Prevention

Common Concerns

I don’t know the people coming into my child’s classroom to present this material. What qualifications do the Prevention Educators have to teach this material?

All SART employees are required to complete at least 40 hours of training in advocacy for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking that meets the minimum training requirements set out in OAR 137-085-0080.

Our Prevention Educators have extensive experience working with youth and are actively involved in the Oregon State Coalition meetings with other prevention organizations throughout the state.

SART also offers continuing education opportunities in the form of workshops, webinars, state-wide conferences, and more. This is to ensure that our Prevention Educators are implementing best practices and have the most accurate, up to date, effective strategies to present this material.

I want to make sure that what my student learns about is in accordance with our family belief system. Are the Prevention Educators teaching my kids about gender identity, sexuality, or LGBTQIA+ topics in the classroom?

Anti-oppression, equity and inclusion programming is violence prevention work. Because of this, SART’s prevention education includes discussions of the dynamics at play that allow someone to harm another person, including the oppression and marginalization of various communities. While these discussions do include conversations about gender identity, sexuality, and other LGBTQIA+ topics, SART does not influence or push any identity onto any individual.

SART recognizes that individual experiences vary depending on the individual’s intersecting identities, and we validate and celebrate everyone’s truth, identity, and lived experience. Our message is simply that no one has the right to harm another person, regardless of their beliefs, identity, or dynamics at play.

Caregivers are also welcome to opt their child out of attending this class if they prefer their student not participate in these conversations.

I feel that these are conversations that should happen in the home and not in the classroom.

Both home and school are appropriate places for students to be taught about their right to bodily autonomy, the importance of consent, respecting differences, and protecting each other from violence. Schools are ethically and legally obligated to protect their students from harassment. Teaching students about sexual violence in schools is a step toward further offering this protection.

In addition to this, many families do not know how to have these conversations with their children, and many cases of child abuse are unfortunately taking place within the home itself. Offering this knowledge in the classroom gives every student the opportunity to learn that their body belongs to them and that no one ever has the right to cause them harm.

We encourage caregivers and families to continue these conversations at home with their children, and SART offers resources to do so. This is an ongoing dialogue as children grow and mature, and it is hugely beneficial for young people to hear this information from someone who they know and trust.

Caregivers are also welcome to opt their child out of attending this class if they prefer their student not participate in these conversations at school.

I worry that my child will be scared hearing about this topic and think that something bad will happen to them.

SART understands that some of the topics will seem a little scary to think about, but we make sure to talk to kids about the purpose of our lessons before we deliver them. We talk about how this is another safety conversation they have at school, just like fire drills or lock down drills. It doesn’t mean that these things will absolutely happen, but it’s important to be prepared for them just in case they do. These are things that can be scary to think about, but they’re important to talk about so we know what to do if they ever happen. We don’t need to be scared when we’re prepared.

We end each lesson having children get up and move, take some breaths and think about the adults in their lives that they feel safe and comfortable around. We acknowledge the heaviness of the conversation and encourage them to shake off any tension or discomfort that came up and check in with their trusted adults if they feel like they need to.

I want to be aware of what is being taught to my child in their classes. How can caregivers know what you’re talking to their students about? 

We encourage caregivers to engage with their child’s learning and be aware of what curriculum they’re being presented with. A complete grade-by-grade breakdown of SART’s K-12 curriculum is fully available here on our Curriculum Resources page of the Prevention Program portion of the website.

We encourage you to look into what information is being presented in each grade and reach out to us with any questions you may have.

I want to be prepared for when you’re coming into my child’s classroom. Will we be notified when you’ll be coming in?

It is standard practice for the child’s teacher or school to send out an announcement for when SART will be attending classes so that caregivers are notified and prepared. This also gives caregivers an opportunity to prepare their child and continue the conversation at home if they choose to do so.

I don’t feel comfortable with my child participating in this conversation at school. Is it mandatory for my child to attend these classes?

While it is mandatory for schools to provide curriculum related to sexual violence prevention in accordance with Senate Bill 856 (Erin’s Law), it is not required that students attend these classes. Caregivers are welcome to opt their child out of attending this class if they prefer their student not participate.

Does your curriculum follow ODE standards?

Our curriculum meets Oregon Health Education Standards and Senate Bill 856 (Erin’s Law) requirements in accordance with the Oregon Department of Education. Please visit our Curriculum Resources page to see a complete list of our K-12 curriculum and the topics we speak to.

I worry that talking about this subject with students will increase rates of harm.

There is no research or data that shows a causal relation between teaching sexual violence prevention and increases in rates of harm.

There does tend to be an uptick in reporting rates of harm at the school directly after SART’s classroom presentations; that being said, increases in reporting does not indicate an increase in frequency.

Many students become aware that what is happening to them is abuse and is not okay, which enables them to talk to an adult that they trust to get the support that they need.

I think these conversations are happening at too young of an age. I don’t feel that kids are ready to have these conversations yet.

People of all ages experience sexual violence, and it’s important that everyone, regardless of their age, has knowledge and information on how to identify abuse and ways of accessing support.

It is never too early for children to learn that their body belongs to them and what they say goes when it comes to what happens to their body and how.

We ensure that all of our curriculum and materials are age-appropriate and are presented in an easily digestible format in accordance with the age and maturity level of the students.

I don’t want my child’s innocence to be taken away by talking about something like this. Kids these days have enough to worry about.

All kids are inherently innocent, regardless of the experiences they’ve been through or the conversations they’ve had. Having a conversation that empowers children to voice what they’re comfortable with happening to their body and when, will not make that child any less wide-eyed and ingenuous.

These conversations don’t diminish a child’s sense of wonder and innocence, and they ultimately support children who are being harmed to speak up and advocate for themselves and their right to bodily autonomy.