Having the talk can be awkward, intimidating and downright scary for parents and children alike. But it’s also necessary.
That’s why the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC) launched a new website called 100 Conversations.
“Young people want to be able to get good information about healthy relationships,” said KCSARC executive director Mary Ellen Stone. “And they need it from trusted adults, ideally parents.”
The website is a toolkit for parents, and children, filled with information and conversation starters designed to increase knowledge about sex and safety.
Stone said the idea for the website started a couple of years ago when research started coming in about victimization online; it was those aged 14-20 who were most often harmed. Because of the common misconception that smaller children were the most likely victims, much of the safety and prevention work was missing the 14-20 group. Stone said the research also indicated that lesbian, gay or bisexual kids, or those estranged from their families were at even higher risk.
KCSARC worked with a group of 10 kids who represent many of those different walks of life to see what they were dealing with and what information would be helpful.
“That’s what’s different about this website, is that it’s the young people’s voices,” Stone said. “And we know that parents talking to their kids about this is the best thing you can do to reduce the risk of sexual assault.”
That work evolved into the current program, which launched at the end of July.
“Let’s give parents some tools, let’s give them some ways to talk about these issues,” Stone said. “It can’t just be the talk, one time. That’s where we came up with 100 Conversations.”
The website helps parents take sexual education back into their own hands, teaching their children the values they want them to have.
“There has been this abdication of responsibility and we are very much concerned about that,” Stone said. “Everyone is sort of saying it’s the school’s responsibility. It’s really all of our responsibility.”
The website covers topics like values, consent, relationships and boundaries. It also helps teach parents and young people how to be careful with new forms of technology.
Go to 100conversations.org to get started and go to kcsarc.org to learn more about what KCSARC has to offer.
