| 3.23.22

Should Lessons About Safe Relationships Start In High School? (S. 355)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is S. 355?

(Updated March 23, 2018)

This bill would reform public school sex-ed by requiring that classes include information about “safe relationship behavior.” Curriculums would focus on preventing sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence.

The Secretary of Education would be authorized to award grant funding to local educational agencies that offer professional development related to safe relationship behavior education for teachers and staff. Grants would also be awarded to educational programs working to develop age-appropriate curricula.

"Safe relationship" teachings would also include teachings about consent. This bill defines consent as the affirmative, unambiguous, and voluntary agreement to engage in a specific sexual activity. Consent cannot be given if an individual is asleep, mentally or physically incapacitated, under duress or experiencing a threat, and it cannot be inferred during situations in which consent is not clear.

Argument in favor

Teaching high school students what is and what is not consent will foster healthy relationships for students in school and into their futures. This plan also trains students how to spot and act in the face of domestic and sexual violence.

Argument opposed

Schools should focus their time with students in health education classes to teaching abstinence. If parents want to teach their children about "consent" and other notions of "healthy relationships," they can do it on their own time.

Impact

High school students, teachers, administrators, and staff; local educational agencies; the Department of Education; the Secretary of Education.

Cost of S. 355

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth:

This legislation defines “safe relationship behavior education” as instructing students how to recognize and prevent physical and emotional relationship abuse. This education would also include ways to spot coercion, dating violence, domestic abuse, sexual violence and harassment. Educational materials would also focus on "healthy relationships," attitudes, and insights, relationship communication skills, emotional health, accountability, and consent.

This bill also expresses Congress’ findings on the issue, particularly that safe relationship behavior education programs will help prevent occurrences of sexual violence and harassment — things that affect women between the ages of 16 and 24 at higher levels than any other age group.

Of Note:

Women between the age of 18 to 24 are more likely than any other demographic group to experience sexual violence. A related Bureau of Justice Statistics report found that among this demographic, non-students are slightly more likely than students to experience rape or sexual assault.