Beyond "The Talk" - Supporting parents and carers to speak with children about sex, relationships and consent

<p dir="ltr">This report presents findings from a study which aimed to identify what supports parents and carers (henceforth referred to as parents) to engage in conversations with their school-aged children (5–18 years) about sex, relationships, and consent. We examined the challenges and barriers parents face in initiating and sustaining meaningful conversations with their children on these topics, as well as the strategies they employ to encourage such discussions.</p><p dir="ltr">Along with this, we looked at whether enhancing parental sexual literacy could help them feel more confident and comfortable discussing sex and relationships with their children. We adopted a holistic definition of sexual literacy, which includes:</p><p dir="ltr">• Confidence and capacity to communicate about sex and relationships</p><p dir="ltr">• The ability to access, understand, and engage with resources, support, and clinical services related to sex and relationships.</p><p dir="ltr">For brevity, we refer to conversations about sex and relationships. However, we adopt a comprehensive definition of this that incorporates sexual practices, sexual health, sexual relationships and consent.</p>