Sexual Assault In High Schools

Biology 207 - Human Sexuality Term Paper

Cara Petersen

Millersville University Abstract

I will be talking about why sexual assault needs to be better addressed in the high school levels rather than waiting until students are in college. This is something that needs to be studied due to the high rate of incidents that occur in high school. Statistically, it has been proven that 35.8% of sexual assault victims are children between the ages of 12-17 and that 82% are adolescent females. I think that this topic needs to be addressed better before the individual goes to college. During a young adults’ time in college the topic of sexual assault and where to get help if needed is readily available. For example, there are flyers hung up stating

With information learned hopefully this can be implemented and the proper education can be provided to the student. Unfortunately, the topic of sexual assault is an issue that is happening not just at college campuses but high schools as well. I question if high schools are hesitant to talk about this because most high school students are still under the supervision of their parents. In comparison to college, you are most likely living without parents or a guardian for the first time. While this may be true, sexual assault can happen with or without parents being around. Sexual assault is frequently talked about at colleges because it is understood that college students will go out and party. While this may also be true, high school students also attend parties, especially after big events like homecoming, prom, or graduations. According to the Department of Justice, “Teens 16 to 19 years of age were 3 ½ times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault”

The assault its self didn’t take place on school grounds or anything of that nature but it did happen and I didn’t have any clue on what to do. I had little prior knowledge to the topic and little to no knowledge of who I could talk to or trust. I kept it from my family, friends, and teachers for weeks until finally one day my parents found out. Then after that the real problems began. Cops were involved, rumors got spread, and I became the girl who “wanted it to happen”. I became the girl that “asked for it”, the girl who “did it for attention”. My so called friends that were that night after the incident turned their backs on me like they never knew me. Because of the ridicule and lies that were spreading around I felt the only thing that I could do for my own safety was to graduate high school early, and that is exactly what I did. I graduated 6 months early and went on to miss major senior events and traditions that most high school seniors experience all because the topic of sexual assault was not clearly identified within DHS. All of this though could have been avoided the rumors, the jokes, the isolation all of it, if only the topic of sexual assault was made aware in high school. While, yes I am aware that it might not necessarily stop the crime from happening but it could stop the negative