Sexuality Education in Schools as the First Line of Defence Against Sexual Violence – Speech by Raeesah Khan

Delivered in Parliament on 6 July 2021

Mr Speaker, almost every young woman I have spoken to has been a victim of sexual violence or harassment, at some point in their lives.

Personally, I have experienced men rubbing against me in public trains. Even today, as an MP, I regularly get sent inappropriate comments, messages, and even unsolicited pictures.

From 2017 to 2019, there were 7483 victims of sexual assault. To break it down, that’s an average of 6 a day. Half of these victims and survivors were 20 years old or younger.[1]

These numbers should scare us, as we know that the vast majority of sexual assault cases are never reported,[2] and that the trauma of sexual assault can hurt a person for a lifetime. Sexual assault—and the sexism that enables it—is an epidemic that hurts women and children, among many others. We need to stamp it out in our public spaces and workplaces, in our schools and our homes.

So, what should we do? We need to start at the basics—with education. While the Government has introduced stiffer penalties for sexual offenders, criminal deterrence is not a silver bullet for this epidemic of sexual violence. We must get to the root of the problem: by building a strong culture of consent in our society.

Without a strong consent culture, the criminal justice system alone cannot protect us – men, women, children – from sexual harassment and violence. We know that victims often do not report sexual crimes committed against them because they are afraid they won’t be believed, do not wish to relive their trauma, or because they do not have enough evidence. [3] Recently, an AWARE-Ipsos survey conducted in November 2020 found that only 3 in 10 survivors of workplace sexual harassment made official reports about their experiences.[4]

Today, I will focus on the importance of reviewing our sexuality education curriculum. Before I continue with that, I would also like to point out that consent education is equally important for the rest of us: for victims to know that what has happened to them is wrong, and that they deserve justice; for bystanders to identify and intervene in risky situations; and for would-be offenders to understand why exactly what they have done is wrong.

The current state of sexuality education

Looking at the state of sexuality education in Singapore, we need to ask two important questions: (1) Who gets to access sexuality education, and (2) how is sexuality education taught.

Official statistics from 2017 to 2019 show that 37 percent of sexual assault victims were underaged[5]. This number is likely to be much higher in reality, as many boys and girls may not be aware that they are victims of sexual assault, much less what they can do about it. Nearly 9 out of 10 sexual assault cases involving minors are committed by someone they trust.[6] 

And of the tiny fraction of kids who do bravely come forward and seek help, approximately 90% of them are dismissed.[7] Perpetrators at times are people they trust, and incidents of sexual assault are often dismissed as accidents or displays of affection. Who then can our children turn to when they face these horrors? Moreover, we know that early childhood sexual abuse makes people far more likely to be sexually victimised again,[8] and many survivors struggle with depression, anxiety, and difficulties forming healthy, loving relationships for their entire lives.

For these reasons, mandatory sexuality education should be extended to young children, one of our most vulnerable groups.

While our frontline caregivers must be more proactive in weeding out potential abuse, our children must be taught to recognise the wrongs being done to them. Four things we need to teach our young children include: (1) body safety, (2) when a touch is good or bad, (3) what secrets should be shared with a trusted adult, and (4) how to get help.

Some might feel uncomfortable with introducing the concept of sex to preschoolers. As a mother of two young children, I share their concerns about making sure our children are not exposed to sexualised content.

But sexuality education isn’t just about sex—it’s about teaching the concepts of normal relationships, boundaries, and respect for one another’s feelings and bodies. These concepts can all be taught in age-appropriate ways. In fact, the Singapore Children’s Society does this with their KidzLive booklet, which teaches children sexuality education with a focus on safety, facts, and common sense.[9]

In Singapore, mandatory sexuality education only starts at Primary 5 with the Growing Years program. Whether nationally mandated sexuality education is introduced before then is unclear. In contrast, New Zealand’s personal safety programmes start sexuality education for children across the nation at age 5.[10] International best practices, such as UNESCO’s technical guidance, recommend the same.[11]

It’s clear that hundreds of minors are hurt by sexual abuse each year. But the trauma of sexual violence finds many young victims far too early. If we wait too long to teach our children about consent, respect, and what to do if they ever face sexual assault, we are failing them as the adults they trust. Let’s start to do right by our children – by creating a standardised sexuality education curriculum for all pre-school operators.

