Parents should teach their kids to call genitals 'penis' or 'vagina' instead of nicknames, according to a sex educator

• Sex educator Justine Ang Fonte told Insider she teaches first graders about consent by teaching them about their "private" body parts.
• She received backlash from a handful of parents, but stands by her teachings, which she says students use outside of the classroom.
• Research suggests teaching consent from a young age can prevent future sexual abuse, STIs, and unplanned pregnancies.

Sex educator Justine Ang Fonte resigned from her nine-year post at New York City's elite Dalton School after a handful of parents complained about her first grade lessons on consent.

Fonte told Insider she stands by her curriculum because it teaches kids bodily autonomy and safety. Research suggests consent-focused sex education can prevent sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections as children grow up and into their sexual identities.

"We want to empower them with the words [for their genitals] and empower them with how to assert themselves and understand what body boundaries look like," Fonte told Insider.

Fonte teaches kids the words 'penis' and 'vagina' to prevent shame and secrecy

Before defining consent, Fonte teaches first graders the correct terminology for their genitals.

She said using "penis" and "vagina" prevents feelings of shame and allows children to feel safe talking about their body parts.

"When you put a nickname to genitalia, you're saying that there's something wrong about the actual word, which makes it seem like there's something wrong with the actual body parts," Fonte told Insider.

To introduce kids to the concept of consent, Fonte explains that everyone's penis and vagina are private. She puts it in simple terms since they know what the word private means.

"If I ever have to itch, scratch, change my clothes or see something in that area, I have to do it in a private place,'" like a bedroom or bathroom, said Fonte.

Fonte says her first graders use consent lessons outside of the classroom

She also tells students they are in charge of their "body bubble," and have to grant permission for anyone, including relatives and doctors, to enter their bubble.

When Fonte teaches consent, she tells students they are always allowed to speak up when they feel uncomfortable around a certain adult and say, "no."

She also explains they can get an adult, like a parent, who they feel comfortable around to accompany them to the doctor, where showing private parts could be part of the visit.

Fonte told Insider her first graders have used these consent practices outside of school.

"Parents will email me after saying, 'I'm so proud of my son today at the pediatrician's office. He said to his doctor, you have to ask me first before you pull my pants down because my private parts are private,'" Fonte said.