Jodie Vanderslot, Staff Writer
Featured image courtesy of Woodley Wonderworks
Both legally and socially, we relegate children, anyone under the age of 18, as minors. This often means that their thoughts and opinions are viewed as lesser than those of an adult. How often do we stop to ask children their opinions? How often do we actually listen to those opinions? Unfortunately, not often enough and it is time for a change in perspective.
Whether you believe children to be innocent and naive or wild and reckless, children and youth carry their own thoughts and ideas on a wide range of topics. However, they are usually left out of the conversation. In order for children to be properly educated, we must first listen to them and view them as competent beings.
The children’s studies program at York emphasizes children’s voices and the importance of listening to them. The program focuses on children as agents, capable of both understanding and changing the world around them. Although children are both receptive and active members of their environment, they are more often talked at rather than spoken with.
“It gives us an opportunity to consult with children and youth,” says Cheryl Cowdy, assistant professor in the Department of Children’s Studies. She is also the coordinator of the 2016 Alexander F. Chamberlain Speaker Series. “And to see the ways their involvement in diverse social and cultural contexts challenges our limited understanding of their abilities, their engagement with politics, and their desire to participate.”
The Chamberlain series, which took place on March 15, included two incredible youth activists as the guest speakers, 15-year-old Tessa Hill and 14-year-old Lia Valente. Hill and Valente have been recognized with the 2016 YWCA’s Young Women of Distinction Award for initiating the We Give Consent campaign.
The campaign emerged last year from a media assignment in their grade eight class. What they had learned, combined with their ideas and initiative, quickly sparked a campaign. The new physical education curriculum now includes sexual consent.
Hill and Valente noticed that discussions about the importance of consent were missing from the revised Ontario sexual education curriculum and they initiated a campaign to change this.
Their online petition was signed by over 40,000 people, resulting in an invitation by Premier Kathleen Wynne to discuss their concerns about the curriculum and the importance of consent, says Cowdy.
The girls inspired a public dialogue about sexual violence in the media and the need for the incorporation of sexual consent into the sex-ed curriculum. Their media project resulted in their production of their film, Allegedly, which premiered at TIFF and is available on YouTube. The documentary includes interviews with several women, and as the girls explained during the panel, they didn’t try to shy away from the details behind rape culture.
“People weren’t really closed off and they weren’t really closed-minded. I think a lot of adults thought when we were trying to change the curriculum at the beginning that children are going to be giggling and it’s going to be awkward, but it was actually the complete opposite,” says Hill.
“We already know about this from the media, but we all have this really unhealthy perspective. This is what we want to learn about,” she added during the panel.
Hill and Valente are changing the conversation. They saw something wrong with how things in society were going and what was being done and decided that they wanted to replace rape culture with consent culture.
Adults often shy away from these issues because they like to believe children aren’t exposed to the harsh realities of the world, but as Hill says, these are topics that youth already know about, they’re now giving them the benefit of the doubt and acknowledging that.
“It is everywhere, and it’s not healthy depictions of sexual relationships,” says Hill.
“While many adults continue to worry about children’s vulnerability online, Hill and Valente remind us that children and youth also make powerful use of social and digital media,” explains Cowdy.
There has been a lot of controversy about the new curriculum and how it’s taking away parents’ voices and exposing children to things they shouldn’t have to worry about.
However, the new curriculum is about teaching youth to use their voice, which is really what giving consent is about. It is time to start recognizing children’s ability to not only understand and comprehend broader issues, but also acknowledge their resiliency and agency in light of these harsher topics. Hill and Valente are amazing examples about how much influence young people can have in society if they are encouraged.
“The addition of consent within the new sex-ed curriculum is a great and effective way for children to understand the implications of non-healthy relationships,” says Jessica Venneri, a second-year children’s studies and concurrent education student.
“Learning what consent actually means is beneficial for their future relationships, and with this addition of consent, children are provided with a foundation to learn about the boundaries of other people’s bodies, which ultimately is very important.”
We cannot pick and choose what children and youth are allowed to have opinions on but censoring them is not the answer. Children are capable of much more than we give them credit for and it’s time we adjust our expectations.
“The children’s studies program at York offers a unique opportunity to understand the meanings children, childhood, and youth have across cultures and societies of the global south and north,” says Cowdy.
The Chamberlain talk also brought together York’s Team Limpopo, a group of 15 students from the Children’s Culture in Context class. The group was at the event fundraising for their upcoming trip to South Africa which leaves on May 6.
The group will participate in a field-study for four weeks, engaging in a cross-cultural examination of childhood while also participating in placements in primary schools. Team Limpopo is fundraising to raise money for community projects.
“This places the students in a global context; it allows them the opportunity to listen to young people and change the world. This program is specific to York because it actually engages with children and youth rather than just speaking about them.” says Andrea Emberly, assistant professor and the leader of Team Limpopo.
Team Limpopo’s next major event will be a pub night on April 16. More information about their fundraising and how you can contribute is available online at their Facebook page.
Tweet us, @excaliburYU
