California will now require high schools to teach consent as part of sex ed

Among all the topics taught in schools, sexual education is perhaps the most critical because it concerns everybody, and can prove helpful — and even lifesaving — in real situations. Within that huge topic, consent is something that each and every sexually active person must understand. In this week’s exceptionally good news, California will become the first state to require all high schools to teach consent.

The law will take effect January 1, 2017, and will only apply to high schools that have made their health classes a requirement for graduation, which includes five of California’s largest districts. It will specifically  require teachers to explain why it’s so crucial to receive an affirmative ‘yes,’ from a girl before engaging in sexual activity with them. There have been numerous cases of sexual assault in the news lately, the Stanford case being among the worst, and this new law is part of a larger effort to combat the problem of sexual assault through rigorous education.

California is taking all the necessary steps to encourage positive change, as last year they became the first state to require colleges to adopt the affirmative consent policy known as, “yes means yes.” That means that both parties have to clearly express their consent. It seems simple enough, but sexual assault cases on college campuses have continued to happen over the years. They have to stop, once and for all.

Hopefully, this new law in California will be a game changer. The more people who are armed with information, the safer everyone will feel as they graduate high school, enter higher education, and start living their lives to the fullest.