual Consent Awareness Campaigns

Abstract

Communication concerning sexual consent among young people is a significant concern for prevention in our society today. While sexual consent awareness campaigns (SCACs) hold importance in various communication modes, they predominantly rely on speech acts despite scientific literature providing other elements beyond these. This research aims to fill this gap through dialogues between young people and the scientific literature. A content analysis of 23 international and national campaigns was conducted alongside fieldwork in Spain with 77 young participants (18–25 years old) and 24 professionals from the field of education and society engaging in dialogue with scientific evidence on sexual consent. The results provide three aspects for future campaigns: (a) to be based on scientific evidence, (b) to introduce clear examples of coercive discourse and interactive power, and (c) to aim at new alternative masculinities rather than targeting potential victims.