The new Channel 4 factual drama airs tonight.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Consent.
This article contains discussion of sexual assault that some readers may find upsetting.
Airing tonight (Tuesday 7th February) on Channel 4 is new factual drama Consent, which is primed to be one of the most important watches so far this year and is set at an elite school where the lines of sexual consent are dangerously blurred.
The one-off film explores “what it feels like for young people in an environment where sexual expectations are distorted by the instant access to porn and where the lines of consent are minimised”.
Leading the cast as Natalie is Lashay Anderson, who is the working-class ‘outsider’ newcomer who joins a school filled with privilege, elitism and ‘lad culture’. After one distressing night at a party, the teen wages allegations against one of the big personalities at the school, Archie (played by Tom Victor).
While the topics this film broaches are very much real (discussions of porn culture, misogyny, toxic masculinity and sexual harassment feature), is Consent based on a true story? Read on to find out – but be warned, there are spoilers ahead.
Is Consent based on a true story?
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As outlined in the series and its trailer, Consent is inspired by true events. While it’s not based on one specific case, the drama is based on countless testimonies.
In the closing scenes of Consent, the headmaster sees Archie and tells him: “I think the best thing to do is to chalk this whole business up to experience. You’re an intelligent boy with a bright future. But perhaps consider a more sober lifestyle to avoid such complications.”
He hands him a leaflet for Alcoholics Anonymous and then tells him that Natalie will not be returning to the sixth form.
Upon leaving his office, Archie is greeted by his group of friends cheering and laughing, patting him on the back. They’re celebrating and taking pictures, but Kyle (Alex Heath) is sitting in the background, removed from them slightly.
Natalie then walks out with her books in hand and not in uniform, clearly marking her last moments at the school. “Look at you, a proper Dales boy now,” she says once she sees them.
We then fast forward to three weeks later when the school’s history merit prize is awarded to Archie, who turns out to be one of the Oxbridge-confirmed students in the sixth form. Kyle is clearly moved by how everything has ended and sends a text message to Natalie, with the video that Kyle took of her rape attached, texting: “I’m sorry.”
After watching it, we can hear Natalie calling the police and reporting her rape. Then, a screen flashes up reading:
“The June 2021 Ofsted report into sexual abuse in schools paints a picture of educational institutions in which abuse and harassment is so endemic that victims ‘often don’t see the point of challenging or reporting this harmful behaviour because it’s seen as a normal experience’.”
It continues: “59 per cent of girls and young women aged 13-21 say they have experienced sexual harassment at school or college with many prominent independent schools frequently mentioned.”
The report in question included the fact that Ofsted inspectors were alerted to girls suffering disproportionately. Sexist name-calling, online abuse, upskirting, unwanted touching in school corridors and rape jokes were all commonplace. Inspectors were also told boys share nude pictures on WhatsApp and Snapchat “like a collection game”.
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According to The Guardian, it found that sexual harassment has become “normalised” for young people in school, online and in other unsupervised spaces including parks and house parties. One female student included in the report told inspectors: “It shouldn’t be our responsibility to educate boys.”
The report found that teachers “consistently underestimate” the scale of the problem, also underlining that sex education in schools was so “out of touch with the reality of children’s lives” that pupils turned to social media or their peers for information instead.
Following Ofsted’s review in 2021, the Department for Education stated that it “sent a strong message to schools that delivery of the full RSHE [Relationships, Sex and Health Education] curriculum must be prioritised in 2021-22” and also “strongly encouraged them to devote some of their in-service training time to RSHE”. This broaches topics such as sexual consent, sexual exploitation, abuse, grooming and more.
As well as developing more support for teachers and professionals, the Department for Education also updated its guidance for schools, created a new online hub to support safeguarding, and launched the Harmful Sexual Behaviour Support Service.
But even with these measures, attitudes like those outlined in Consent still persist. Speaking about the new drama, executive producer Aysha Rafaele said: “School should be a safe, nurturing space – the statistics however suggest that too often it can be a very toxic environment.
“We hope our bold, authentic depiction of the teenage experience will resonate with many young people and will start a conversation about what kind of education a generation entirely permeated by a relentless online reality might actually need.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit Rape Crisis for more information and contact 0808 500 2222 for support. Help can also be found at The Survivors Trust.
Consent airs on Channel 4 and All4 on Tuesday 7th February at 10pm.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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