As a child who was born and raised in Alaska, I have been acutely aware of the horrible sex crimes that occur far too frequently in this state. As a graduate of West Anchorage High School, I knew more relationships involving abuse and coercion than trust and consent. I’ve read and heard too many stories of horrible sexual abuse happening in our great state of Alaska from survivors, family members and friends. These stories frustrate me and many others because one thing is so abundantly clear: Our sexual education offered in public schools is failing Alaskans. We are doing a disservice to our current and future generations by continuing to not educate our students on consent and signs of abuse.
An overwhelming message from survivors of sexual abuse is lack of education on abuse. Most don’t realize they are or were in abusive situations until it is years too late. By educating our younger generations on the signs of abuse and coercion, we can prevent continued sexual assault. By educating our students on how to properly give consent and why consent is extremely important, we can help survivors recognize sexual abuse and stop it from continuing.
We cannot sit back as a state and wait for the abusers to stop abusing. We have failed past generations and it’s time we change the narrative for generations to come. I am calling on the Anchorage School District to closely examine what their role is in preventing sexual assault in this state. The residents of this state need and deserve better.
Chloe Wirum
Anchorage
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