For adolescents and teens this kind of literature may be one of the best ways to start a conversation about date rape. I think we really need to give kids more credit cause they really are not going to get too scared off cause these are things they talk about on the street with their friends, say Rape Prevention Specialist Jasmine Williams. The numbers stress the urgency of the issue one in four women are sexually assaulted before their 18th birthday. And while parents don t want kids overly paranoid, they do want their kids to learn to trust their own instincts. If something doesn t feel right you need to get out of that situation, cautions Williams.
Many parents struggle with how to talk to their kids about rape.
It s uncomfortable. It s scary. It s a topic many would rather avoid. While it may not be coveted conversation, with rape statistics pointing the finger of vulnerability at teens it s imperative. For parents, confused about how to broach the subject of rape, we went to teens to see how they thought it should be handled.