Thread by @SocDoneLeft

the left post is so ungodly stupid

you wanna know what actually reduces child sexual abuse?

teaching kids what sex is, what consent is, and why the latter lets them refuse the former

it's called "sex ed", and conservatives *hate* it

What does preventative sex ed look like?

In short, it focuses on telling kids what sex and sexual abuse (SA) is, why SA is wrong, how to say no, and why they're not to blame for their abuse.

Topping Barron 2009: literature review:

They work. First, they build knowledge.

In the Walsh et al 2015 meta-study, preventative sex ed programs increased protective behavior against CSA (x5.71), increased knowledge about CSA, did not increase anxiety or fear about CSA (insignificant):

Second, they increase reporting.

Campo Favero 2019: literature review: all evidence available suggests preventative sex ed increases children's reporting of sexual abuse (one school studied *doubled* its CSA reporting rate):

This is all particularly frustrating because CSA victims are overwhelmingly abused by family (34%) and acquaintances (59%) -- not strangers (7%)!

Kids are not getting abused by drag queens in the library, they're getting abused by dads, uncles, and friends.

That makes it far more important for kids to know what sexual abuse is and how to report it.

Sexual abuse often flows from power -- parent over child, elder over junior, friend over friend -- and kids need to know they have the power to fight back.

Knowledge *is* power.