Press Release
Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center is the region's leading resource to prevent abuse, protect children and heal families. This Valentine's Day, Dee Norton encourages you to consider how you can begin, or continue, talking about consent with children and youth in your life. When children understand consent, they can be empowered in their choices and boundaries, which may lessen their risk of harm.
Consent is an ongoing mutual agreement between two people. While many understand consent as “no means no” or “yes means yes”—this type of rhetoric can put the responsibility on one person to resist or accept an activity. Instead of framing consent as a response to someone else's actions, think of consent as a mutual agreement between two people. Children who understand the importance of consent feel empowered to confidently make decisions about their bodies, are more likely to be comfortable talking to trusted adults about hard topics and know the importance of setting and respecting boundaries.
“We recommend that you begin having conversations with your children about consent at an early age and then continue to build on that foundation as your children develop,” says Beverly Hutchison, Executive Director for the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center. “This strong foundation empowers your children to make choices about their bodies and teaches them to respect others' boundaries.”
To support parents and caregivers, Dee Norton has compiled conversation starters and guidelines for conversations on consent with a child or youth in your life.
To find more resources about child abuse for parents, children and families, visit www.deenortoncenter.org.