How Old Should My Child Be Before I Start Teaching Him/Her About Rape?

[jimhines]

I’ve seen variations of this question come up in the wake of Steubenville. I’ve said several times lately that it’s important to educate boys and men about rape, because we do a piss-poor job of it. We do teach girls and women, but we present a very slanted, one-sided, and often harmful picture of what rape is and who’s responsible. We need to do

Comments

[queenoftheskies]

Thank you for this post.

I think, in addition to teaching our sons NOT to rape, we need to teach them to protect women who are in danger of being raped.

I have two adult sons, one almost 22 and the other almost 27. One is in college and the other recently graduated. They tell some frightening tales. Thankfully, they learned at a young age what most men think of women because their father was a BAD role model.

After I left him, they got to see the damage done. And they have grown up very strong supporters of women, women's rights, and will step in if someone oversteps their bounds with one of their female friends.

But, they tell me this is NOT common. And that the guys in question don't even think twice about it. They can't understand why. So many of the young men come from great families...families that have not taught them the proper way to treat women...WITH RESPECT.

Watching comments in the news recently, I have to wonder how many generations it'll take before their families start realizing women have rights and that one very important right is the right NOT to be raped.

[jimhines]

Agreed. Teaching boys (everyone, for that matter) not to rape is a good start. Teaching them to actively step in to prevent rape, and to challenge the attitudes that facilitate rape, is just as important.