31.7 percent of high schoolers have experienced sexual abuse according to the National Library of Medicine. This means that on average, 10 people in every U.S. high school class are a victim and a survivor. To many people, “it’s just the sad truth.” This, however, is not the stance that Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) is taking. CBIM is a program run worldwide that provides high school athletic coaches with resources to prevent sexual abuse and promote respect in relationships. Coaches are placed in a unique position unlike any other authoritative figure over teens' lives. They often play an extremely influential role in the lives of young men, and because of these relationships, coaches have the rare opportunity to positively influence how teens think both on and off the field. The Berkeley High School mountain bike team has already implemented the program, and BHS is looking to expand it to other sports.
Unfortunately, proposed budget cuts by President Trump are putting programs like this in jeopardy. The federal government provides roughly 10 percent of the overall funding of public K-12 schools in the U.S. This means that a budget cut would not significantly affect U.S. public schools’ more popular programs like sports teams or theater, but it would very likely affect programs like CBIM in a negative way, as they are less recognized for their importance within high schools. While less recognized programs like CBIM are at risk of being overlooked, schools like BHS have taken proactive steps to address these critical issues head-on.
Due to student-run protests in 2020, BHS has implemented several programs in order to combat sexual abuse. Sex education and the importance of consent have been taught in classes of all grades at BHS, and clubs like Green Dot and BHS Stop Harassing have been created in order to teach students how to identify and prevent sexual abuse.
However, just because progress has been made, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be continued. The continuation and expansion of the CBIM program would foster an educational environment in the places where teens are often most comfortable.
The impact of such environments is evident in the voices of those involved. “I think being at practice makes it easier to talk because you're more comfortable with those people. I feel like I just know them better,” George Gauthier, a sophomore on the BHS mountain biking team, explained, emphasizing how the environment created by coaches is welcoming and allows for meaningful conversations to take place. He also explained that the content being discussed at practice is not much different from what is taught in the classroom, but the comfort and lack of pressure at practice compels him to open up and participate much more.
“A more private environment would be better,” Braden Glover, a sophomore on BHS crew, said when talking about the best ways to learn about sexual abuse. Glover explained that he never feels comfortable participating in discussions in the classroom. “Being with my teammates and coaches would make me much more likely to participate than with classmates,” Glover said. Gauthier and Glover's experiences suggest that informal, supportive environments like sports teams can foster deeper engagement than in traditional classroom settings, especially when addressing vulnerable topics such as sexual abuse.
Building on this idea, the expansion of CBIM would spread even more awareness about sexual abuse, create an environment where necessary conversations about sexual health can take place, and even turn future abusers or bystanders into allies. Programs like this are proven to work. According to Jasdeep Malhi, a BHS intervention counselor, Green Dot has documented at least one prevention of sexual abuse every year. In addition, CBIM teaches definitions and how to practice consent. This not only helps prevent sexual abuse, but also teaches people to recognize when sexual abuse occurs and report it to staff.
Sexual abuse is not inevitable. It is not “just the way things are.” With the right education and support system, we can change the culture one conversation at a time. Programs like CBIM shouldn’t be just optional add-ons to a school curriculum. They are necessary for students to speak, learn, and grow. As budget cuts threaten to silence these crucial conversations, we must ask ourselves what we want for future BHS students. CBIM creates a future where students are safe, respected, and empowered.