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Communication Without Words

This lesson develops skills in non-verbal communication through a practical experience. 

Learning intentions:

  • Understand consent as a mutually collaborative process
  • Identify verbal and non-verbal communication cues
  • Recognise factors that act as barriers and enablers to practising consent
  • Experience and practise negotiation and agreement
  • Understand how competing ideas around sex (and handshakes) can make consent harder to experience

Digital Educator: Vanessa

  • 12-30 learners

    Class size

  • 10+

    Year Level

  • 45-60 minutes

    Course duration

  • Nil

    Student Handouts

    Preparing for the lesson

    Information
    Resources
    ACHPE Objectives
    UNESCO Objectives
    Safety & Wellbeing
    Sequence
    Extension
    In this Communication Without Words lesson, students experientially explore the concepts of consent and negotiation.

    They will have the opportunity to experience what consent and negotiation feel like using a safe touching exercise involving handshakes. Students will experience a range of levels of negotiation, reflecting on how that relates to other forms of physical touch and how to combine pleasure and communication. 

    Each lesson ends with a consolidation activity, inviting students to list 1 thing they have learnt from the lesson, 1 thing they already knew, 1 piece of advice they would share with a friend, and 1 adult or organisation that would be helpful in relation to the lesson topic.  

    This lesson is based on the work of Justin Hancock at www.bishuk.com

    Facilitator Printouts

    Student Printouts

    There are no student printouts for this lesson.

    Additional Student Resources

    AC9HP10P07: Examine how strategies, such as communicating choices, seeking, giving and denying consent, and expressing opinions and needs can support the development of respectful relationships, including sexual relationships. 
    • Describing strategies that enhance the safety and wellbeing of sexual partners, such as communicating feelings of each party, respecting boundaries and choices, gaining affirmative consent, assertive communication and respecting individuals’ rights.  
    • Refining strategies to communicate clearly and respectfully their choices, needs and opinions in a range of relationship scenarios, such as peer group, family or work situations.
    Key Concept 4: Violence and Staying Safe
    4.2 Consent, Privacy and Bodily Integrity.
    • Key idea: Consent is critical for healthy, pleasurable and consensual sexual behaviour with a partner.
    • Key idea: It is important to be aware of factors that can impact the ability to acknowledge or give consent.


    Key Concept 5: Skills for Health and Wellbeing
    5.3 Communication, Refusal and Negotiation Skills. 
    • Key idea: Effective communication is key to expressing personal needs and sexual limits.
    • Not all students will want to be touched or engage in the activity. Allow them to take an OBSERVER role, which can be a valuable addition to the discussions throughout the lesson. 
    • Healthy communication is central to the wellbeing of all of our relationships at every age across the lifespan. However, communication styles are often familial and result from the way we are socialised. There will be students who struggle with forms of communication that are respectful and multi-directional and this lesson can be more difficult for them.
    • Acknowledge that we all communicate differently and in some circumstances it is easier to use skills that are more assertive or empathic. 
    • When exploring ways to practise consent, including questions and statements that support it, there will be students who have experienced consent violations where questions were either not used or the answers were not listened to. Be mindful of this experience and the challenges these conversations can present in a group setting. 
    Ideally, you will have scope to deliver all of the lessons in your program. However we understand that many schools have limited capacity to do so. Should you find yourself having to implement part of this program, we have provided a suggested sequence of lessons within the broader skills and knowledge categories of relationship, consent, gender, and health & legal literacy. We recommend delivering at least one lesson from each category.

    1. Group Agreements & Pod Mapping should be the first lesson as per best practice.
    2. Sex, Ethics & Alcohol: Can They Mix? is better delivered later in the program when students are more familiar with the Respect Collective curriculum.
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