Tackling Non-Consensual Sex: Coronation Street’s Powerful New Storyline
5thingstodotoday
FROM ITV
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Coronation Street
Coronation Street is to tackle the issue of non-consensual sex with a storyline involving the characters of Amy (Elle Mulvaney) and Aaron (James Craven) next month.
In an episode that will air on Friday 3rd March viewers will see a drunk Amy and Aaron kiss whilst back at the flat they share after his row with girlfriend Summer (Harriet Bibby). They’ll then move into the bedroom where Amy starts to undress before admitting she feels sick and rolling away from him. Aaron continues to kiss Amy who is unaware of what happens next as he makes the decision for her that they will have sex. It won’t be until the next day that a horrified Amy discovers how far things went the night before.
As Amy struggles with her emotions, coming to the realisation that she wasn’t able to consent to sex and was raped, Aaron tries to convince her that they both wanted it to happen and he did nothing wrong.
With family and friends and then the police becoming involved, we see the different reactions and understandings of non consensual sexual activity as both teens battle with what happened that night.
It is hoped the storyline will open up conversations between families and friends about the issues surrounding sexual activity amongst young people, including consent, awareness, respect and education.
Coronation Street researchers have worked alongside The Schools Consent Project, a charity established in early 2015 which sends legally trained volunteers into schools to deliver workshops on the legal definition of sexual consent and key sexual offences.
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The popular British soap opera, Coronation Street, will be tackling the issue of non-consensual sex in an upcoming storyline. The storyline will follow the characters of Amy and Aaron, who engage in sexual activity after a night of drinking, with Amy being unable to give her consent. The show hopes to spark important conversations around consent, awareness, respect, and education, particularly among young people.
Coronation Street worked with The Schools Consent Project, a charity that delivers workshops to schools on sexual consent laws and sexual offenses, to ensure that the storyline was handled with care and sensitivity.
The inclusion of the storyline in such a popular show emphasizes the crucial need for conversations around consent and the importance of consent education.
The storyline will not only explore the emotional turmoil experienced by Amy, but also the different reactions and understandings of non-consensual sexual activity among family, friends, and the police. The show’s producers hope that the story will provide a long-running examination of how the characters deal with what happened that night and offer a chance for actors Elle Mulvaney and James Craven to showcase their considerable skills.
The importance of consent in sexual activity cannot be overstated, and it is commendable that Coronation Street is using its platform to raise awareness around this issue. By depicting a realistic and relatable storyline, the show is likely to help people better understand the importance of consent and how to navigate issues of sexual activity. Hopefully, this storyline will lead to important conversations and greater awareness around consent and sexual health.
