Jill Jacks, the quiet achiever - we owe her a great debt.
Friday, 11 May 2018
On Wednesday we brought you this story from the incomparable Jill Jacks:
Last night Jill's work featured on The Outsiders on Sky News and today it's in The Australian.
Deanne Carson recommends parents ask babies for consent to change nappies
- The Australian
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A sexuality educator has used an appearance on an ABC news segment to recommend parents ask their babies for consent before changing their nappies so they learn about healthy relationships.
The clip was condemned as “lefty lunacy” by Sky News hosts Ross Cameron and Rowan Dean on their program The Outsiders last night.
Deanne Carson, the CEO of child sexual abuse prevention organisation Body Safety Australia, said she works with parents from the birth of their children on how they can create a “culture of consent.”
The educator claimed asking infants what they wanted and making eye contact would help teach them they had power over their own bodies.
“Of course, a baby’s not going to respond, ‘Yes Mum, that’s awesome, I’d love to have my nappy changed,’ but if you leave a space and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you’re letting that child know that their response matters.”
Ms Carson wrote on Facebook in response to The Outsiders that she was being derided for presenting the idea babies had autonomy over their bodies.
“Sadly, some people have chosen to ridicule me (oh no! Pink hair! Must be a lesbian!) and the notion of giving infants bodily autonomy (poo in nappies har har amiright?!).”
She further wrote one in three girls and one in seven boys would be sexually assaulted by their 18th birthday and one in 12 girls will be sexually abused before their sixth birthday.
“One in three girls, one in seven boys will be sexually assaulted by the time they are eighteen years old. One in twelve girls will be sexually abused before their sixth birthday.”
She said the work she does follows best practice guidelines on abuse prevention and teaches children their rights and responsibilities when it came to consent.
Ms Carson shared a video of women reading accounts of sexual assault survivors and said the trolling and backlash was “negating the voices of these brave survivors of sexual abuse.”
ENDS
None of that would have happened without Jill and it just seems unfair that she's not been credited.
Here are just a few examples of Jill's eternal vigilance we've been privileged to bring you!
Thanks Jill! We love your work!!!!!