Sex and Ethics: The Sexual Ethics Education Programme for Young People

Author(s): Moira Carmody

Children & Adolescents | Sexuality & Health

How can young people negotiate their sexual lives with both pleasure and safety? Sex and Ethics: The Sexual Ethics Education Programme for Young People is an innovative approach to addressing this complex issue. It is designed for young women and men aged 16-25 years and aims to increase their knowledge and skills in ethical intimacy and reduce unwanted, coerced or pressured sex.


Sessions include activites on sexual ethics, pressures to be sexual, non-verbal and verbal communication skills, alcohol and its impact on ethical negotiation, ethical consent, negotiating conflicting desires and needs in relationships, breaking up and ethical bystander skills. The program also provides learning objectives for each of the six lessons, educator's notes including detailed instructions on how to run each activity, handouts, worksheets and overheads for each session and suggested readings for educators.


This program can be run in schools, universities, community organisations or any other location working with young people.


Product Information

Moira Carmody (PhD) is Associate Professor Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. She has been working in the area of sexual assault since 1983. She has a broad range of experience in the field of sexual assault prevention including work as a sexual assault counsellor and co-ordinator; community educator and policy advisor to state and federal governments in Australia and as an academic researcher and educator in social sciences and criminology.

Week 1 Getting to know each other & how we learn about sexuality & gender
[1.1] Getting to know each other
[1.2] Group rules
[1.3] Different perspectives on sexual intimacy
[1.4] Feedback on Week 1- ‘Will I see you again?`
Handouts and overheads

Week 2 What is Sexual Ethics?
[2.1] Reflection
[2.2] What is Sexual Ethics?
[2.3] Pressures to be sexual; gender, sex & friends
[2.4] Feedback on Week 2 -‘What did I learn today?`
Handouts and overheads

Week 3 Understanding other people`s desires & needs
[3.1] Reflection
[3.2] Understanding other people`s desires & needs
[3.3] Alcohol, drugs & sex
[3.4] Feedback on Week 3
Handouts and overheads

Week 4 Ethical Consent
[4.1] Reflection
[4.2] The law & sexual consent
[4.3] ‘The party - Luke & Jen`
[4.4] Skills in ethical negotiation and consent
[4.5] Feedback on Week 4
Handouts and overheads

Week 5 Is this relationship working for me? Conflicting desires & wants
[5.1] Reflection
[5.2] What do I want out of a relationship?
[5.3] Conflicting desires & wants
[5.4] Breaking up
[5.5] Feedback on Week 5
Handouts and overheads

Week 6 Standing up against sexual violence
[6.1] Reflection
[6.2] Being an ethical bystander
[6.3] Skills in being an ethical friend & bystander
[6.4] Evaluation of programme - Taking sexual ethics with us
Handouts and overheads

Sample certificate of attainment
Educators` evaluation & reflection form

General Fields

  • : 9781420256109
  • : Macmillan Education Australia
  • : Macmillan Education Australia
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Moira Carmody
  • : Paperback