Who Should Provide Sex Education for Children and Young People - Research Paper Example

Who should provide sex education for children and young people? Introduction Sex education is a process in which the information and knowledge about,sexual practice and behavior is passed on to children or young people. Sex education aims at improving the skill of young people with related to sexual activity .This enhance their decision skills and behavior, and make them feel confident about practicing sexual life more confidently. It is widely accepted fact that young people have a right to get sex education.Perez (2010) states that “The People magazine recently found out that 750,000 girls in the age group of 15-19 become pregnant every year. As per FamilyFirstAid.org, 19 million new STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) cases happen every year. It is unbelievable that nearly 50% of these cases occur to teens often as young as 15”.Sex education is the obligation of schools as they are the sole agent which comes in regular contact with growing children. Young people have the rights to acquire information about matters that relates to sex as it is going to be a primary aspect of their life in future. According to Allerston(2001)“Recent government policies believe in the significance of effective sex education in schools if students should be take up responsible and well –informed decision about their lives.”. It can be seen that developed countries like UK and U.S. observe a high rate of STDs and teenage pregnancies due to their conservative approach to sex education. This is very unacceptable as world is progressing and a backward thought in sexual matters will only invite more problems to the social well being of people. Teenagers mostly get exposed to sex in the media, even though, sex education classes are not offered to teenagers in a right way. Since media .centers around sexual aspect and young people are highly exposed to them, it becomes mandatory to give education on this subject to them. The 50% of young people who ends up in sex related problems are children around 15 yrs of age. Right education is the only solution for reducing such adverse situation. Most public schools have a class on sex education but it’s not efficient enough to educate the young people about all the risks of having sex Parents can also take initiative to teach their teens about sexuality and sexual behavior in young age. Kohler(2008,p.324-26) refers that “It is a fact that children who acquire comprehensive sex education were very less likely to end up in teen pregnancy than those who received no formal sex education, whereas there was no significant effect of abstinence-only education”. Teenagers should not be blamed for their act on sex. Primarily, parents should make it a point that if their child is having sex it should be done in a risk free manner Irvine (2002, p.4)claims that “The fear that sexual language will trigger social chaos has historically fueled initiatives to regulate sexual speech .Sex education has been at centre of these conflicts”. It is best to suggest to children to refrain from sex till their enter marriage in order to reduce the exposure to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV/AIDS. History of sex education. The concept of sex education is not a very old idea and the widespread of many deadly sex related disease, and early pregnancy has increased the importance of this concept .Teachers have sporadically introduced lessons on sex education since the beginning of the century, but formal instruction did not acquire popular support until the 1940s”. Donovan(1996) states that “Until 1920 there was no prevalence of sex education. We as a race evolved ourselves quite well for centuries with no report of any family chaos or distress like we have today and there did not even exist any formal classroom education on sex. Sex education exists as a result of an agenda”. Sex education was a very conservative idea in the earlier times as 19th and 20th century. People were very discrete about sex education in earlier times and viewed sex has a topic of taboo and less was discussed about it in public and in family. In the 1830s, the government of United Kingdom and America took a big step to educate young males by publishing books and pamphlets detailing the issue of sex in order to warn them about the risk of sex. The main objective of this was to give valuable information on sex to teenagers and also to stop their urge for sex till they enter a marriage life. Since there was no knowledge of any sexually transmitted disease in that times, education on sex was not a priority at all. .Reiss(2005) writes that “In England from the late 19th century, a number of sex education publications were produced, mainly aimed at helping parents to enlighten their children. However, in school, formal school sex education took place before the Second World War”. In 20th century most of the education on sex was centered around the description of sexual habit of plants and animals rather than any valuable information on the human anatomy and sexual behavior. This is indeed a very partial kind of education and was not efficient enough to give the children information about the dire consequences of unsafe sex. Sex education was mainly looked upon as a subject of reproduction process and so was taught under the biology class... With the beginning of 1970s sex education started to