Even kids who have access to good sex ed programs are only receptive to information that they are ready for, or may come home with more questions. In the absence of standardized sex ed curricula, it falls to parents to provide accurate information about responsible sexual behavior. Schools may be comfortable teaching the facts about reproduction and puberty, but often face criticism for teaching about consent, healthy dating behavior and birth control. Sex education varies from school system to school system, and often from school to school.

A recent study commissioned by the White House found that of 140 sexual-abuse prevention programs, only two or three could be termed effective - and these were multiweek programs attended by middle-school students. Perhaps most disturbingly, studies have found that children can experience dating violence and sexual harassment as young as sixth grade.Įxperts on the subject and abundant research agree that education is the best preventive measure, and the earlier that children learn about respect and consent, the more likely they are to act according to those precepts. This number is even higher for gay men and women, transgender people and people with disabilities. Because his victim is far from alone: One in five girls can expect to fall prey to sexual violence at some point in their lives. The trial of Brock Turner, the Stanford student convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, and the subsequent furor over his six-month sentence, ignited new discussions about sexual violence and what we can do to prevent it.

Doing It Right by Bronwen Pardes