For many children, a sloppy kiss from grandma was a rite of passage growing up. Now it is being used as a light-hearted example to help empower children against potential sexual abuse.

Key points: Sex educators are teaching children from kindergarten upwards about body autonomy

Sex educators are teaching children from kindergarten upwards about body autonomy High school and university discussion has turned to the concept of enthusiastic consent

High school and university discussion has turned to the concept of enthusiastic consent Educators are concerned porn is giving young people the wrong idea about sex

It is part of a move to teach children about body autonomy from kindergarten and help them understand concepts around sexuality and consent as they move through senior school.

Sex educators across primary, high school and university are also teaching young people about an emerging concept known as enthusiastic consent.

As a result, educators are increasingly not just teaching young people about the facts of life, but also how to navigate relationships.

While the feedback about the shift to broaden the scope of the education is positive, they have said young people would like to learn more about how to become "good bystanders" and to bust some of the myths perpetuated by their biggest sex educator: porn.

The Federal Government has funded a teaching resource called Respect Matters as part of its women's safety package.

But it is up to the states whether they adopt this element of the national curriculum, and to date, only the eastern states have integrated the concepts into their syllabuses.

Educators are now calling for the concepts to be taught across the country to help combat the influence of pornography and rates of violence against women.

'Another word for permission starting with C'

In Victoria, the Respectful Relationships program attracted controversy due to the nature of some of the case studies in teaching resources.

The course was a proposal out of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to help teach children about maintaining control of their body.

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Childhood educator Margie Buttriss said they used "child-friendly" examples, like explaining that no-one was allowed to touch them in places where they did not want to be touched.

"We're talking about situations such as Grandma wants to swoop in for the big sloppy kiss and if the child doesn't want that to happen what can they do," she said.

"And they can respectfully say 'no thanks Grandma, let's have a hug instead'.

"Or if it's someone they don't know, 'let's high five, let's fist bump'."

Children's educator Margie Buttriss explains body autonomy concepts to primary school children. ( ABC News: Alison Branley )

Carla Magid's daughter went through the program from kindergarten to grade six.

Ms Magid said she understood why some parents might feel trepidatious about allowing their child to take part.

"There's always a bit of 'I'm not sure what they're going to be discussing with our children' but then when the conversation started, it was a really good opportunity," she said.

"There's an open door that's given to us and we're able to walk through that door with our kids because the uncomfortable nature of it has already been done at school by a professional."

Teens think porn is normal: educators

Lael Stone has been visiting schools across Victoria for more than a decade to run sex and relationship courses.

Previously a prenatal educator, Ms Stone said there was no question she had not been asked, with inquiries ranging from anal sex to asking a girl on a date.

But she said her biggest concern was the growing influence of the internet when it came to sex education.

"Our biggest educator around sexuality is pornography at the moment," she said.

"That is often very violent and very graphic. A lot of young people do believe that's how intimacy and sex should look."

Lael Stone has taught sex education in Victorian schools for more than a decade. ( ABC News: Alison Branley )

Ms Stone believes parents would be surprised by how much young people know about sex, but how little they know about relationships.

"In my experience young people are really wanting information," she said.

"They want to know how to navigate good, healthy relationships."

In response, educators are now teaching young people about the concept of "enthusiastic consent" when it comes to sexual encounters.

The concept dates back to 1991 but has experienced renewed relevance in the #MeToo era and high-profile sexual assault cases involving questions of consent.

"It's not just someone saying 'oh yeah, that's OK', it's 'Yes! I really want to do this'," Ms Stone said.

She said controversies over content in the sex and relationship courses have come and gone over time.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison weighed into the sex education debate in 2018 when he commented on Victoria's Respectful Relationships program.

In one case study used in the course, grade nine students were asked to roleplay a 17-year-old bisexual woman who had had 15 sexual partners.

Mr Morrison, a devout Pentecostal, described it as the time as "skin curling" and said it was part of the reason he sent his children to a private school.

Ms Stone said those who reacted to isolated examples had missed a larger point and urged people not to focus on specific case studies.

"They use it as a point of discussion, so it's not saying 'this is what you should do'. It is 'how do you think someone would navigate this situation'," she said.

Consent course matters for those wanting exam results

The failure of high schools and parents to comprehensively address questions of consent has been felt at universities.

More than 30 universities across Australia have now signed up to the Consent Matters online course.

University of Technology Sydney students Kristo and Lily complete the online Consent Matters course. ( ABC News: Alison Branley )

It has been rolled out following the damning report in 2017 by Australia's Sexual Discrimination Commissioner into sexual harassment on campuses and high profile incidents at college residences.

Students at University of Technology Sydney (UTS) must complete the 40-minute multiple-choice course each semester in order to get their exam results.

UTS student Lily Velez said she found it interesting the age of consent varied state to state and that it was possible to withdraw consent during a sexual liaison.

"I thought it was really good in giving people language and ways to address consent conversations," she said.

"I think a lot of these people, when they're in these situations, freeze or don't know how to address them."

Communications student Kristo Hakola-Parry said he felt the course lacked nuance.

"Since it is multiple choice they only give you one option that's correct," he said.

CONSENT MATTERS QUESTION You know if someone consents because they: A. Tell you directly and say "yes, I want this, but not this" and so on. And if they don't, then it's not consent. B. Tell you in their own way, definitely using words or sounds. C. Tell you using their body, by responding to you physically. D. Do something but I don't know what it is. Answer: B

An image from the Consent Matters online course showing a bystander having a dilemma about whether to intervene ( Supplied )

Mr Hakola-Parry said young people wanted more guidance on how to be better "bystanders".

For example, what to do if two friends were drinking and showing interest in each other, but one of them was more intoxicated than the other.

"It's like, 'OK, when do I step in? What's my role when this doesn't involve me?'," Mr Hakola-Parry said.

For Ms Velez, the online course was a hassle to do each semester, but it was better than nothing.

An image from Consent Matters online course asking whether the intoxicated woman in this image is able to consent. ( Supplied )

'Students feel patronised': advocates

Anna Hush from End Rape on Campus says an online consent training course can be confusing and patronising. ( ABC News: Alison Branley )

Anna Hush from End Rape on Campus is not so convinced.

She said she believes there will be a section of university classes hostile to the content who "tick the right boxes" in the online course but "still might act really disrespectfully".

"The evidence says that face-to-face education is much, much better than online education in actually achieving attitudinal and behavioural changes," she said.

"I don't even know if it's better than nothing, because I think it produces quite a lot of backlash from students, who feel like they're being patronised."

CONSENT MATTERS SAMPLE QUESTION It's important to know the person(s) you're with is consenting: A. Before you have sexual intercourse with them B. When you're naked and touching each other C. When you're engaging in any type of sexual activity Answer: C

Ms Hush, who is studying this field, said even she struggled to get the right answer on a question because the correct answer contradicted other information provided in the course.

CONSENT MATTERS SAMPLE QUESTION Understanding consent can help you take care of your friends. It can help you notice and step in to calm down a potentially harmful situation. This is called: A. Positive intervention B. Passive bystander C. Consent education Answer: A

A spokeswoman for Epigeum, which makes Consent Matters, told the ABC it was designed to be used in conjunction with workshops and peer-to-peer training.

She said the course was developed in collaboration more than 20 advisory panel members, including experts on law, psychology, gender studies, student unions and support services from the UK and Australia, as well as students.

"The course does far more than just explore consent; it includes modules on healthy relationships, positive [bystander] intervention skills, and how best to seek support for yourself or a friend if you experience sexual assault or violence," the spokeswoman said.