Sex Education

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Abstract

Sex education is perhaps the most difficult topic that parents hardly have with their children. It's a topic that not many parents enjoy. Others evade it perhaps because their own parents struggled or never shared with them at all. Nevertheless, parents remain the primary educators. Only the parents have the inalienable right to discuss with their children matters of sexuality. It is there obligation to see that their offspring grow into sexually healthy adults. Right from birth, children learn from them how to love, relate, communicate and understand their bodies. The example, ideas and information they receive at this level usually impact greatly on their future. Nevertheless, the formal education gives the teachers the opportunity to assist parents in forming children to become sexually healthy people. Different sex education programs are offered in schools depending on how they are determined at the federal, state and local levels. Most of them are designed to cover the different aspects of human sexuality. But schools alone cannot wholesomely educate children on matters of sexuality. Moral issues, for instance, are never included in the sex education programs. This is why it is important for parents to assist teachers in educating children to become sexually healthy people. The teaching and counseling done in schools are only to complement the basics that children acquire from their families (parents) and other avenues of sex education.

Outline

What is sex education and what are the core contents?.....................................4

Avenues for sex education.......................................4

Goals of sex education............................................5

Types of sex education programs.......................................................................7

Who decides sexuality education programs............................................................8

Roles of parents and how they can assist teachers in sex education................................8

Why are the parents's roles in sex education important?..........................................................10

Conclusion.................................................................................................12

What is Sex Education and what are the Core Contents?

Sex education is an extensive term used to describe comprehensive instructions related to the different aspects of human sexuality (Campos, 2002). It encompasses human sexual anatomy, emotional relations and reproductive health. It also includes sexual development, reproductive rights and sexual intercourse. Sex education also covers sexual behaviors such as abstinence, birth control, gender roles and interpersonal relationships (Halstead & Reiss, 2003).

Avenues for Sex Education

There are many familiar avenues for sexuality education. Nevertheless, the primary educators of sexuality are the parents. In the absence of parents, are caregivers or guardians. Parents have all the opportunities to discuss and address all the sexuality issues with their children, since they meet them on daily basis. Actually, for a long time, parents were the traditionally educators of sexuality to children (Adegoke, 2011).

Right from the moment of birth, parents are the most significant educators in a child’s life. They learn to love, express themselves and understand relationships from their parents. When parents talk to them and show them affection they begin to understand sexuality. Even a simple task as teaching a child how to refer to her/his body parts contributes greatly to sex education. Children grow up with values they acquire from their families. Even their sexual behaviors and attitudes are primarily formed by the values they learn from their families (Adegoke, 2011).

The second most important avenue for sex education is formal education, which takes place in schools. Teachers are, therefore, the immediate primary educators after the parents/guardians. In many ways, the school holds the key to the child’s future, in terms of how he/she will express his/her sexual behaviors and attitudes. Through teacher-child relationship, they learn to understand themselves and interact with the society (Feldman & Elliott, 1990).

Friends and the society are also very important avenues for sex education. Children interact with each other, and given that they are in their formative years, there are lots of behaviors and attitudes they learn from each other. Remember childhood and adolescence are also the periods when children borrow a lot from each other. The society, too, has great impact on the different aspects of a child’s sexuality. Perhaps the African philosophy, ‘We are therefore I am’ explains how much the society can impact on the child’s sexual behavior. The other common avenues include Churches (the beliefs), public health campaigns, role models and television shows. Even the books children read and the kind of music they listen to can impact on their sexuality (Allerston & Davies, 2001).

Goals of Sexuality Education

The fundamental goal of setting up sexuality education in schools is to provide the children with strong foundation, so that they may grow up to become sexually healthy adults. But the foundation begins at home, and runs through a series of many other common avenues. Sexuality education program in school is therefore designed in such away that it complements the knowledge and values from those other avenues. Above all, school-based instructions augment and respect the diversity of values acquired from all the avenues, especially the family and society (Campos, 2002).

