Sexual Abuse Education: Does it Belong in Kindergarten Classes?
The state rolls out a new curriculum today that’s designed to prevent childhood sexual abuse.
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Reading, writing and arithmetic aren’t the only things Florida’s kindergarten children will learn in classes from now on. Starting today, they’ll also learn the ins and outs of preventing sexual abuse.
The state intends to roll out its new “Safer, Smarter Kids” curriculum today in all of its public kindergarten classes. The addition to the standard ABCs and 123s lineup is meant to help kids avoid becoming targets of abusers.
The program will present a variety of topics in a manner that is meant to inform children without being explicit or scary. Topics include safety awareness, self-esteem development, body boundaries and “Listening to your Guiding Voice.”
While most parents will agree children need to be educated about and protected from sexual predators and abuse, we’d like to find out what you think about Florida schools taking on the task.
What do you think about having kindergarten teachers discuss sexual abuse in their classes? Do you think this topic should be reserved for teaching at parents’ discretion? Vote in the poll below or speak your mind in the comments section.
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Grace Terry
9:19 am on Thursday, September 27, 2012
This is a no-brainer. Yes, kindergarten children should be taught age-appropriate information about "... safety awareness, self-esteem development, body boundaries and “Listening to your Guiding Voice.”..." If parents were doing a good job at this, then 1 in 3 girls would not be victims of sexual abuse. I wish SOMEONE had taught me some of this when I was a kid. My parents were clueless in this area. We never even had the "birds and bees" talk. Yes, it does take a village to protect and prepare children for life.
Patch Critic
12:16 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
I'm sorry but they have other state departments and law enforcement agencies that investigate this and educate the public. Tell the school board to focus on teaching the students things like math and reading. With me, its not a matter of what age, its the fact that they are doing it at all. I mean unless you are ok with going to a flooring company to buy a cheeseburger. It is not the schools job to educate the public at large on anything but local school matters and school subjects. If you want to educate the kids, call the Dept of Children and Families and contract out a rep who actually deals with this in their line of work. Have a special assembly and have the kids listen to what the rep has to say. Let the teachers to their job. They have enough to worry about and my taxes are paying for them to do their job. Not extra activities. Also, have the FDLE or local sheriffs dept educate the children on sexual predators. They are experts on the topic. In regards to it being kindergarden level, here is a thought. Why don't the school send a permission slip home to the parents requesting permission for children to be educated on this. This is NOT part of the state required plan and parents should be allowed to opt-out since the state doesn't require this education. It would certainly fix the problem with parents that don't want their child to know about this stuff yet.
Pamella Leslie
2:56 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
More and more people are getting caught with child porn... This may help stop that and children may speak up if someone is doing this to them. It could save them years of abuse and mental damage. It could also get the predators off the streets. Not every parent will discuss this with them... they may be the abuser.
shannin
2:50 pm on Saturday, September 29, 2012
Kids need to be taught at a ver early age that they should not be touched in private areas. The statics of molested children are horrible.