Piloting sexual conduct and consent training co-developed and delivered by varsity athletes

This study developed and piloted a sex- and consent-focused educational module grounded in the experiences, needs and perspectives of varsity athletes at a mid-sized university in southern Ontario, Canada. Two questions guided this research: (1) What does proactive and sex-positive sexual violence prevention educational content look like? (2) How can this be delivered in a way that resonates with the varsity audience? This project unfolded in three phases. Phase 1 involved individual interviews with varsity athletes (n = 10) to gather feedback on existing campus sexual violence and consent programming. Phase 2 employed a focus group (n = 12) to co-develop recommendations for the educational module to be piloted. Several recommendations emerged from the focus group, including the importance of delivering any educational module in a conversational, non-lecturing format, guided by a familiar peer or athletic mentor. In Phase 3, Discussion Sessions were developed and piloted with varsity athletes (n = 28); an exit survey captured participants’ reflections. Findings highlight the importance of tailoring educational interventions to athletes’ lived experiences, promoting engagement and fostering meaningful dialogue around sex, sexual conduct and consent.