April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

I remember announcing this fact to my classes and most notably the uncomfortable silence thereafter.

I have a problem with the silence. We, as a society and a nation, have been silent about this topic for too long.

In our #MeToo society, it seems imperative to have open and real conversations about rape and sexual assault.

By law, the district is mandated to teach Missouri Health Standards, which encompasses AIDS and HIV prevention. Sexual education in addition to assault and rape are only taught if local school boards choose to include this in their curriculum.

I am displeased with the current way our district has chosen to approach teaching on sexual assault and rape. Our health course which includes sexual education is taken once at the high school level.

Almost like a mantra, since grade school students are taught “Drugs are bad.” In health class, we learn of the detrimental effects drugs and alcohol have on the body. This is complete with graphic videos and speakers who aren’t meant to “scare us,” but to speak to us with intentions to tell us the “truth.”

We make educating students on the effects of drug abuse an important issue.

Rape education and sexual assault are equally as important, but are not given the same acknowledgment. According to the Darkness to Light Organization, dedicated to ending the sexual abuse of children, 1 in 10 children will be a victim of sexual abuse before they turn 18.

I would like to see the implementation into the curriculum of programs that teach students about sexual assault, rape and what to do if they are or have been the victim of either issue.

There are several non-profit programs that come into schools or business that teach on these issues. This includes the Darkness to Light Organization, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network or RAINN, and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.

The equity team at MHS is really great about talking about different social issues and having different speakers come in to talk. I believe this issue should be apart of their conversations.

I understand this is a sensitive topic, but we are putting students at a disadvantage and in danger when we don’t talk about either issues.

It is much more important to me to have students be uncomfortable, but informed than be ignorant and potentially caught in the midst of a terrible situation.

Staying silent has not and will not fix the problem of rape and sexual assault in our society and in our schools.

My heart aches and I refuse to be silent anymore.