Students at Mossman State High School are central to a new campaign to help prompt discussions about youth sexual violence and consent.

The group of senior students ‘Youth of Mossman Speaking Out’ worked with Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service school-based health nurse Wendy Fry to develop a set of posters for young people by young people.

The group developed nine posters using popular emojis and the social media platform Snapchat to bring attention to the issue of sexual coercion, tagged by the line: “Respect, what does it feel like to you?”

“The posters give the wider community an insight into the ‘secret’ language that young people use when communicating sexual desire and trying to manipulate sexual behaviours from another,” said Ms Fry.

“The posters represent the conversations that are happening between young people and how that links in with consent and sexual violence. They give an insight into the sexual coercion language that teens face online.

“Teens can make excuses like ‘It’s only an Emoji’ or ‘It’s only a text’ but these online messages are symptoms of attitudes and behaviours that can lead to blurred lines of consent and online sexual bullying.

“There are numerous ways people can intervene when they notice any form of disrespectful behaviour occurring, but especially that which can occur in intimate relationships and friendship groups,” said Wendy.

The posters have been distributed to secondary schools across the Cairns region as well as community organizations which support young people such as, TRUE relationships, YETI, Cairns Sexual Health Service.

Year 12 School Captain Ellie Zillfleisch said as a leader she felt it was important to get involved in the campaign because she can help younger students become aware of what consent looks like.

“I also personally learnt a lot through this process and become more aware of consent in relationships,” she said.

“I believe that a campaign such as sexual assault is important in high school because that is where students truly make habits and learn how to ask for sexual consent during teen and adolescent years.”

She said they decided to use Snapchat for the campaign because the messages are often automatically deleted.

“Apps like Snapchat where the messages delete can make it seem as if what they are saying doesn’t have as much weight behind it, so we hope by having the posters look like Snapchat it shows that there is actually weight behind what is being sent.”

Fellow Captain Angus Brunsdon added “if you wouldn’t say it in person, then it’s not okay.”

“Young people have this whole online world to speak in, but I think the most important thing is that if they wouldn’t say it in person, they shouldn’t be saying it online.”

The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, School-Based Youth Health Service works with young people, school staff and parents in state secondary schools on student health and wellbeing.

The posters are a result of the school’s long-term commitment to improving the attitudes and behaviours of young people in the local community regarding respectful relationships.

“Inappropriate sexual behaviours in our society are behaviours we need to call out,” said Mossman high Principal Michelle Lyons.

“It’s not just school age, it goes into young adults as well and so it isn’t just an issue in schools, it’s a community issue and it’s about working together with our community to raise that awareness.

“And it’s about giving students a voice.”

‘Youth of Mossman Speaking out' was developed using a grant from the State Government, Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women to support local projects to look at Sexual Violence Prevention.

“Over the last 10 years students at Mossman State High school have participated in programs addressing many aspects of Respectful Relationship education including issues related to consent and sexual, domestic and family violence,” said Ms Fry.