Young people are navigating their romantic and sexual lives in an increasingly complex world.

Social media content, including from misogynistic influencers, have contributed to rapidly changing norms around gender, sex and relationships.

Recent Australian research has found concerning rates of unwanted, forced or coerced sex and intimate partner violence among young people, including adolescents as young as 14.

At the same time, many young people find the relationships and sexuality education they’ve received is inconsistent, unconvincing or disconnected from the realities of their lives.

We surveyed 482 teachers working across government, Catholic and independent schools who deliver relationship and sexuality education and found they often feel ill-equipped to deliver lessons on sex, consent and respectful relationships.

Teachers feel unprepared and under-supported

In previous generations, sex education focused on biology. Today, a more comprehensive approach is taken. Relationships and sexuality education encompasses sexual and reproductive health, respectful relationships and consent education.

Our study examined the training and support needs of Australian teachers and student (pre-service) teachers who deliver relationships and sexuality education.

More than two thirds (around 67%) of teachers reported receiving no university classes on how to teach relationships and sexuality education.

Most (77%) said their university preparation left them poorly equipped to teach these topics.

Professional development after entering the workforce was also inconsistent. Nearly half........

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