A TEENAGE rape prevention campaign has been launched to raise awareness around consent faced by young people.

Devon and Cornwall Police are running the campaign aimed at youngsters aged 13 to 21.

The campaign in-cludes a powerful cinema advertisement, posters and a leaflet, to raise awareness among young people about consent and safety.

DCI Mike West said: “We want to help everyone, but especially young people, to stay safe and for them to be aware of and understand the issues surrounding consent.

“We aim to reassure people that it’s okay to say ‘no’ to sex. That’s the case if they’ve been dating, or had a drink, or if they’ve had sex before.

“We’re trying to make sure people understand that consent must be given prior to sex, otherwise it is rape. Rape can ruin the lives of both victim and perpetrator.

“We also want to let young people know that if they need help or advice about an incident, we have specially trained officers who can guide them. There are also support agencies across Devon that provide support for victims.”

Some of the advice given in the campaign includes avoiding travelling alone at night and making sure friends know where you are and where you are going.

Fee Scott, from Devon Rape Crisis, said: “We support many teenagers who have been affected by sexual violence as well as the damaging messages in society about what constitutes rape.

“Young people often feel judged and blamed for their behaviour and hesitate to report crimes because they fear not being believed.

“It's vital that they understand that sex without consent is rape, that consent must be freely and positively given, and that someone under the strong influence of alcohol or drugs isn't capable of giving consent.”

If you have been affected, call police on their non-emergency number, 101, or in an emergency call 999.