Consent.Ed
At LSE and LSE Student’s Union we are committed to making sure campus is a safe and supportive community for everyone, and we are committed to tackling sexual violence. To help us do this, we launched Consent.Ed.
What is Consent.Ed?
Consent.Ed is a three-part educational programme developed by LSE and LSE Student’s Union to explore issues around sexual consent, providing an opportunity for us to discuss how we can look out for one another and create a positive, respectful consent culture, where everyone feels safe on campus. We recognise the sensitivity of the topic and have chosen the content we cover carefully. We’ve worked hard to make sure the course is as informative, and inclusive as possible.
It is expected of you and everyone in the LSE community to take part in Consent.Ed.
Consent.Ed Attendance
We all benefit from learning more about what it means to seek and give consent, as well as how to safely intervene when you witness a situation that is not quite right. The sessions will empower you to become an active bystander and make positive decisions about your own relationships and interactions with others.
Level 1 and Level 2 should be completed by all new students here at LSE. Level 3 is for Student Union clubs and societies committee members.
Content Warning: Both the online and in-person course materials for Consent.Ed discuss topics of sexual assault, harassment, abuse and rape. We recognise the sensitive nature of Consent.Ed and students who feel unable to participate for personal reasons can opt out. Please note that we will also hold survivors-only sessions for level 2 Consent.Ed which you can find details of below.
Next Steps
Step 1: Complete your online training
Level 1 of Consent.Ed is completion of the online training module as a pre-enrollment expectation. The training takes approximately 30 minutes, but you can complete this at your own pace.
Complete your Consent.Ed training (lse.ac.uk)
Step 2: Booking your In-Person Workshop
Level 2 of Consent.Ed is completion of the in-person workshop which will be led by either LSE student facilitators or LSE/LSESU staff members who are trained to facilitate discussion in a safe environment. This training takes 90 minutes and will be included in your departmental induction timetable.
We will also be offering survivor-only workshops. Alternatively, you can also opt-out entirely by filling out the linked form below.
Survivor-Only Workshops and Opting Out
As we recognise the sensitive nature of Consent.Ed, we will be offering survivor-only workshops, to create a carefully tailored space for discussion. These workshops are led by survivors and experts from an external organisation called Not The Only One.
Not The Only One is a unique initiative for students who have experienced sexual violence at any point in their life, including child sexual abuse. Their work is unambiguously survivor-led and co-developed with students at a range of universities.
The survivor consent workshops are open only to students who have experienced some form of sexual violence / abuse. This could have been non-physical, a one-time experience, a long time ago - or something that has happened in different ways at different times. All genders and sexualities are welcome.
The workshops provide a space to learn about and discuss consent in a trauma-informed manner together with other survivors. Each workshop is a survivor only space run in a small group and facilitated by two members of Not The Only One. They will not ask you to discuss your experience(s).
For students who wish to Opt Out, or sign up for more information on the Survivor Only Workshop, fill out the form attached here: Opt-Out and Survivor workshop info
Step 3: Active Bystander Training
Part 3 of Consent.Ed is for LSE Student Union clubs and societies committee members. Committee members will need to complete Level 3 Consent.Ed which is an ‘Active Bystander’ course facilitated by Student Union staff.
For more information on this please do contact the SU: su.consent@lse.ac.uk.
Support or Questions/Concerns?
We understand that you may have concerns about the sensitive nature of Consent.Ed. We've designed the online course and the in-person sessions to be empowering, and we've tried to be sensitive about the content. You do not have to participate in this course should you feel unable to do so and you can opt out altogether by filling out the opt out form linked above.
We encourage anyone concerned about the content or attending Consent.Ed to email us, or if you have any questions at all, please reach out to su.consent@lse.ac.uk
You can also always access support by following this link- Support for students (lse.ac.uk)