Consent, Pressure & Staying Safe Online
“Consent is not the absence of a no. It is the presence of a yes.”
This episode is for young people aged 13 and over. It talks honestly and directly about consent, relationships, pressure, online safety, intimate image sharing and sextortion. It is designed to help young people recognise what a genuine yes looks like, what pressure can sound like, what to do if something online starts to feel wrong, and where to get help.
For parents: this is a good episode to listen to first, then share with your teenager or use as the starting point for a conversation.
What consent means
- Everyone involved genuinely wants to be there.
- Nobody is being pressured, guilted or worn down.
- A yes should be real, enthusiastic and freely given.
- Anyone can change their mind at any time.
- Yes to one thing is not yes to everything.
- Yes once is not yes always.
Pressure can sound like: “If you really liked me, you would”, “Everyone else does it”, “You said you would” or “We’ve been together long enough.” Pressure is not consent.
Online consent & sextortion
Sending an intimate image does not give anyone permission to share it. Sextortion is when someone uses an intimate image, or the threat of sharing one, to demand money, more images or something else. It is a crime and it is not your fault.
If this happens: do not pay, do not send more images, do not delete the messages, tell a trusted adult immediately and report it.
CEOP: https://ceop.police.uk/
Childline: https://www.childline.org.uk/ | 0800 1111
Revenge Porn Helpline: https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk/ | 0345 6000 459
Internet Watch Foundation: https://www.iwf.org.uk/
If something has already happened
If you were pressured, manipulated, someone did not stop when you wanted them to, or you are being threatened with an image, you do not have to deal with it alone. Tell a parent, teacher, trusted adult, coach or another safe person. You are allowed to ask for help.
Rape Crisis England & Wales: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/ | 0808 500 2222
NSPCC: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/ | 0808 800 5000
The Survivors Trust: https://thesurvivorstrust.org/
Brook: https://www.brook.org.uk/
Listeners’ Lounge
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The Resilient Kid Podcast | Season 11 — The Parent in the Room
