Alessandra Gass, Editor-in-Chief
@agasscourant
As with any issue in society, the absence of conversation does not mean an absence of the issue altogether. Such a concept applies to the conversation surrounding sexual assault in schools, as the choice against its incorporation in health classrooms does not protect students from abuse; rather, it leaves them unequipped in times of crisis. In response, schools around Fairfield County have begun to eliminate the stigma around sexual violence by providing students with adequate prevention and reaction resources via health class curriculum. If NCHS wants to fully prepare it’s student body for college, sexual assault conversation should be implemented into required course curriculum.
“In my three years in high school and upbringing in the New Canaan Public School system, I have heard no conversations specifically in relation to sexual violence,” junior Grace Driscoll said. “This puts our students at a severe disadvantage, as New Canaan is the only school district in Fairfield County that completely ignores sexual violence in the health curriculum.”
In comparison to neighboring schools, the Greenwich Public School District implements Sexual Assault and Abuse Health Education in first, fourth, eighth, and 11th grades. In first grade, a “big idea” of the curriculum is “connect[ing]with your ‘uh-oh’ feeling when you are in an uncomfortable situation.” In fourth grade, students are told to “tell a trusted adult and get help, for self or for others, when being sexually mistreated or abused.” In eighth grade, the ideas previously taught are built upon as they are taught that “the victim of a sexual assault crime is never to blame.” In 11th, students learn of the “school and community resources that can help the victim/survivor of a sexual assault.” In addition to big ideas, students are expected to demonstrate mastery of skills and concepts detailed in each-grade specific curriculum by being able to identify, discuss, and evaluate the safety of themselves and others in varying degrees. Though New Canaan Public Schools have taken steps to teach students the power of their voice and the importance of trusted adults, there is no application of these advocacy skills in direct relation to sexual assault.
Yes, important lessons in regards to personal boundaries and healthy relationships are taught in NCPS elementary, middle, and high schools – this is not a fact I’m not denying, especially as a student who entered the school system in second grade. Students are taught the differences and identifying factors between healthy and unhealthy relationships and signs of abuse within them, along with the establishment of trusted adults they could consult if ever uncomfortable. These are very valuable skills, and reinforcing said skills K-12 is even more significant in regards to long-term retention. However, these skills are never specifically applied within the classroom in conversation surrounding sexual assault. While NCHS students may know their boundaries and what makes them uncomfortable, do they know their legal rights in circumstances of sexual assault? Do they know if the consumption of alcohol changes these rights? Do they know how long one can wait before undergoing a forensic rape exam? Do they know what a rape kit is, or where to access one? No, it would be unlikely for them to, as it is never explicitly mentioned in classrooms.
“As we are approaching adulthood and about to enter new lives in colleges and universities around the globe, education on sexual assault is extremely important,” junior Angelina Gao said. “If high schools don’t educate teens on this topic, they will be sent out into college, living alone and away from their family most likely for the first time, with no knowledge on how to detect, prevent, or report sexual assault.”
According to the Office on Women’s Health from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, one in five women in college experience sexual assault, with the highest risk during the first few months of their first and second semesters. However, such studies only included reported acts of sexual violence: the Pennsylvania Coalition to Advance Respect states that 90% of sexual assault goes unreported.
Despite the clear magnitude of the issue, education has been a proven method to empowering students to properly identify and report abuse, as the National Library for Medicine states that education of children, on average, led to 77.43% more awareness and, as a result, self-protection against sexual abuse and rape.
Grace believes that such education can come in the form of outside intervention, as a sensitive topic like sexual assault must be handled carefully. “The Rowan Center is a nonprofit organization that provides support and counseling to victims. In addition, they educate Fairfield County communities about sexual violence,” she said. “The conversation could begin with a ‘Rowan Roundtable,’ where an expert educator comes in to address students in smaller groups.”
The Rowan Center believes in “sexual violence prevention through education,” with their slogan being “empower, educate, eliminate.” The Rowan Roundtable is designed to be a “safe space dedicated to supporting dialogue between students,” as advocates from the center “facilitate conversations about difficult issues, including, but not limited to, boundaries, consent, gender expectations, sexual violence, and the intersections of different forms of bias and discrimination.” Such discussions are usually 60 to 90 minutes long, and participants set a goal for the conversation, and a moderator keeps the conversation on track.
In regards to education style, Vice Chair of the Rowan Center Board Jennifer Barnard said, “NCHS is the only district that doesn’t allow the Rowan Center educators to do any kind of education. Most schools don’t do their own education, but they allow Rowan experts to handle the conversation,” she said. “In some districts, the Rowan Center may educate starting in the elementary schools in age-appropriate ways to talk about consent/healthy touching. This past year alone, they’ve had 20 disclosures after their talks from kids as young as 6.”
However, such intervention can also come internally. “We should implement more discussion about sexual assault into the health class core curriculum,” Angelina said. “There are many different resources to educate youth on the dangers of sexual assault, and it wouldn’t be too difficult to carve out a couple of classes to cover this important topic.”
To aid schools in properly educating their students, the Connecticut State Department of Education has published Statewide K-12 Sexual Assault & Abuse Prevention & Awareness Program Guidelines, outlining a Sexual Assault and Abuse Prevention and Awareness Curriculum. The framework is organized into the following grade clusters: Kindergarten; Grades 1-4; Grades 5-8; and Grades 9-12. Within each grade cluster is a chart listing Connecticut Sexual Health Education Standards, sexual assault and abuse prevention education and awareness standards, and performance indicators defining what students should know and be able to do by specific grade levels.
Despite discrepancies between the above standards and NCPS curriculum in regard sexual violence prevention and reaction education, there are still resources available to students at the high school if a crisis were to occur. “The nurses are here to support any and all students that find themselves in a tough situation,” Nurse Betsy said. “Whether they have personally experienced an act of sexual violence or want guidance supporting a survivor, we’re always here to help.”
NCHS has taken significant steps to prepare so many of us for varying aspects of adulthood. However, in order to prepare the whole person for life in college and beyond, the beginning of conversation regarding social safety and implementation of a prevention-based sexual assault curriculum is an absolute necessity for NCHS to ensure that members of their student body do contribute to the growing statistics regarding sexual violence on college campuses.
By equipping students with the knowledge and resources they need to identify, prevent, and report sexual assault, NCHS can empower its graduates to navigate the challenges they are statistically bound to face and contribute to the redefinition of the quintessential “college experience.” After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
