Developing a culture of consent
About this resource
This video presentation explores how early childhood educators can embed a culture of consent in their services by requesting permission from children and adults before taking and using digital images of children.
Age range for this resource
For educators, parents, and carers of children aged 3 to 5 years.
Goal of this resource
To foster respectful relationships between young children and their adults.
To develop young children’s understandings about the language of consent and their rights when it comes to their digital data.
How might educators use this resource?
Watch this video presentation with your colleagues. Reflect on the experiences of the educators as a starting point to thinking about your understanding of consent in your service.
How might families use this resource?
Watch this video presentation and think about how your family invites consent when using digital technologies. Do family members check with each other before sharing images of others on social media?
How might organisations use this resource?
Provide a link to this video presentation in a newsletter or your regular communication with families. Highlight how learning with digital technologies is a requirement of Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022). Invite families to consider how children can learn about protecting their own digital data by developing a culture of consent at home and in your service.
What learning might we see?
Educators and families thinking about digital consent when using technologies in early childhood settings, homes, and community spaces.
Educators, parents, and carers requesting permission from young children before taking and using their digital images.
Practices
Acknowledging
Adults notice and recognise children’s interests in and experiences of using digital technologies and interacting with digital media and popular culture.
Interpreting
Children interpret their experiences with digital technologies and media through play and in discussion and collaboration with others.
Integrating
Children and adults integrate digital technologies with non-digital media and/or experiences.
Area
Play and Pedagogy
Young children have opportunities for play and pedagogy in digital contexts. Play and pedagogy involve children using a range of digital devices for exploration, meaning-making, collaboration, and problem solving. Educators engage in active decision making about the use and non-use of digital technologies for learning.
Connection to relevant standards
Belonging, Being, and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia V2.0 (Australian Government Department of Education, 2022)
Outcome 1: Children have a strong sense of identity
Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience, and agency (e.g., Children demonstrate increasing awareness of the needs and rights of others; Educators mediate and assist children to negotiate their rights in relation to the rights of others).
Children learn to interact in relation to others with care, empathy, and respect (e.g., Children display awareness of and respect for others’ perspectives; Educators model care, empathy, and respect for children, colleagues, and families; Educators enable children to participate in decision-making that affects them).
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Children develop a sense of connectedness to groups and communities and an understanding of their reciprocal rights and responsibilities as active and informed citizens (e.g., Children advocate for their own rights with the adults that care for them; Educators model practices that create a culture of inclusion and social justice within the setting and community).
Children respond to diversity with respect (e.g., Children show respect for others; Educators encourage children to listen to others and to respect diverse perspectives).
Children become aware of fairness (e.g., Children begin to understand expectations, setting rules, and the rights of others).
Children become socially responsible and show respect for the environment (e.g., Educators support children to build relationships with each other based on peace, equality, and human rights).
Outcome 3: Children have a strong sense of wellbeing
Children become strong in their social, emotional, and mental wellbeing (e.g., Children assert their capabilities and independence while demonstrating increasing awareness of the needs and rights of others; Educators discuss and model appropriate use of digital technologies and discuss how to keep children safe online with children and families; Educators mediate and assist children to negotiate their rights in relation to the rights of others).
Children are aware of and develop strategies to support their own mental and physical health and personal safety (e.g., Children learn ways to ask for and provide consent during everyday play; Educators help children understand the concept of consent by modelling or demonstrating asking for and providing consent and provide opportunities for children to practise; Educators listen carefully and take seriously when children talk about things that bother them).
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators
Children use digital technologies and media to access information, investigate ideas, and represent their thinking (e.g., Children adopt collaborative approaches in their learning about and with digital technologies; Educators encourage collaborative learning about and through technologies between children, and children and educators; Educators have opportunities to develop their own knowledge and understanding of appropriate digital technology use and safety with children and families).
National Quality Standard (Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority, 2019)
Quality Area 1: Educational program and practice (e.g., Educators are deliberate, purposeful, and thoughtful in their decisions and actions; Each child’s agency is promoted, enabling them to make choices and decisions that influence events and their world).
Quality Area 2: Children’s health and safety (e.g., Each child’s wellbeing and comfort is provided for, including appropriate opportunities to meet each child’s need for sleep, rest, and relaxation).
Quality Area 5: Relationships with children (e.g., The dignity and rights of every child are maintained).
Quality Area 6: Collaborative partnerships with families and communities (e.g., Current information is available to families about the service and relevant community services and resources to support parenting and family wellbeing).
National Principles for Child Safe Organisations (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2018)
Principle 2: Children and young people are informed about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them, and are taken seriously.
Principle 3: Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Principle 4: Equity is upheld, and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
Principle 5: People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Principle 8: Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Explore More
If these ideas are new to you, explore these related resources:
Consent: Talking with children & teens
This Raising Children Network article provides information and suggestions about discussing consent and sexual consent with children and teenagers.
eSafety Online Safety for Under 5s Booklet
Developed by the eSafety Commissioner, this free booklet offers practical advice and strategies for parents and carers to help tackle the key online safety issues for children from birth- to 5-years-old.
For more ideas, explore these related resources:
Storytelling for a connected childhood
This article invites parents, carers, and educators to use stories to engage children and build their understandings about online safety.
Early childhood services – child safety physical and online environments
This Victorian Government resource provides guidance on child safety in physical and online environments at early childhood services.
If you would like to read some research, explore these related resources:
Stratigos, T., & Fenech, M. (2021). Early childhood education and care in the app generation: Digital documentation, assessment for learning, and parent communication. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 46(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1836939120979062
Van den Abeele, E., Vanwesenbeeck, I., & Hudders, L. (2024). Child’s privacy versus mother’s fame: Unravelling the biased decision-making process of momfluencers to portray their children online. Information, Communication & Society, 27(2), 297–313. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2023.2205484