https://theconversation.com/gender-based-violence-prevention-in-the-classroom-is-just-a-start-46515
Opinion:
One of the questions raised in this article was, “How far can such classroom lessons go in ending violence against women?” I feel both optimistic and pessimistic about bringing gender-based violence prevention into schools and here’s why…
Most of us participated in D.A.R.E., right? Well, how many of us actually stuck with the no drinking, no drugs, no bad stuff since? A small amount, I’m sure. I can speak for myself in saying that I do drink, and although D.A.R.E. was more about drugs rather than drinking, I’ve also engaged in and been around drugs which is something I (think I) vowed to never do. My point here is, if can’t stick to a promise we made in 5th grade, then how do we expect children nowadays to keep their word to not engage in and to stand up against violence. To me, that is asking a lot of a child right now mainly because it is hard to stand up to a perpetrator – especially when we may not fully understand the concept we are deciding to stand up against (sexual assault and other gender-based violence).
On the other hand, I think this is a great idea. I don’t think schools spend enough time focusing on things that actually matter. Not that math and science aren’t important but how much of what we learned at an early age do we really remember when it comes to MATH 1065, besides addition, subtraction, etc.? The earlier we start violence prevention, the more instilled in the children it will be. While it is the parents job (in my opinion) to instill good values and morals into their children, teachers could also help with the permission of the parents. If both the parents and faculty were to get on board with movements such as these, I think it would benefit children and society in the long run.
Question:
Would you feel okay if the school your child attended started teaching about gender-based violence prevention?