Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies have joined forces for the #ThisIsNotConsent campaign.
It is centred on several short films being shown on Instagram Stories and other social-media platforms over the coming weeks.
The campaign uses routine occasions, such as getting changed after a football game, and shows how force and threats turn them into abusive – and illegal – situations.
Abusive
A new film will be released each week, serving as a powerful analogy for the issue of consent in a sexual relationship.
The first of the five films was released last Tuesday, during Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week.
It portrays a drunk couple happily returning from a night out with a takeaway pizza. The woman passes out on the sofa and her boyfriend tries to force-feed her pizza in an unsettling scene of escalating anger and aggression – a recurring feature of the films.
If someone is unconscious, asleep or not able to communicate, they haven’t given you their consent. Our campaign aims to ensure that you are clear on what consent looks like and that it is always sought. #ThisIsNotConsent https://t.co/obBRj4Qc5u pic.twitter.com/yU1H14o8nG
— Norfolk Police (@NorfolkPolice) 5 February 2019
This week’s film, released today, shows a woman trying to force her boyfriend to drink a glass of orange juice.
Head over to our Instagram story as we launch the second video as part of the #ThisIsNotConsent campaign. They aim to tackle and raise awareness of the issues around consent in relation to serious sexual offences > https://t.co/9qnozDmyK8 pic.twitter.com/4yrsQ5oy45
— Norfolk Police (@NorfolkPolice) 11 February 2019
Hard-hitting
The campaign aims to use the analogies to highlight the importance of consent and ultimately reduce the incidence of sexual and serious sexual assaults.
The films to be released over the coming weeks will show variations on the theme of people being forced to do something against their will, such as a man being made to wear a jumper, a woman forced to use lipstick, and a woman force-fed a piece of chocolate brownie after glancing at a man giving away free samples in a supermarket.
The campaign is primarily aimed at teenagers and young adults (13- to 25-year-olds) in Norfolk and Suffolk, and is being promoted across traditional and social media, as well as via presentations in schools.
Another short clip from our #ThisIsNotConsent campaign. We gave a CSE input @DissHigh to their year 10 students on Thursday and it generated some great discussion, especially in relation to consent so definitely worth talking to young people about ?????? https://t.co/ISG3YIlZlB
— Safer Schools Nfk (@SaferSchoolsNfk) February 11, 2019
It was developed in consultation with victims of sexual assault, staff working in sexual assault referral centres, and the Rape Crisis charity.
Research, which showed the films to target-audience focus groups prior to their release, found that half of those who didn’t previously understand consent understood it better after watching the films.
Messaging in all the films is unambiguous. It warns that if you don’t seek consent you could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, placed on the Sex Offender’s Register for life, sacked from your job, disowned by family and friends, and troubled in new relationships.
Growing problem
The campaign has been launched in the context of a steep rise in sexual offences, with reported cases in England and Wales up by 23.7 per cent in 2017-18, according to the latest figures published by the Office of National Statistics.
In Norfolk, there was a rise of 25.9 per cent, while in Suffolk, offences of this kind rose by 26.6 per cent during the same period.
#ThisIsNotConsent - Interview with a victim of sexual assault from Norfolk Police on Vimeo.
#ThisIsNotConsent - Independent sexual violence advisor interview from Norfolk Police on Vimeo.
Do you understand how someone can give or withdraw consent? #ThisIsNotConsent https://t.co/obBRj4Qc5u pic.twitter.com/joUzL6Rbry
— Norfolk Police (@NorfolkPolice) February 6, 2019
Police view
Temporary detective superintendent Andy Coller, head of safeguarding at Norfolk Constabulary, said: "There is often confusion about what is meant by consent and so we hope, by showing a range of everyday situations where people clearly have not consented to what has happened to them, these thought-provoking films will encourage discussion and lead to a wider understanding about what consent means in a sexual context."
He added: "We understand that people might find these videos quite shocking, but it's important we raise awareness of consent, what it means and the consequences for offenders who do not seek consent."
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