Quick summary: In this factsheet, you will learn what to do when a student has been making jokes about rape, sexual assault or abuse.
Audience: Teachers, school leaders and wellbeing staff.
Related online course: Teaching Consent To Children
Related education package: eSafety for Kids
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Teacher Factsheet: What to do when a student has been making jokes about rape, sexual assault or abuseRemain calm and take the incident seriously. Never laugh at the joke or brush it off. Make it very clear to students that jokes about rape, sexual assault or abuse are not tolerated in the classroom, school or wider community. Do not get into a debate or argument with the student(s). If the behaviour persists, seek help from a supervisor or remove the offending student(s) from the class if possible.
Jokes about rape, sexual assault or abuse are symptoms of a culture that values aggression over consent and respect. This is often referred to as ‘rape culture’. These jokes condone masculine control and normalise sexual violence. Jokes of this nature can make other students feel unsafe and/or distressed, particularly survivors of sexual assault/abuse and girls/women, who are more often victims of sexual assault and abuse.
It needs to be clear to the per
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