Now let’s consider what we teach our youth—and what’s missing in our existing sexuality education curriculum.

First, our sexuality education needs to focus on consent.

Consent is key to responsible sexual behaviour. An AWARE and Ngee Ann Polytechnic survey conducted last year shows that more than half of students surveyed said they weren’t taught consent in schools, even though all wanted it to be taught.

It’s not enough to simply teach that “sex without consent is wrong”. Consent is complex, and our students must know why it’s important, and how to navigate it respectfully. When surveyed[12], our youth expressed trouble identifying consent in situations involving alcohol usage and conditional consent. Rape myths—like how “women who drink deserve it” or “silence means consent”—worsen this problem. Effective sexuality education must tackle these problems head on.

Neither the current Growing Years sexuality education curriculum nor the eTeens program gets at the root of the problem: our students need to be taught why consent is key and how people cannot fully give consent in certain scenarios. It’s commendable that some of our tertiary institutions now teach consent explicitly, but this has to start earlier in life.

Teaching consent also means teaching the differences in power and the abuse of trust and authority. Studies show strong evidence that when sexuality education emphasises critical thinking about power and gender, it results in far better outcomes for youth, such as reducing unplanned pregnancy and STI rates.[13]

With the internet and social media, sexual violence is amplified. If we do not educate our youth early in school, where their knowledge of sex comes from a trusted and vetted resource, they will learn their lessons from the internet, where pornography and other irresponsible or unrealistic depictions of sex are easily accessible. This puts them at risk of developing unhealthy attitudes towards sex. This may lead them to disregard consent and engage in unacceptable behaviours such as catcalling, harassment at work, and even filming other students in toilets. These harms, which are both systematic and so casually inflicted, must stop.

Tech-enabled offences—such as cyberbullying, sharing personal information, taking and distributing obscene photographs, and even voting in polls that sexualise women—are wrong and deeply harmful. Social media and the internet have made platforms like the Nasi Lemak Telegram chat, the recent poll on our Asatizahs, and forums with obscene material much more accessible today.

Our current sexuality education curriculum talks about the “moral and legal consequences of risky sexual behaviours” in a single class in Secondary 1. This is hardly enough. We need to teach our youth that their actions have far more than just legal repercussions. We could do this by emphasizing real world conditions that encourage empathy and situational awareness. They need to learn and understand the suffering caused to victims, and also to speak out or seek help when a peer or an adult perpetrates these harms.

Secondly, our sexuality education needs to be more sustained and openly taught.

Today, Singapore is sadly facing a long overdue reckoning with the scale of sexual harm and trauma that happens here.

Yet, when we break down how much classroom time is spent on sexuality education, we find that students get just 25 hours of class time on it; this is equivalent to a week of school in a total of 12 years of formal education.[14]

Given the lasting harm that sexual crimes cause, we cannot just rely on the law to protect our youth. Our sexuality education needs to equip our youth with the knowledge and tools they need to respect one another, protect themselves, and support the people around them—a lifelong journey where schools are key.

In addition to extended classroom time, we can put up posters in schools that reinforce key messages like the importance of consent, one’s rights under the law, warnings to would-be perpetrators, and reminders that resources and channels for safe medical and legal advice are always there for them. Students also need dedicated spaces, channels, and access to educators who support students through relationships, emotions, and abuse. These spaces should be non-judgmental and confidential, so that our children and youth are willing to talk about their struggles.

