![]() But do we really discuss this with our students and make sure that they are okay, that they know what is right, and that they know when and how to speak up and ask for help? This post contains affiliate links.Īs English teachers, we have the ability to approach pressing topics through the literature we teach. Sure, we read To Kill a Mockingbird and discuss Mayella Ewell. According to the CDC, a recent national study, “In a recent national survey, nearly 10 percent of high school students reported physical violence and 11 percent reported that they experienced sexual violence from a dating partner in the 12 months before the survey.”Įven though dating violence, mental illness, and rape culture are issues our students must face, these topics are either mishandled or not even discussed in schools at the secondary level. And when you teach Speak in your classroom, you will encounter these issues. Avoiding it by removing a book that deals with the subject in a thoughtful, literary way is ridiculous and harmful.Dating violence, mental illness, and rape culture are increasingly common in today’s society, especially in adolescents. Rape survivors speak out publicly about their attacks. Rape is discussed on the front page of newspapers. Teenagers know that sexuality exists, they know what rape is, and way too many of them have suffered it. While it would be nice to pretend that sexual assault does not exist, a quick glance at the statistics proves otherwise. These are the kinds of people who try to remove SPEAK from the classroom.Įducation is supposed to prepare children for the world. They find it easier to avoid the discussion. They often can’t put their feelings about it into words. It makes them feel awkward or powerless, or ashamed. Some people are uncomfortable talking about rape. Visit their site for more information – they have everything and anything you need to know about how much sexual assault and abuse is suffered by Americans, who commits these crimes, and what we can do to stop it. RAINN is the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, America’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. These statistics and more can be found on RAINN’s website. ![]() 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide.6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.1998.)ģ times more likely to suffer from depression. Prevalence, Incidence and Consequences of Violence Against Women Survey. ![]() (National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. 2004.)ġ7.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape. 2004 National Crime Victimization Survey. 1998.)Ĥ4% of those rape victims are under age 18. ![]() National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. REALITY CHECKġ in 6 American women will be the victims of a completed or attempted rape in her lifetime. Some people in America get all weird whenever anything that is remotely sexual in nature comes up for discussion. Isn’t that what we want our kids to do – reach out to us? Throughout the entire book, she struggles with her pain, and tries to find the courage to speak up about what happened so she can get some help. This is a story about the emotional trauma suffered by a teen after a sexual assault. ![]() I am shocked whenever anyone challenges SPEAK. ![]()
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