undergo a major change as more information on sex and relation was given to students. ”Goodin (2002, p.579-96) informs that “The 1980s continued to see an increase in the aims of sex education. However, it is probably the case that most pupils continued to receive little school sex education, and that what they did receive was a rather brief and narrow education, in biology lessons, about puberty and human reproduction”.During the 1980 there was an emergence of very deadly sexual disease called HIV and it was spreading constantly around the globe . This resulted in a change in the sex education concept of Western countries like U.K and U.S and they started thinking of sex education as a critical issue. Signification of sex education policy. The teenagers who are sexually active are a very serious concern in the society. According to Halstead(2003) “Sex education cannot be considered only as a study of sexuality of human in a biology or social science class.”. Schools were seen as many as a best medium to impart sexual knowledge to young generation as they are and integral part of school for the most part of their study life. School is a place through which all the young people cross before they reach adolescence. This makes school a very crucial agent in forming a personality in students. BBC(2000)states that “Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in schools is a graduated, age appropriate programme which teaches children and young adults about sex, sexuality, emotions, relationships and sexual health. It is based around the three main elements of attitudes and values, personal and social skills, and knowledge and understanding”. The school can influence the sexual habit of a student in a significant way by imparting them with valuable knowledge on sexual issues. It is possible by such education to avoid early sex and unwanted pregnancy issue occurring among teenagers. When the teenagers knows about the results of unprotected sex they can take actions to avoid the problems.Curtis(2008) writes that “Research suggest that education on sex and relationships assists young people in delaying the time of their first sexual encounter , and initiate responsible and healthy habits when they ultimately be sexually active” The schools with balanced sex education program can avoid major cases of teenage pregnancies and also avoid teenagers from sex to an extent. Generally it can be seen that schools are becoming more interested in giving sex and relationship classes to children to form a better and responsible future generation .It is ideal to provide sex education to children from the age of 12 as at that stage they are in a better position to understand the seriousness of the subject. McTaggart (2008)claims that “On 4th December 2007, the UK Youth Parliament wrote to The Times newspaper calling on the government to make Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) a statutory part of the national curriculum”. Children have the right to know more than human physical anatomy and it is obligation of the schools to provide them with complete information about sex. When children are informed about the consequences of early sex they get an opportunity to plan their sexual life well in advance. According to Silva(2010)“Nowadays many of the safer-sex programs promotes abstinence as a healthy lifestyle and many such programs have turned into `abstinence-oriented programs that also include the topic of contraception”. Unfortunately, it a disturbing fact that many developed and developing countries remain conservative to a point with regard to sex education. There are a lot of controversies surrounding this issue and as a result the young generation is stolen of their right to knowledge. Sexual desires arise in the children around the years of their puberty and it is very much beneficial, if they are educated about sex little in advance Most of the time children fall prey to the obscene media projection of sexuality and indulge in sex in early years of life. If they are informed about the importance of refraining from sex it can bring about a positive change in their lifestyle. Sex is an important aspect in everyone’s life and along with other subjects this also should be given much importance. Controversies on subject of sex education Young people need to be taught about all of the choices open to them, so that when they enter into in a sexual relationship they have full knowledge of the facts and not just partial information from peers. But sex education has been one of the most controversial subjects which have never seen a proper solution through these years. Jones(2009)refers that “The debate has grown very argumentative in the UK in 2009, with new government initiating for more elaborate sex education in schools. This would demand schools to teach a lot more topics on sex issues, with few choice available to them than present , and this also suggest that "relationships education" would begin with children of five years of age”. UK although being a developed country has been very conservative about providing sex education in school. There is dire need of well planned sex education in UK as the sexual behavior of teenagers is in very bad shape Lewis(2003.p.56-60)claims that “As a result of the 1986 UK debate over sex education, an Education Act was passed which stated that sex education must be taught within a ‘moral framework’, and control of what happened in schools