Creating Cultures of Consent

With conversations about sexual violence, consent, and bodily autonomy dominating national conversations it can be easy to get lost in the onslaught of well-intended but often poorly executed messages. Through an exploration of research, scholarly expertise, and practical real-world application we can better formulate an understanding of what consent is, how we create consent cultures, and where the path forward lies.

This book is designed with both educators and parents in mind. The tools highlighted throughout help adults unlearn harmful narratives about consent, boundaries, and relationships so that they can begin their work internally through modeling and self-reflection. We then uncover what consent truly is and is not, how culture plays an integral role in interpersonal scripting, and how teaching consent as a life skill can look in and out of the classroom. By integrating the need for consent to be taught in schools and homes we build bridges between the spaces where children learn and create alliances in the often-daunting task of eradicating rape-culture.

This book is perfect for those already comfortable and familiar with this topic as well as those newer to understanding consent as a paradigm. Starting with a strong historical and research-informed foundation the book builds into action-oriented guidelines for conversations, curriculum, and community activism. This blended approach creates a guidebook that is unlike anything else on the market today.

About the Author

Dr. Laura McGuire (they/them or she/her) is an internationally recognized consultant, survivor, researcher, seminarian, and author.

Dr. McGuire earned their bachelor's degree in social sciences from Thomas Edison State University and their graduate degrees in educational leadership for change from Fielding Graduate University. Dr. McGuire's doctoral dissertation, entitled “Seen but Not Heard: Pathways to Improve Inclusion of LGBT Persons and Sexual Trauma Survivors in Sexual Health Education,” examined the marginalization of sexual minorities within health education on a global scale. They are currently a seminary student at Earlham School of Religion.

They are a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), Society of Professional Consultants, and are a member of numerous boards and committees. They are an adjunct professor at Widener University and Dominican University. Dr. McGuire lives in the United States, where they are the CEO of The National Center for Equity and Agency.