Although there aren’t any systematic studies about sexuality education’s effectiveness in Singapore, surveys of students[15] show that some find our current sexuality education unrelatable. Our students want teachers to facilitate questions and conversations about sex in a non-judgemental space. They need regular open discussions in which they can ask questions and explore issues, not simply in a passive environment only once or twice a year.

These measures will help us effectively provide sexuality education that is safe, open, and consistent for every child.

At this point, one might ask who should be responsible for reforming sexuality education in Singapore- and in particular, what is the government’s responsibility? Wouldn’t parents be the best teachers of sexuality education for their own children?

The reality is that many parents are uncomfortable talking about sex—much less teaching important concepts related to it—to their children. A survey by AWARE last year found that only 50% of parents surveyed were comfortable talking to their kids about sexuality education. Of these parents, 1 in 4 felt embarrassed or lacked the confidence to do so, 35% felt poorly equipped to begin the conversation, and 26% worried that discussing sex would encourage their children to have it.[16] Children, too, may feel uncomfortable learning about sex from their own parents, or be unable to navigate such topics due to abusive dynamics at home.

Sexuality education is complex, and leaving it up to parents to deliver accurate and up-to-date information about STIs, tech-enabled offences, and the nuances of consent might be too much to ask. Ensuring a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum in our schools ensures that across Singapore, children are receiving the best sexuality education available.

Teachers are especially important in this endeavour. Educators, especially early childhood educators, need to be more proactive in sensing and addressing sexual abuse and assault. This includes being able to spot when students may have faced sexual assault, ensure their safety, handle reports sensitively and confidentially, and support students with empathy.

Teachers must be trained in facilitation, especially in scenario- and discussion-based teaching, for sexuality education to be effective. I am glad to know that the Ministry currently requires sexuality education to be taught by specially selected and trained teachers. I hope we can take it one step further by giving all trainee teachers at NIE greater exposure to sexuality education training. In addition, the teachers’ sexuality education training should be frequently updated and refreshed to reflect best practices. Our schools need clear channels of accountability and reporting. These should be widely publicised, so that students know whom to turn to for help. Schools should provide the names and contact information of key personnel and helplines, whether of general safe spaces, professional counselling services, or ways to seek legal recourse.

Conclusion

Mr Speaker, when I think about the sexual violence that occurs on the daily in Singapore, I worry for the safety of our children. No child should be subject to sexual abuse, and even one is one too many. We can change this. We have the power to do something that protects and equips them for life, and ensures that they do not grow up in a toxic, dangerous environment.

The road to combating sexual violence requires a whole-of-government approach, and the close participation and collaboration of multiple government agencies and ministries, and stakeholders outside government. My speech today may be focused on improving sexuality education, but it does notnegate our responsibility as citizens to do our part, and call out harmful behaviour if we witness it, and to keep a watchful eye on those who may be victims of sexual violence.

Lastly, sexual violence is fuelled by misogny. We all have a responsibility to call out sexism, whether at the workplace or on public transport, and respond to incidents of sexual violence so that perpetrators are held accountable. Reforming our approach to sexuality education has to be done soon, and urgently, to make Singapore a safe and nurturing home for all.


[1] “From 2017 to 2019, there were 6,988 reports of sexual assault, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, outrage of modesty, and sexual offences involving children and vulnerable victims.” and “Of these cases, 2,798 victims were below 16 years of age, 1,000 victims were between 16 and 20 years old, and 3,685 victims were aged 21 years and older.”

Parliament Singapore. (2021, January 5). Breakdown of Statistics on Sexual Assault Cases. Retrieved from https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-6939.

[2] AWARE. (n.d.) What is sexual assault? Sexual Assault Care Centre. Retrieved from https://sacc.aware.org.sg/get-information/what-is-sexual-assault/.   

