Let’s Talk
About Sex and Relationships with The Senior Section
This information sheet should be read in conjunction with Let’s Talk About Sex and Relationships: Advice for
Leaders.
Background
In school, members of The Senior Section may have covered a range of topics through SRE (Sex and Relationship
Education) and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education). However, you should be aware that at present,
these are not compulsory and parents and carers can withdraw their children from the lessons.
This age group is likely to learn about sex and relationships issues through:








peers and word-of-mouth
television and the media
the internet including social media
school
parents and carers
sisters and brothers
the wider programme of The Senior Section (see Activity below)
actual life experiences and experimentation.
It is important to be aware that of these sources, some (such as school and The Senior Section programme) will
provide recognised, trusted and factual information. Others (including peers, television and the media, the
internet, and sometimes even parents and carers), may provide biased, inaccurate or incorrect information
which, as a Leader, you may have to challenge, perhaps by directing the young women to the correct
information.
Topics covered in school include the following.







1
Healthy body – how bodies develop and what they do.
How the body works – the physical and emotional changes of puberty.
Making choices – how to develop a healthy lifestyle.
Special people – people who are special in a young person’s life, including family members and close friends.
Healthy friendships – relationships and how these are defined.
Support networks – identifying positive things about themselves and qualities they value in others, and
developing and maintaining friendships.
Bullying – what bullying is and how to deal with it.
Let’s Talk About Sex and Relationships with
The Senior Section
© Girlguiding 2014 www.girlguiding.org.uk
Registered charity number 306016


Relationships – when it might be right to have sex, having difficult conversations around sex, and STIs
(sexually transmitted infections) and contraceptive measures.
Sexuality – sexual orientation, gender identity including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT),
relationships and the law.
Remember, young people can be opted out of sex education at school, so don’t assume they all have a similar
level of knowledge.
What can I talk about?
It is likely, as The Senior Section covers a wide range of ages, that some members of this section will be more
advanced than others in terms of their knowledge and experience on sexual and relationship issues. The best
way to approach a session with this age group is to have open and honest discussions about all of the information
and facts, including any cultural beliefs around issues (such as sex before marriage, abortion or views on
sexuality and gender identity), and to let the young women ask questions and form their own conclusions.
The issues you can explore include:











puberty
relationships (types, families, divorce, sexuality)
domestic violence, healthy and unhealthy relationships
sexuality (including homosexuality, bisexuality, heterosexuality)
gender identity (transgenderism)
the law (age of consent, abortion, rape)
pregnancy (abortion, emotional side of pregnancy)
contraception
STIs
myths around sex and relationships
peer pressure.
Your role
 Members of The Senior Section aged 16 and over can have sessions run for them on issues around sex and






relationships without parental consent. However, it is good practice to let parents and carers know what you
are planning in advance whenever possible.
Encourage girls to set their own ground rules before you begin, for example to listen to each other, and
respect each other and their comments and suggestions.
Use the group’s existing knowledge to begin a discussion.
If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t ignore it, find out the answer and get back to the young
woman next time.
Keep the session light-hearted and matter-of-fact.
Do not make assumptions about a young woman’s knowledge and experience based on her age, appearance,
culture or religion or any other factors.
Remember, some members of The Senior Section (and Leaders) are more sensitive about certain issues
than others.
Activity
Where is the line? (adapted from Girls in Action: Change the Story)
For young women to explore healthy relationships and where behaviour may be considered abusive in
relationships.
2
Let’s Talk About Sex and Relationships with
The Senior Section
© Girlguiding 2014 www.girlguiding.org.uk
Registered charity number 306016
What to do
Ask everyone to start walking quickly around the room while a Leader or another member of The Senior Section
reads out a scenario. Ask girls to keep walking at the same speed, but to slow down if they start feeling that the
situation is getting dangerous, and to stop completely at the point in the story when they feel the line has been
crossed and the situation shouldn’t go any further. After each scenario, ask what it was that made them slow
down or stop walking. Encourage mature discussion if there are differences of opinion, and keep the discussion
general.
Scenarios
1. Ava and Lewis are at a party. Ava really likes Lewis and is enjoying hanging out with him. They have a few
drinks together and dance for a while. Lewis asks Ava to go upstairs so they can be alone as there are a lot of
people around. They find an empty room upstairs and sit on the bed. Lewis starts to kiss Ava. At first it feels
nice, but then he starts to try to take her top off. Ava isn’t sure that she wants him to and pulls away. He says
that she is being weird. He starts to kiss her and tries to undo her jeans. Ava tells him to stop; he doesn’t. She
starts crying and he tells her to relax. He has sex with her.
2. Lucy has been going out with Andri for six months. She really likes him and they spend a lot of time together.
They have not had sex yet but have done other things. One night they are on their own at his house, and he asks
her if she is ready to sleep together. She feels nervous but says yes.
3. Paige and Ryan are at a friend’s house; there are a few other people there. They are all drinking and listening
to music. Paige doesn’t usually drink much but wants to fit in. She starts to feel dizzy and a bit sick. Ryan tells
her she needs to lie down and takes her into a bedroom. She lies on the bed and passes out. When she wakes up
Ryan is on top of her, having sex with her. She cries out but he says that she said she wanted to. She can’t
remember.
4. Mia has been sleeping with her girlfriend Ruby for over a year now and she feels like she is in love. All her
friends think Ruby is really cool. One night Mia is supposed to be staying at Ruby’s place, but she is not feeling
that well. She has a headache and is worried about an exam she has the next day. Ruby says she can help her
relax and starts to kiss her. Mia says she is not in the mood. Ruby says, ‘You would if you loved me’. Mia feels
bad and thinks that maybe she should – after all, Ruby is her girlfriend and maybe it will relax her.
Other activity ideas
Activities around sex and relationships can count towards Look Wider in The Senior Section programme.






Good friends (Me in Mind, www.girlguidingshop.co.uk, order code 6033)
I’d rather not (Me in Mind)
Girls in Action: Change the Story has activities around healthy relationships suitable for The Senior Section
(www.girlguiding.org.uk > Members’ area > Activities > Activity packs > Girls in Action)
Condom games (Together We Can, www.girlguiding.org.uk, order code 6542)
Problem pal (Aim Hi!, www.girlguidingshop.co.uk, order code 6541)
Beat the text bully (Aim Hi!)
You may find it helpful to arrange a 4 (peer-education) session on body confidence, healthy relationships or
teenage health to provide a different environment for young women to explore these issues with their peers. Ask
your Commissioner about Peer Educators in your area.
3
Let’s Talk About Sex and Relationships with
The Senior Section
© Girlguiding 2014 www.girlguiding.org.uk
Registered charity number 306016