Should 4-year-olds be taught consent at school?

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If four-year-old children can understand consent after a 30-minute lesson at school, why can’t we?

Amidst the rise of the #MeToo movement and the recent Supreme Court confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, some public health advocates are calling for schools across the country to implement consent education programs for students at an earlier age.

These experts believe that America is currently facing a sexual violence epidemic and that mandatory consent education programs in public schools could help curb the tide.

For example, a nonprofit organization called YES! has designed age-appropriate and interactive consent programs for preschoolers at the Parent-Infant Center in Philadelphia.

However, not all parents agree with this approach. Opponents argue that preschool is too young of an age to implement these types of programs.

Some conservatives also worry that outside groups could take advantage of consent programs in schools to promote other social causes or teach children more partisan values at a young age.

In this episode of Mic Dispatch, Kendall Ciesemier explores the controversy surrounding these programs.

Watch the entire episode above and see more episodes of Mic Dispatch here.