It's Our Money

We know about the school to prison pipeline, but what about the sexual abuse to prison pipeline. Recently, it has came to the attention of many educators to have a trauma-informed lens within school settings. However, you cannot access trauma without teaching children and their families what these traumas look like. It is proven that 1 in 10 children are sexually assaulted before they are 18. These numbers are higher for disadvantaged groups. If we are going to create primary preventions for trauma there needs to be some for sexual assault one of the most common traumas. Sexual assault is not just an adult issue, it does not only appear after high school. Children come from various cultural backgrounds that can play a role in their prevalence, education, and understanding. There needs to be accurate and concise information provided to K-12 students as to what this trauma looks like, and the many forms it can take. Media does not accurate represent sexual assault and makes children believe it is the fault of the person assaulted, or it is caused by a stranger. In most cases, childhood sexual assault is a power dynamic inflicted by an individual that the child and family knows well. We must also provide this information to parents and educate them on spotting this at home, as well as how to educate their children outside of schools. However, it doesn't stop there. There needs to be resources provided to parents and students 6-12 allowing the space to process and cope from these traumas. It is proven that risky behaviors like alcoholism and tyranny are directly related to traumas like sexual assault. Many girls of color end up in the juvenile justice system due to these behaviors. If schools and community centers provide accurate, inclusive, and accessible support/ education students can cope and feel validated in their experiences.