Rape and sex education

[EclecticShock]

Should the concept of rape be taught as part of sex education and at what age? Young people are heavily affected and apparently there is a distortion of rape facts being spread by peers.

article here

yes they should

it can be done alongside pshe type stuff throughout school, right from reception

at reception, it can be about teaching them to be empathetic to others, to respect others' boundaries, to listen to non verbal cues, to know that they can say no and it will be listened

It can get progressively more to do with sexual assault/as they age, just as other sexual education stuff gets more explicit and specific as children age

a big focus needs to be shifted from girls (girls, it's up to you to stop yourself being raped) and onto boys, teaching them all of the above, and to recognise that rape is any unwanted penetration, not just some random with fangs grabbing someone in an alley

Also are teachers best placed to give sex education or should it be a sex counsellor or psychologist?

I agree chibi, just wonder the best way to do it.

i'm not sure, i was typing out a reply saying i'd rather have the concept of consent on the curriculum - putting the onus on the positive rather than the negative, but on reflection i think that would be construed as more pressure to agree to sex

i think i'd say yes then

yes, it's more about respect isn't it?

rape isn't about sex, it's about power after all

Agree but children and young people might find it hard to understand what the concept of power really means and why it relates to sex. After all, they are always beig subjected to the power of others... School, parents etc.

I personally think it should be introduced early, not sure exactly, maybe 6 or 7, but by someone qualified to approach it in the correct manner so the meaning is got across but not any detrimental affect. I'm not sure teachers are best placed to do it. Ideally it would be parents but that isn't working obviously.

What is pshe? Completely agree stewie.

the 'power' behind school and parents is far removed from the power from a rapist though - the 2 should not be compared

people who rape often have a skewed idea of power and what is acceptable (stating the bleedingly obvious there)

There will be children in classrooms even at the youngest ages who are being raped / have been raped.
This would be an important opportunity to impart information about the whole thing to any children who need it, who they can talk to in school if they want to type stuff.
quite aside from teaching them about it for later IYSWIM

Completely agree but would children understand that? Sex between young people often comes under "peer pressure" rather than "rapist power".

Agree sardine. Do you think parents would welcome their children being taught about rape?

I saw the advert talked about in the link - it was very good IIRC.

Quick answer?

No I don't think they would.

I was raped when I was a teenager and it was someone I had a one. iChat stand with and really was attracted to. The point is I had sex with him once and so he assume the second time was "ok" even though I had changed my mind and said no. This type of thing could be helped possibly by some rape mugs being dispelled and boys/ girls being educated about the dynamics of sexual relationships.

' Do you think parents would welcome their children being taught about rape?'

I think that's one of the biggest hurdles to get over in schools. which is why I'd like to see it as part of a course on relationships, sexual health, contraception and spotting red flags in an abusive relationship. And what your options are, places to get help and advice.
Taught by a specialist.

Me too stewie although, I'm not sure I'd be happy with a teacher delivering it. I'd be much happier if someone trained and vetted did it.

Plus if we as parents were told what exactly was discussed so we could follow up at home. All children are individual and might take different messages from it.

We were taught about rape in PSE at about 13, in fact we debated it eg 'is a short skirt inviting it?', 'what if consent is withdrawn during the act?' - was a great opportunity for the teacher to debunk the various myths and misogynistic attitudes that inevitably arose. My school was wonderful though, we were also taught about body image, self respect, social justice etc.

One night stand and rape myths... Sorry, phone.

The basis is surely with good touch/bad touch which can be started a a very young age (dd2 was 4 when it was first approached with her via a SS referral). This can then be built upon as they grow older and learn more culminating in ANY unwanted sexual attention.

Or what Chiba said ^^

As for who does it, surely larger schools can afford to have one member of staff "trained up" and if not, or in smaller schools, there must be outside agencies who can step in - or the school nurse?

School nurse can do the mechanics of the explanation, but many would struggle to debunk rape myths without extra training and a willingness to learn a new approach.
Some schools have an excellent PSHCE curriculum that covers these areas, but universal high quality of lessons is still a way off.