Content warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and personal experiences involving inappropriate sexual behavior. Listener discretion is advised.

Harvest season brings long hours, physical demands, and the need to look out for one another. But this week, Mary and Leah take a deeper look at an issue that reaches far beyond the farm: sexual assault, consent, and the importance of teaching personal responsibility.

In this candid and emotional conversation, Mary and Leah discuss the challenges facing young adults, the importance of talking with children about bodily autonomy from an early age, and why consent matters in every relationship. Mary shares a personal experience from her teenage years and reflects on how fear, embarrassment, and uncertainty can keep people from speaking up.

Together, they explore the role of parents, education, communication, and community in preventing sexual assault and supporting survivors. They also discuss campus safety, alcohol, peer pressure, and the importance of accountability.

This is a difficult but important conversation about respecting others, protecting our children, and building a culture where people feel safe, heard, and supported.

In this episode:

• The importance of consent and bodily autonomy

• Talking with children about boundaries at an early age

• Why sexual assault is never the victim's fault

• Campus safety, alcohol, and peer pressure

• Supporting survivors without judgment

• The roles of education, communication, and community

• Teaching personal responsibility and accountability

Find Mary and Leah at gritandgraceintheheartland.com or on Facebook at Grit and Grace in the Heartland: Women in Agriculture.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, support is available through the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or online at RAINN.org.

Thank you for joining Mary and Leah for another honest conversation from the heartland.