GRAND Magazine - January/February 2018 - 27

grand legacy
But if you can't talk about something, if you can't name it,
then you can never fix it.
In healthy relationships, sexual contacts are consensual and
mutually respectful. With harassment, it's unwanted and there's
often a power imbalance. But there's a connection. Preventing
harassment starts with respect for yourself and respect for the other
person.
Luckily, the conversations about sex and being the boss of one's
own body continue to grow. It's often in response to big news
stories like the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment scandal. Kids
today are told at very young ages about "stranger danger" and
what constitutes "appropriate touch," possibly as a result of more
and more news coverage of child abuse cases. Pre-pubescent adolescents are having conversations with their parents and doctors
earlier now that the HPV vaccine is becoming more common.

I can't be silent when I see
things that harm others in the
world. I must use the power I
have to make change.

Coast-to-coast Family Group Discussions

My question is what is taught, when, where and by whom? How
are young people, both boys and girls, taught about healthy
relationships? Can you ever suggest to a girl or woman that she
dress less provocatively? How are schools responding to accusations and keeping students safe?
It was closed doors and a hush-hush culture that allowed
sexual harassment and rape culture to continue for so long in
the first place. So maybe just the fact that I am asking is a start. I
am asking at my local school. I am asking at my synagogue. And
I am asking my family. How can we all be better?
I am asking about this topic as well as other hard topics: racism;
growing divisive politics; being an upstander. I often start with
sharing my ideas in an email that I send to my children, grandchildren and spouses. Sometimes an email conversation ensues as

Preventing harassment starts
with respect for yourself and respect
for the other person.

27 GRAND

JANUARY FEBRUARY 2018

The idea for the hashtag started with singer/actress Alyssa Milano, as a means of addressing the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment in America. The celebrity posted on Twitter, asking people who had experienced sexual violence to reply "me too" to her tweet

everyone shares there their thoughts, opinions and links to related articles. Sometimes
it's sharing grandson Ethan's sermon that
gets the discussion rolling. And sometimes I
bring it up in person, when we are together
for holidays.
I can't be silent when I see things that
harm others in the world. I must use the
power I have to make change. I am starting
with me, my family, my community.

A long-time social work professional,
grandparenting activist, and passionate
grandpa, author Jerry Witkovsky offers
fresh approaches to help grandparents
enter their grandchild's world, to leave
values, not just valuables, and create a
living legacy. Over the past year he has
undertaken extensive research and evaluation to support
the transformative effect grandparents can have on families
and communities when they enter their grandchild's world
via a Grandparent Connection School Program. Learn more
about starting a program at your grandchild's school at
http://www.grandparentsunleashed.com.

https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine/ https://www.twitter.com/grandMmagazine https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/diseases/teen/hpv.html https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KKNPFS8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01KKNPFS8&linkId=056421a79a06ea235bc73cb72a4b7c0e https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KKNPFS8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=grandmagazi0d-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01KKNPFS8&linkId=056421a79a06ea235bc73cb72a4b7c0e http://www.grandparentsunleashed.com/

GRAND Magazine - January/February 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - January/February 2018