Young children should be taught about healthy relationships to prevent abuse, says minister

Tània Verge, Catalonia's feminism and equality minister, believes that children under the age of three should be taught about their bodies and healthy relationships in order to prevent abuse.

This, she argued in an interview with public broadcaster TV3 on Friday, would provide them with "tools" that would help young children protect themselves.

Verge also said she believed school intervention amongst early childhood students was key to preventing sexual violence both then and later on in life.

"A child should not believe that certain things are normal," the politician insisted. "And children should know about their own bodies."

Once they are older, the minister said, they should also be taught about menstruation, masturbation, and consent. "We want this to be included in curriculums and for there to be specialized professionals to teach these lessons," Verge maintained. "It is a human right."

While some schools already teach sexual education lessons, some are only beginning to roll out the subject while others only have occasional classes.