Five consent principles for high school students: respect is foundational, consent is mutual discovery, ask clearly and verbally, yes is specific to each activity and can be withdrawn anytime, and how you respond to no reveals your character. Schools should teach practical words and skills for asking, answering, and respecting consent.
Here are 5 things every high school student actually needs to understand about consent. Number 5 surprises almost every principal I meet. Number 1, respect is the bare minimum starting point in each interaction and relationship. Number 2, consent isn't just about getting a yes to what you want. It is about discovering what both people genuinely want or don't want. Number 3, ask clearly instead of guessing. Body language, flirting, past choices are not consent. Ask out loud. Number 4, every yes is specific and in the moment. Yes to kissing isn't yes to anything more, and anyone can remove their yes at any moment. And number 5, how a student receives a no reveals everything about who they are and how they understand respect. Someone saying no is not being mean. Honor their answer without pressure, guilt, or anger or punishment. You may feel disappointed, but that isn't the other person's responsibility to fix. Consent education shouldn't only tell students what not to do. It should give them words and skills they can actually use. If you want your students equipped to ask, answer, respect the answer, reach out. Let's bring this to your school.
