ABCGood God, apparently we now have to ask babies – who cannot speak or fathom language – for consent before changing their nappies.
ABC came under considerable scrutiny after airing a segment in which a ‘sexuality expert’ asked for people to abstain from changing their newborns’ nappy with asking first.
Sky News’ Rowan Dean slated the video, starring Deanne Carson, as ‘lefty lunacy’, Daily Mail Australia, of all places, reports.
ABCCarson explained:
[It’s] just about setting up a culture of consent in the home. ‘I’m going to change your nappy now, is that okay?’ Of course the baby is not going to respond ‘yes mum, that’s awesome, I’d love to have my nappy changed’.
But if you leave a space, and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you’re letting that child know that their response matters.
Dean said:
Consent for changing nappies. I’m not sure that would – I think that might get a bit – anyway, I won’t go there.
As per her Twitter, Carson is a ‘sexuality educator, speaker and author’ at Body Safety Australia.
Their website states:
We work to ensure that communities work together to create a safer world (online and offline).
‘In empowering children with their rights’ while educating families and professionals, the burden of responsibility is placed squarely on adults to protect children.
As part of our inclusive, whole community approach, Body Safety Australia teaches children as young as three years old (along with their parents, teachers and the broader community) about consent, respectful relationships, and body safety.
We provide positive, evidence-based programs to educate adults on abuse prevention and empower children to develop healthy, respectful relationships. Keeping children safe means engaging whole communities; parents, carers, teachers and children.
ABCGuess what people on social media made of it? Go on. Yeah, they hated it.
One wrote:
How do these morons actually land a job that in some weird way actually legitimizes them? And more importantly who in their right mind is giving them employment in he first place? Someone out there has an awful lot of explaining to do, to the good folk that pay the bills.
Another said:
The fact she cannot even look at the camera when suggesting this ludicrous idea, means we don’t need take it seriously. The baby will probably be too fixated with that interesting hair style and colour to answer!
GettyA third quipped:
Does she have children? When they’re that small you’re lucky to have time to go to the toilet yourself (especially if you have more than one). I get the general gist but I think they need to aim it at children a little older as inevitably it just ends up with them being ridiculed and the message gets lost.
Body Safety Australia add:
We provide positive, evidence-based programs to educate adults on abuse prevention and empower children to develop healthy, respectful relationships. Keeping children safe means engaging whole communities; teachers, parents, carers, and children.
As an educator, you can take part in our professional development, invite us to work with your early childhood centre or school or speak to us about how we can tailor a solution to support you in Child Safe Standards compliance.
Certainly controversial stuff. But that’s just 2018 for you, innit?
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