The 2023 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey has revealed a lot of concerning data, especially about dating violence between LS students. For example, one fifth of girls at LS who have been in a relationship have been forced into sex or other sexual things. These numbers were surprising in a school where relationship safety is considered to be taught well. Wellness teacher Mrs. Greeley asks, “Have we been doing as good a job at teaching consent as we think we are?”
While consent and communication are emphasized during the short sex-ed units in two required wellness classes, LS could be doing more to ensure the safety of their students. One part of that is teaching about common factors in dating violence like mental health and online use. More than half of dating violence victims report being depressed or having anxiety, which the curriculum overlooks.
The issue of online pressure in relationships is becoming increasingly important, as 12% of girls and 6% of boys at LS have been pressured into sexting by a partner. Online safety in relationships is a big conversation that LS isn’t having. But the school has already begun considering how to make changes in response to the data; Mrs. Greeley assures that the teachers “really do look at this data and use this data to guide [their] process.”