According to RAINN.org, every 68 seconds someone experiences sexual assault, and every 9 minutes that victim is a young person.
Teaching youth about consent and healthy communication can help lower the risk of someone becoming a victim or perpetrator of sexual assault. LifeSmart Youth provides an adolescent program to schools and summer camp partners called Communicating with And Respecting Each other (CARE™) which focuses on teaching young people how to have healthy relationships.
One way to help youth advocate for their own safety is to help them understand what is considered sexual assault. Examples of sexual assault can include:
- Physical contact, like grabbing, pinching, inappropriate touching, or unwanted kissing
- Sexual name calling
- Making sexual jokes or gestures
- Repeatedly asking for sex on a date, despite being told “no”
- Communication, like phone calls, emails, or texts, that are threatening or make the recipient uncomfortable
For more information on sexual assault and LifeSmart Youth’s programming, visit the following links: