Conversation About Sexual Violence Is Often a New One for College Freshmen
Students arriving on college campuses this month will be brought into several conversations about sex, consent, and sexual assault. For many, it will be the first time they discuss such topics in a formal way. While sexual assault and how to combat it has become a focus of discussion on college campuses, that’s not the case in secondary schools. Yet high-profile rape cases, like the St. Paul’s School trial, illustrate that sexual violence is a reality that many students deal with before they reach a college campus. In general, high schools are hesitant to talk about sexuality, several experts say. Sex-education classes look different across the country and at different types of schools, but high schools typically shy away from discussions of sexual assault.