I'm a bit uncomfortable with what I'm supposed to be teaching in PSHE...

[TheFallenMadonna]

I'm doing personal safety with year 9. This week, according to the scheme of work, I'm supposed to adress the issues of underage sex and underage drinking. Which is all fine. But I'm also supposed to cover the issue of how girls, and it is girls, dress. The resources have a picutre of a girl dressed in 'suggestive' clothing and I'm supposed to ask if this is an appropriate way for her to dress. What signals might she be sending out?

Perhaps it's the thread on the 'how to avoid sexual assault' email, but I'm feeling all cross about this.

I know it's about reducing risk for our students. I think that is a good thing. But I'm doubting the delivery suggested. I'm not sure I want to be talking about the signals a girl sends out in relation to sexual assault. I'm not sure that is sending out the right messages.

Aaaargh. Am I overthinking?

so do you prepare for how the world 'ought to be' or how it really is? The reality is that whatever we might wish, girls are more in danger when dressed like hookers.

But if we don't point out to boys that it is their responsibility not to make assumptions about a woman being "up for it" because of how she dresses, then how do we change the way the world is?

If the OP simply says to the mixed class "Girls, you shouldn't go out dressed like this because you increase your risk of being raped", isn't she also, subliminally, saying to the boys in the class "So, if you see a girl who hasn't taken this advice, she must be up for it, because we've told all the nice girls they should cover up"?

Better to say to all of them "People make strange assumptions about people based on appearance. You should be aware of that fact, and consider whether you are likely to get a reaction you don't want, or whether you are reacting in an inappropriate way"

Well, if girls are more in danger when dressed as hookers {not that I think it is fair to say a girl in short skirt etc is dressed "as a hooker") ... are you saying that it's really OK with you just to simply tell girls they mustn't dress like that for their own safety, and the conversation ends there?

What is the objection to placing this information within a wider context and exploring the fact that lots of potentially dangerous (though not always sexual) assumptions are made about women AND men based on how they dress, and the impact can be serious? Personal safety is about more than being sexually assaulted. There are other kinds of attacks too, on boys and on girls, often prompted by clothing or appearance.

at the notion that classroom discussion should focus just on girls dressed provocatively because "it's the way the world is".