The second goal of school-based program is to help teenagers have a positive understanding of their sexuality. The teenage stage is a very sensitive period, and usually the views they have of their sexuality at this stage greatly impacts on their future. Sexuality education is therefore, to help them have a positive understanding of their sexual health and to help them make constructive decisions as they grow into responsible adults.

The third goal of sexuality education is to provide the young people with accurate information about the different aspects of human sexuality. They need not only to understand their sexual anatomy and reproductive health, but also to understand their emotional and interpersonal relations and how they can address their sexual behaviors. There are several influences in a child’s life. Some of these are positive, others are just weird, and others just fill them with wrong information about their sexuality. School-based programs usually help put checks on these influences, so that only good ones are absorbed in a child’s life (Carroll, 2009).

The fourth important goal is to give insights to children about their sexuality. You know how dangerous it can be to have a blank mind on sexuality. Insights open up opportunities for children to comprehend their values in life. The fifth goal of school-based program is to help young people grow into responsible adults, who clearly understand their ultimate goals in life. Only responsible teenagers can make choices about their sexual life, whether they should abstain or go for contraceptives, whether to commit themselves to a sexual relationship or whether to ignore the pressures. Sex education, thus, helps them to become mature and responsible adults in the making. The sixth goal is to reduce risk behaviors. Many teenagers get exposed to risk behaviors because they do not have accurate information on how to live a healthy sexual life. For instance, there are so many teenagers having unprotected sex because nobody has explained to them the benefits of abstinence or the importance of using contraceptives when necessary. The seventh goal is to liberate the teenagers from sexual oppression. Sexuality education programs are aimed at providing knowledge and skills to the young ones so that they can be able to make mature and responsible decisions, and to be able to overcome challenges related to sexuality. And the last goal is help them develop healthy relationships. Teenagers are mainly swayed into immorality by the wrong relationships they make. Without bad influences, without peer pressures, every child has the ability to develop healthy relationships (Carroll, 2009).

Types of sex-education programs

Comprehensive Sex Education

Comprehensive sexuality education is usually the comprehensive instructions given to children right from the kindergarten through to their twelfth grade. The education covers all the aspects of human sexuality. Children are taught to become responsible decision-makers, to engage in healthy relationships, and to abstain, but they are also given accurate information about contraceptives and disease prevention (Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2009).

Abstinence-Based Education Program

This type of education emphasizes the importance of abstinence. Nevertheless, it does include information about all sexual behaviors. Teenagers are given accurate information about contraceptives, disease control and disease prevention methods. But the ultimate goal of teaching these sexual behaviors is to emphasize the benefits of abstaining (Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2009).

Abstinence-only education program

This type of education emphasizes only abstinence. It does not give information about other sexual behaviors. There is no mention of contraceptives, and nothing to do with disease prevention and control methods. The emphasis is clearly on self-restraint from all sexual behaviors. It is absolutely abstinence and abstinence alone. This is also the type of education that strongly focuses on morality (Campos, 2002).

Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage

This type of education emphasizes the need to abstain from all sexual behaviors until one is married. It is, therefore, a program that is marriage-centered. Any mention of other sexual behaviors like contraceptives are coined in a way that they are morally right only if they occur within marriage. These methods can only be justified within marriage.

Fear-Based Education

This type of education is aimed at instilling fear on the teenagers. They are taught that it is shameful to engage in sexual activity. They also instill a sense of guilt, even at the thought of contemplating engaging in any sexual activity. The bare line is that they are based negative information about sexuality. They portray contraceptives as morally wrong, and solely concentrate on their negative effects (Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2009).

Who Decides Sexuality Education Programs?

Sex education programs are determined at different levels. At the top, there is the federal government. Though it does not have direct control, it does influence the programs through educational funding. Below the federal government are the states. They do not directly influence the programs, but they are better placed to mandate what programs to be taught in schools. The primary custodians of these programs are at the local level. Though local administrators, school board and teachers make the majority of the decisions about sexuality programs, parents do have a say and can make recommendations of what they want included in the programs. Even students can give their suggestions to teachers and their parents, which can ultimately influence what is taught (Arndorfer et al., 1998).

