The first known survivor of sexual abuse by prolific pedophile Larry Nassar is an advocate of giving children sex awareness education starting as early as kindergarten.
Sarah Klein first met Nassar when she was 8 years old at a gymnastics class in Michigan, after he went on to become a doctor at Michigan State University and for the USA Gymnastics team, abusing hundreds of other girls.
Klein and the other students in her class were too young to understand what was happening and the abuse they were being subjected to by Nassar under the guise of “medical exams.”
But if she had received education about bodily autonomy and consent, she “could have stopped one of the biggest pedophiles in history,” she told The Washington Post.
“If I had known that information as an 8-year-old kid, would 500 more people have had to be hurt?”
Nassar, a longtime veteran who worked with gymnasts and athletes, was indicted in 2016 for assaulting at least 265 girls and young women while claiming to be providing them with medical treatment. In 2018, he was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for his crimes.
Klein has risen to become a top sexual abuse lawyer focused on fighting for justice for young people. As part of this work, she recently Chairman first dayis the only organization in New York City dedicated to preventing dating abuse against people under the age of 24.
Dating violence is a form of intimate partner violence characterized by a pattern of controlling or violent behavior in which one party attempts to dominate or harm the other through force and intimidation.
Because the abuser is also the victim’s partner, it is often difficult for the victim to recognize the abuse they are experiencing and take action accordingly.
The problem is also multiplying on social media, where young people may face coercion or surveillance from their partners and need to be given proper guidance on social media literacy, said Anne Patterson, executive director of DayOne.
One in three teenagers According to DayOne, 70% of young people nationwide have experienced some form of abuse in a romantic relationship.
