Schools play a key role in preventing and responding to sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation among young people. The 2023 Healthy Youth Survey found that 11% of 8th grade students in Washington have experienced some form of sexual violence. Washington ranks #6 in the nation for sex trafficking, with almost half of victims being minors.

Sex Trafficking awareness and prevention education is now required to be taught in WA schools - at least once between grades 7 and 12.

Youth-centered Environment Shift (YES!) is an innovative program created by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) that aims to reduce rates of sexual violence among students in Washington middle schools. The YES! Program, helps to ensure that all students are safe, supported, and free from all forms of abuse, schools apply strategies that:

• create protective environments
• build positive social norms and youth-adult partnerships, and 
• center students’ needs and experiences 

This webinar will provide an overview of requirements and best practices related to sex trafficking, an orientation to the YES! Program, and tools to implement school-based sexual violence prevention programming. Attendees will learn school- and community-level primary prevention approaches to protect students against sexual violence. Attendees will also take steps to build themselves as champions of change in their school communities.