Roles of Parents and how they can Assist Teachers in Sex Education

Parents play very significant roles in child sexual education. It is, in fact, their primary responsibility to ensure that their children grow into sexually healthy adults. It is their obligation to ensure that children have the correct ideas and information about their sexuality. Parents stand a unique chance to monitor their children’s actions. They can know where they have gone wrong, and can correct them with the best of intentions. Ultimately, parents can communicate with their children in the best of the manner they may understand. What the parents need to do is have more discussions with them about their sexual development. Even if they don’t have all the answers, facing the facts is a very important step towards forming the child. In any case, parents are better place to make breakthroughs regarding the secrets surrounding sex than any other avenue. They understand their offspring better, and can create more opportunities for them to engage in healthy relationships (Williams, 1985).

In addition, in as much as the schools may teach the children the different aspects of human sexuality, sex education programs do not include sexual morality. Morality issues are hardly taught in sex education. This is where the involvement of parents in sex education is very important. Sexual morality is not just a responsibility but also an obligation of the parents to their children. Parents must teach their young ones the moral issues surrounding sexual activities. While it is healthy to discuss both abstinence and the use of contraceptives and prevention methods, the discussion should be primarily abstinence-centered. Parents should never encourage, not even hint, to their children to have sexual intercourse. Nevertheless, their discussions should be set in such a way that the children are aware of the possible consequences of their actions (Corngold, 2008).

Most children do not perform in their studies because they do not have anyone to talk to, or probably because they lack the correct ideas and information to face their sexual fantasies in life. Parents are better placed here because they understand their children and interact with them on daily basis. Besides, helping them solve the mysteries surrounding their sexual life can help them improve their academic performance as they will have more time to concentrate on their studies (Williams, 1985).

Why are the Parents’ roles in Sex Education Important?

First and foremost, it is only the parents that have the inalienable right to discuss with their children matters of sexuality. They have all the rights to educate their children. But with the right comes a duty and responsibility. Parents have the most solemn duty to ensure that their children grow into sexually healthy adults. It is their responsibility to educate their children on sexual morality. Schools alone cannot wholesomely educate children on matters of sexuality. Parents’ input is extremely necessary. There are certain delicate scenarios and personal issues that inevitably necessitate the direct involvement of parents. It is important, therefore, that parents regularly engage their young ones and discuss with them their sexual health. They are also in the best position to monitor the development of their children. In addition, they are in a unique position to educate their children without necessarily talking to them, but by leading them by example. If they fathom love in the family and relate well with each other, children will have no option but to live their example (Williams, 1985).

Parents’ role in sex education is also extremely important given that most children become secretive about their sexual health when they realize that they cannot share them with their parents. When they cannot discuss their sexual explorations with the most significant people in their lives, they cannot equally discuss them with any other person, not even their most trusted teacher. Right from birth, parents need to teach their children correct ideas about sex. Wrong ideas and gaps in information only add up to unhealthy development of the child. Most children engage in all kinds of sexual fantasies, like sex play and masturbation. From these experiences, others get frightened, others feel guilty, and others conclude that sex is bad, while others go miles to condemn themselves. At this stage, if they miss out someone to talk to, the experiences of guilt, shame and fear can impact negatively on their future development (Williams, 1985).

Conclusion

There are many common avenues for sexuality education. Nevertheless, parents are the primary educators of sexuality. Only the parents have the inalienable right to discuss with their children matters of sexuality. Parents have the most solemn duty to ensure that their children grow into sexually healthy adults. Schools alone cannot wholesomely educate children on matters of sexuality. Morality issues, for instance, are never included in the education programs. This is why it is important for parents to assist teachers in educating children to become sexually healthy people. Teachers can give the general input, but the parents are the primary educators.