As the festive season gets under way, Wellington police are peppering bars and clubs with stringent messaging about sexual consent, using the slogan: “Don’t guess the yes.”
The campaign is designed to educate partygoers about the effects alcohol can have on decision making and consent, and began after police noted an increase in sexual harm reports.
Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Quinn said analysis found young women, aged 18 to 24, in the central city were more likely to be victims of sexual harm, while men aged between 23 to 29 were more likely to be perpetrators.
It is also more likely for those involved not to have known each other very long.
“We need to prevent adult sexual assault offending and victimisation by encouraging people to change their attitude around sexual consent and alcohol consumption,” Quinn said.
Posters featuring fictitious text message conversations will be displayed in the city’s bars and clubs. In one version, one friend advises the other to leave a bunch of “wasted” women alone as that behaviour is “creepy”. The latter then agrees to come home.
2019-12-03