“It is up to all of us to ensure victims of sexual violence are not left to face these trials alone. Too often, survivors suffer in silence, fearing retribution, lack of support, or that the criminal justice systems will fail to bring the perpetrator to justice. We must do more to raise awareness about the realities of sexual assault; confront and change insensitive attitude wherever they persist; enhance training and education in the criminal justice system; and explain access to critical health, legal, and protection services for survivors.” (“Presidential Proclamation.”).
Sexual assault has always been a very hush-hush topic in society. Society has taught the population to keep their mouths closed, to pretend like nothing ever happened,
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Across the country, middle and high school students, parents, and educators are uninformed about sexual assault; allowing sexual assault to be unaddressed. Sexual assault education for students may vary through one school district than the other, it may be comprehensive in one classroom and nonexistent in another. Not having an education in sexual assault awareness causes confusion for a student when they need to report. Research shows that eighty percent of high school counselors feel unprepared to address incidents of abuse. Senators Claire McCaskill and Tim Kaine introduced the “Teach Safe Relationships Act, which requires schools to teach sexual education, sexual assault, and dating violence” (___). Windom Area High School in Windom, Minnesota, teaches students’ sex education when they enter the ninth grade. A sophomore, Eliana Tadé who attends Windom Area High School believes students should be educated in sexual assault awareness before going off to college. Eliana knows sexual assault happens more than people realize. In Eliana’s ninth grade Health Education course she learned about the importance of protection, barriers, how the reproductive systems are formed, and how children are made. Ninth graders learned the topics required but they never had to chance to learn the meaning of consensual sex or sexual assault awareness. The topic of sexual assault was never brought up in