Thames Valley force launches video featuring stick figures and cups of tea to highlight that consent is a simple concept

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Thames Valley police has launched a YouTube campaign to raise awareness of sexual consent that uses an analogy about making tea.

The campaign, Consent: It’s as Simple as Tea, runs for almost three minutes and features stick figures making, accepting or rejecting cups of tea in various situations.



A voiceover compares these to situations such as when a person who has said “yes” to sex turns out to be too inebriated to reasonably consent.

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“And if they are unconscious don’t make them tea,” runs the voiceover. “Unconscious people don’t want tea and they can’t answer the question ‘do you want tea?’ Because they are unconscious.



“OK, maybe they were conscious when you asked them if they wanted tea, and they said ‘yes’. But in the time it took you to boil the kettle, brew the tea and add the milk they are now unconscious ... Don’t make them drink the tea. They said ‘yes’ then, sure, but unconscious people don’t want tea.”

The campaign was launched on Tuesday by the force and the Thames Valley Sexual Violence Prevention Group.

It was originally created by Blue Seat Studios and blogger Rockstar Dinosaur Pirate Princess.

“The campaign is just one of the ways in which Thames Valley police has been working with our partners within Thames Valley Sexual Violence Prevention Group to support people affected by sexual assault and rape,” said Detective Chief Inspector Justin Fletcher.



“The law is very clear. Sex without consent is rape. Awareness of what sexual consent means and how to get it is vital.”

The ad is part of Thames Valley police’s #ConsentisEverything campaign.

“We have joined together to make people aware of the law surrounding sexual violence, which clearly places the emphasis on getting consent – not to assume it is received,” said Lisa Ward, director of Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre.