In 2015, Oregon, alongside 34 other states passed what’s called Erin’s Law.

Erin Merryn; the founder of Erin’s Law, is not only a child sexual assault survivor but an author, speaker and activist. This law is meant to implement a technique of teaching about sexual assault, how to deal with it, how to talk about it, and to know that it is okay to get help, to different ages that is appropriate for them.

Although Oregon had passed the law in 2015, the teaching was not implemented until this past year in public schools. Each grade level is presented differently with how they learn about sexual abuse based off of age and maturity. This law is important due to the fact that every 1 in 4 girls and every 1 in 6 boys are sexually abused by the age of 18, and in many cases it has happened to someone you know.

The teachers throughout Oregon, and many other states that have past this law, have been many different meetings to talk about this subject. They go through warning signs and training on how to talk about this subject. Some of the important things that our teachers learn is how to talk to students about safe and unsafe touches, safe and unsafe secrets. Most importantly making students aware of safe adults they can go to if they are being abused. They know how to spot warning signs, what to do when a child discloses to them, and even how to talk to parents. Our teachers are here to be a safe place for us and to give us the tools to become aware and in many cases get a chance to heal if we have experienced any type of sexual abuse.

Although sexual abuse seems to become a touchy topic when brought into schools it’s also one of those important topics that we need to talk about. Sexual abuse is something that needs to be talked about and discussed because the person sitting next to you could be experiencing that and not getting the help that they not only need but deserve. It is important to know that there are people not only in our schools but in our community and all around us that are here to help and are a safe resource to go and talk to. It’s also necessary to have these topics in our schools to help those who need it.