[3] https://www.todayonline.com/voices/why-most-victims-sexual-assault-do-not-report-their-abuse

[4] https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/94374-only-3-in-10-victims-of-sexual-harassment-in-singapore-report-the-incident / https://www.ipsos.com/en-sg/aware-ipsos-survey-reveals-high-prevalence-workplace-sexual-harassment-singapore

[5] “From 2017 to 2019, there were 6,988 reports of sexual assault, including rape, sexual assault by penetration, outrage of modesty, and sexual offences involving children and vulnerable victims.” and “Of these cases, 2,798 victims were below 16 years of age, 1,000 victims were between 16 and 20 years old, and 3,685 victims were aged 21 years and older.”

Parliament Singapore. (2021, January 5). Breakdown of Statistics on Sexual Assault Cases. Retrieved from https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/sprs3topic?reportid=written-answer-6939.

[6] “In 90 per cent of the cases, the attacker was someone who was supposed to protect the child, say counsellors and lawyers.” (Referring to cases filed in courts in 2014)

Chai, H.Y. (2015, November 1). Horror at home: Most child abuse cases here involve caretakers. The New Paper. Retrieved from https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/horror-home-most-child-abuse-cases-here-involve-caretakers.

“But in almost 90 per cent of the cases SACC received on sexual abuse suffered during childhood or adolescence, the perpetrator was a family member, or known to the survivor.” Jumabhoy, L. (2018, April 1). Commentary: When children say they’ve been sexually abused, believe them. CNA. Retrieved from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/sexual-abuse-violence-against-children-singapore-10082854  

AWARE. (2015, March 27). Survey: 1 in 3 young people have faced sexual violence; few seek or receive help. Retrieved from https://www.aware.org.sg/2015/03/survey-1-in-3-young-people-have-faced-sexual-violence-few-seek-or-receive-help/.

[7] Chai, H.Y. (2015, November 1). Horror at home: Most child abuse cases here involve caretakers. The New Paper. Retrieved from https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/horror-home-most-child-abuse-cases-here-involve-caretakers.

[8] National Sexual Violence Resource Center. (2012). Sexual Revictimization. Retrieved from https://www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/2012-06/publications_NSVRC_ResearchBrief_Sexual-Revictimization.pdf

[9] https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/resources/ck/files/publications/kidzlive_i_can_protect_myself_2020.pdf
https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/sunbeam-stories/kidzlive-app-to-help-parents-teachers-teach-body-safety/

https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/Children-and-Youth-Services
https://www.childrensociety.org.sg/sunbeam-stories/happy-20th-anniversary-kidzlive/

[10] https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/child-sexual-abuse-education-pre-schoolers-protective-skills-14537494; learn more about NZ’s programme here https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/publications/kos_evaluation.pdf

[11] https://en.unesco.org/news/urges-comprehensive-approach-sexuality-education

[12] survey tricky consent situations – https://www.aware.org.sg/2020/07/recap-consent-do-you-get-it-youth-perceptions-sexual-consent/

and a forum letter from parent in support https://www.straitstimes.com/forum/forum-include-topic-of-consent-in-schools-sex-education-syllabus

[13] Haberland, Nicole; Rogow, Deborah (2015). Sexuality Education: Emerging Trends in Evidence and Practice. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(1), S15–S21. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.08.013  

[14]   Assuming a school year is 4 x 10 week terms, and 12 years of schooling, and at least 22.5h classroom time per week, not even including PE or Assembly or CCA time.) You get >10,800 hours of classroom time in 12 years of formal education. https://edpolicy.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/scope-singapore-student-and-teacher-time-report-final_0.pdf  https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/singapore/family/schooling-education/school-year

[15] https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/lets-talk-about-safe-sex-sex-education-should-go-beyond-preaching-abstinence-say-students

[16] AWARE. (2020, July 1). Only half of parents are comfortable talking to their kids about sex ed, while most prefer school programmes to focus on consent over abstinence: AWARE-Blackbox survey. Retrieved from https://www.aware.org.sg/2020/07/parents-comfortable-sex-ed-consent-abstinence-aware-blackbox-survey/.