In the time it takes...

Dear Curriculum Advisor Eric Schneider:

In the time it takes you to read this letter, three people in the United States alone will be sexually assaulted. Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) describes sexual assault as unwanted sexual contact; it is one of the most heinous crimes that a human being can do to another. One in six women and one in thirty-three men are sexually assaulted at least once in their lifetime, and forty-four percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of eighteen (RAINN).

What are schools doing to educate students about these tragic statistics? Nothing.

"Only about forty percent of sexual assaults are reported. I definitely think that if schools talked about what sexual assault is, there would be an increase in the number of reported assaults," says Erin McNiff from the St. Croix Valley SART (Sexual Assault Response Team). "Women under the age of eighteen are the most likely to be sexually assaulted," McNiff says. Experts say that the likelihood of becoming a victim depends on one's behavior and one's knowledge of what sexual assault is. The best way to solve this dilemma is to arm students with the knowledge that can help protect them from sexual assault. I propose that the topic of sexual assault needs to be addressed and become a required district standard in health classes from seventh grade through high school.

Teaching sexual assault in school and at what age is a very widespread debate. Is elementary school too young? Is high school too old? The fact of the matter is that children as young as preschool need be taught to respect each other's bodies. If children learn at a young age that saying no really does mean "stop", they will carry the behaviors they learn with them for the rest of their lives. Beginning in seventh grade, I strongly believe that sexual assault should be a required standard in health class, both abstinence based and abstinence until marriage. Mr. Schneider, I propose that you create a new standard for all health classes for grades seven through twelve. This standard should include two parts: first, students show a clear understanding of sexual assault; second, students are exposed to ways to protect themselves from a sexual assault. I asked the health teachers at Maple Grove Senior High for specifics on how they talk about sexual assault. Both Rob Bremseth and Darby Carlson said that they cover healthy/unhealthy relationships, sexting, and abuse, including the sexual type, but "that doesn't even scratch the surface of where you should be, especially in high school," says Erin McNiff.

McNiff says that "the reason sexual assault isn't taught in school is there is the notion 'we don't need to teach sexual assault because it doesn't happen in our school.'" The sad reality is that it does happen in our school. It doesn't necessarily mean that students are sexually assaulting one another within the walls of the school; it does mean that, inevitably, some students in our school district are victims of sexual assault. Another reason sexual assault is not taught in school is because there is a misconception that if we teach children about sex, they will start having sex. The truth? People are going to have sex whether it is taught or not. A District Attorney in Juneau County, Wisconsin believes that "to teach a child how to use a condom equates to sexually assaulting said kid." This is completely false. In order to be taught about sexual assault, I believe that students need to be taught about sex; learning about sex does not cause sexual assaults. Another common misconception victims have is that "maybe it wasn't rape because he is a really great guy." Students need to be taught that no means no and that if they do not stop when their partner says no, they are committing a crime. "Sex is already taboo; people don't talk about it," says Jane Benson*, a former biology teacher. "Sexual assault is also taboo, so when you put the two together, people recoil at the thought of discussing it." These deep and dark stories need to be brought into the light. In my opinion, the only way to accomplish this is to talk about and discuss the tragic statistics in a public setting such as school.

Jane Benson is a ten-year survivor of sexual assault. When she was in school, they only taught about the vicious stranger rape. Little did she know that her attacker would be somebody she knew well. When Jane reported her assault, she didn't know how to advocate for herself. "That is one thing that I wish I knew then, how to stand up for myself," she says. "Because I didn't know how, my case was handled badly and he never spent a day in prison." When you think about whether sexual assault should be taught in school, think about people like Jane who never had the knowledge required to defend them from a sexual assault or to fight for justice when it happens.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. If you would like to contact me, you can reach me by the address at the top of this letter or by email at alp11794@yahoo.com.

Best regards,

Audrey


*Name changed to protect identity of victim