Maybe it feels to early to talk about consent, but consider these statistics:
According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey Report¹:
• 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males who ever experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, first experienced some form of intimate partner violence between 11 and 17 years of age.
• More than half of all rapes of females occur before age 18; 22% occur before the age of 12.
• Adolescent girls who experience dating violence are more likely to exhibit other serious behaviors such as substance abuse, increased suicide attempts, unhealthy weight control, and risky sexual behavior.
Sexual violence is a big problem in young dating relationships in part because teens are not clear on what consent means, nor how to ask for it.
http://www.teachconsent.org/#ask
A few weeks ago we shared a video from this same group. It was a great conversation starter about asking for consent to kiss. Now we want to share their parent guide that is short but also filled with great tips including some developmentally appropriate ways of introducing the concept of consent to younger kids.
Click to access Parent%20discussion%20guide%202018-FINAL.pdf
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