Recent research shows 86 per cent of Australian teenagers aged 14-18 years reported receiving sexual messages or images and 70 per cent of teens reported sending sexual messages or images.
Young women are mostly the targeted victims and sexting has a long term and harmful impact.
“Schools and parents struggle with how to educate young people about the issue and to keep up with changes to the law,” says Nicola Dziadkiewicz, Education & Public Programs Manager at The National Trust of Australia (VIC).
As a result, the National Trust of Australia (VIC) developed the Respect Me program (a part of their Court Room Drama offerings) which takes secondary students to ‘court’ to witness the repercussions and impacts of sexting or sharing explicit images.
Schools play a key role in consent education
It’s an initiative Ms Dziadkiewicz believes is particularly relevant, as she says education is the key factor in learning healthy relationships and understanding consent at an early age.
The program has been on offer for 10 years and is updated to reflect changes to the law. 81 school groups have participated so far this year. Bookings are currently open for term four 2024 and throughout 2025.
“The students are actually taken to court (Old Magistrates Court) next to Victoria’s oldest prison, the Old Melbourne Gaol, and completely immersed in, and adopt, the roles of a real court trial,” says Ms Dziadkiewicz, adding that the program was developed collaboratively, with The National Trust (Vic) and Gippsland Community Legal Service, informed by consultation with Victoria Police.
She told EducationDaily the motivation for the unique Respect Me program was a response to “reports of teenagers sharing or posting sexually explicit images or messages, along with legislation identifying the sharing of such images child abuse material”.
“The purpose of the program is to support secondary school students to understand the consequence of pressing ‘send’. The impacts are far-reaching, not only for them, the sharer of the images, but for all involved. Through this program, teens develop a better understanding of the legal implications, and how it could lead to prosecution.”
Navigating consent
Throughout this realistic mock trial, students engage and discover the consequences of being prosecuted for ‘sexting’, eliciting, possessing and distributing explicit images of a minor, the impact this crime has on both the victim and their friends and family and how to navigate consent.
The National Trust’s Respect Me court room drama takes place in the former Magistrate’s Court – with the significance of the space giving weight to the experience of students re-enacting a trial, taking on the roles of judge, jury, defence, and prosecution.
“After the mock-trial, a trained National Trust facilitator guides students to discuss the ethical and legal considerations of a case like this and decide what the appropriate outcome for such a case would be,” Ms Dziadkiewicz told EducationDaily.
“Students are supported to present their views on the crime portrayed and how these affect the young people involved – students consider the factors at play such as the impact on both the victim and the defendant.”
A fresh, informed outlook
“Sharing explicit images, or ‘sexting’, is illegal when it involves people under the age of 18 years. Once an image is shared, there is no control where it will end up or who will see it, let alone the potential for the sharer to be listed as sex offender. We often hear students say they didn’t really know the repercussions.”
Ms Dziadkiewicz says one teacher’s feedback described the court room drama as “really engaging and it’s a great way to get them thinking about the ways in which they send/receive messages and also the way they use social media”.
“Teachers and students come out of the experience with a whole new outlook”.
