This post was written by Hatchet columnist Sarah Blugis.
In middle school, my sixth grade health teacher discussed sexual assault with our class. She told us the age at which a teenager is too young to legally consent to sex, reiterated a point about “good touch, bad touch” and moved on.
The whole conversation lasted less than five minutes.
And since then, I have had no formal education about rape in general, let alone the legal and emotional complexities of a complex legal issue like statutory rape.
But in recent weeks, the news cycle has erupted in discussions of statutory rape, after news broke that Kaitlyn Hunt, an 18-year-old girl from Florida, faces charges for having a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old female basketball teammate.
The Hunt case, emotionally charged as it is, shows us that it’s completely necessary to push for more education about statutory rape at the middle and high school levels.
Kids have always been expected to learn about serious topics like rape and the legislation that comes with them on their own. But that has to change.
Statutory rape cases like Hunt’s aren’t uncommon, even though the media has unfairly put this particular case in the spotlight because it revolves around a same-sex relationship. Hunt’s situation is well-known: Two high school teenagers fall in love and have a consensual relationship. But when one turns 18, legal issues arise.
It is difficult not to feel sympathetic for Hunt. But ultimately, her situation stems from her lack of awareness of these powerful statutory rape laws.
Teaching teens the complexities of these laws, as well as the harsh penalties that come with them, will save a lot of heartbreak. It can also begin the long road to dismantling rape culture, which now manifests itself in issues like rape and sexual abuse in the military.
We can’t tiptoe around issues like statutory rape. And this is true especially in our schools, where educators need to realize that unless they’re informed by their mentors, teens might not always understand the consequences of their actions.
The writer is a sophomore majoring in political communication.
