Consent Counts
07.10.2025 - 07:17
Outlining the role and social value of specialist educators in Australia's high school Consent and Respectful Relationships (CRRE) curriculum.
Sexual violence is a major part of Australia’s national challenge with gender-based violence
Australia faces a major, systemic issue in the form of gender-based violence, with sexual violence being a significant component.
In 2023, there were over 36,000 reported victim-survivors of sexual assault, the highest rate recorded across 31 years of data. The majority, 84%, of these victim-survivors were female.
The impact of this violence has strong and long-lasting effects, causing great harm to families, communities, and society at large.
Australian high schools can benefit from specialist support to deliver highly effective CRRE
From 2023, consent education was made a mandatory element of school curriculums across Australia. This was a promising step towards ensuring universal access to consent education. However, work still needs to be done. The ability to deliver practical and effective consent education for adolescents can vary across schools, with teachers already dealing with large workloads and schools needing a flexible curriculum to cater to community needs.
Specialist educators like Consent Labs are complementary to school-based learning – helping schools to drive lasting, widespread behavioural change through evidence-based curriculum and engaging delivery.
Consent Labs’ approach to CRRE has lasting impacts on students, teachers and parents
Consent Labs’ educational program addresses topics that are particularly relevant for young people. A survey of students aged 12 and above who had participated in a Consent Labs program showed a 20 percentage-point uplift in knowledge and confidence about issues of consent after a workshop. Meanwhile, 76% of students reported learning something practical that they can incorporate into their day-to-day life.
Improvement was also evident among educators and parents. 91% of educators considered specialist providers like Consent Labs important.
Consent Labs delivered $5.7M in lifetime benefits in FY25, at a return on investment of 3.48:1
Consent Labs produces a broad range of social benefits through the delivery of its CRRE programs, with a social return on investment (SROI) of 3.48:1. This implies that every $1 invested in Consent Labs produces $3.48 in social benefits.
The primary benefit stems from lasting impacts on students and society, who benefit from improved relationships and reduced rates of sexual harassment and violence. Students and society receive 81% of total benefits ($2.83 per dollar invested). Ancillary benefits include reduced burdens on educators and schools ($0.38), skill development and improved relationships for program facilitators ($0.06), and reduced caregiving responsibilities for parents and carers ($0.21).
Read the full report here.
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