If you live in California, you’ve probably had the absolute pleasure of enduring the mandatory sexual harassment prevention training course. (And can we all just collectively shake our heads at the fact that David Schwimmer—yes, Ross from Friends—had to play a boss who harassed an employee? I mean… sir, how did we get here?)
Now let me be clear: I one hundred percent believe everyone deserves to feel safe at work.
Sexual harassment is wrong. Full stop. But here’s the thing: these workplace trainings—bland and out-dated as they are—might be too little, too late. We’re teaching people what not to do only once they’ve already entered adulthood and the workforce. Shouldn’t we be teaching kids what this looks like before they’re ever exposed to it?
Let me explain.
Most adults can identify sexual harassment when it happens to them or someone nearby. They’ve got some life experience under their belts and maybe even a good HR team (fingers crossed). But children? Not so much. Kids often have no idea what constitutes sexual harassment—especially the less overt forms like unwanted comments, power dynamics, or coercion disguised as a joke.
And if you don’t even know something is wrong, how would you ever know to speak up about it?
The Anything But Friendly Numbers
In case you’re thinking this isn’t really an issue, the most recent numbers from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) tell a heartbreaking story.
7,732 sexual harassment charges were filed in 2023 alone.
That’s a 25% increase from the previous year and the highest number reported in over a decade.
43.5% of these claims involve retaliation.
Making why victims might hesitate to come forward at all understandable.
78.2% of harassment charges are filed by women.
Studies estimate that
99.8% of workplace sexual harassment incidents go unreported.
Harassment complaints across all protected categories shot up by 28% in just one year.
Just let that sink in.
And while California averages about 427 sexual harassment cases annually, that doesn’t even begin to reflect the reality for younger individuals or those just stepping into the workforce for the first time.
What If We Started Earlier?
Instead of waiting until someone’s first day on the job to give them a watered-down training that shows a once loved sitcom star being a creep, why aren’t we talking to kids—yes, kids—about this in an age-appropriate way?
If schools are already required to teach sex education, why not weave in education about consent, personal boundaries, and yes, sexual harassment?
I’m not talking about giving graphic details to 10-year-olds. I’m talking about teaching fourth graders that it’s not okay for someone to make them feel uncomfortable on purpose. Teaching middle schoolers that “locker room talk” isn’t a free pass for inappropriate behavior. Showing high schoolers what a respectful interaction looks like in both digital and real-life spaces.
This isn’t about scaring kids. It’s about empowering them.
If we want to actually stop sexual harassment in its tracks, we can’t just keep throwing outdated workplace training videos at adults and hoping for the best.
Age-appropriate sexual harassment education should be standard curriculum—taught right alongside sexual education from fourth grade through senior year. That way, by the time kids are ready to join the workforce, they’ve already got the tools to recognize inappropriate behavior, prevent it when they can, and report it when they need to.
Let’s stop reacting after the fact and start preparing before it happens.
Because prevention doesn’t start with HR.
It starts in the classroom.
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