passed from locally elected authorities to school governors”. The main opposition for sexual education comes from church authorities as they want to maintain their religious ground and forbid discussion of sexual subjects in public. As per Garner(2009,p.2) “Teaching of sex education in the UK also poses particular problems in faith schools. For instance, contraception, abortion and homosexuality are against the teachings of the Catholic faith and there has been some controversy within Catholic schools where diocese has issued edicts barring their schools from allowing pro-choice groups into schools to talk about abortion”. .Religious authorities and some communities in UK are very opposed to the concept of elaborate sex education to children and youngsters because of social norms and taboos. These religious authorities need to understand that outrageous sexual habit of teenager is due to the lack of information on the subject of sex. It is stressed by government also that all education curriculum should be formed with keeping in mind the catholic faith. Ignoring the fact can never lead to the upgrade of the society but only will help in generating a weak society. Pink News(2008) writes that “The recent publication of a new comic for primary school children .has given rise to serious debate about when children should be provided with sex education ..The 12-page illustrated booklet, meant for six and seven year olds, portrayed pictures of a boy and girl in naked form and readers are suggested to write down their sexual organs” People criticized on the issue of such publication by mentioning that seven years is a very tender age to know about sexual organs and issue related to sex. However, it is not wrong to know about one’s body at this age as they learn it along with other things which are part of nature. But public is mostly of the opinion that there should be some limitation on the exposure of information surrounding sex. Embarrassment is another huge obstacle in the path of sexual education and honest discussion with young people is a must in the progress of healthy social behavior. As per Webber(2010)“Most of the people have a notion that discussing young sex with young people encourages early sexual activity, but on the contrary proper sex education is vital in order to help young people in making informed choices.” An education system should be well balanced and it should touch on all arrays of subjects otherwise it tend to become an incomplete curriculum. According to (Kerr,2010)“Sex and relationship education remains a persistent source of controversy in the UK”. The Children, Schools and Families Act passed in April 2010 placed Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) on a statutory footing and stated that all young people must receive at least one year of sex and relationship education (SRE)” .Generally teachers and schools opt for a well developed sex education program but this did not bring much change is the rate of pregnancy and abortion rate in the United Kingdom. Responsibility of school in giving sex education School is the place where children have constant connection with and they grew up attending the school throughout young age. So it makes sense to recommend that school has a big influence in their life and can play a big role in providing sexual education to children. School can bring about a big impact on the sexual thinking and behavior of children and youngsters. Saito(1998,p.157-160) states that “The need for sexual education in order to identify and prevent the risk factors of an unwanted pregnancy during adolescence becomes increasingly clearer. In order to accomplish this purpose all segments of society shall be convened. If the goal is educating, informing or, even better, forming, then the school stands out from among the other reference groups because this is its essential role”. Children spend much time of their adolescent and young life around school and education at high school and colleges can really bring about positive change. Measor( 2000 p. 1) writes that “Sex education is currently the one of the most controversial and politicized aspect of the school curriculum. It engages adults with distinct cultural and, political and economical agendas in heated and acrimonious debates in which student voices are largely unheard”. Along with sex education school should also bring about discussion grounds where child can voice about the problems and issue relating to their sexual life. Children have to be confident and knowledgeable when they enter adolescence and right education is the sole means to it. The sex education curriculum should include program which inform about the risk and illness related to sex in the early years of life. Roger (1974,p.170)writes in his book that “Two - thirds of the boys and a quarter of girls had learned nothing about sex from their parents. Even those who had discussed sex with their parents had usually first heard about it from another source”. This shows that parents have less influence in the sex issues of their children. So school has a sole hand in imparting sexual knowledge to school from the beginning stage of puberty till adolescence. Campos ( 2002,p.89 states that “The elementary youth receives sex education from their home room teachers through science curriculum ,the high school youth learn about sex in the health education, biology and home economics”. Sex education is a social phenomenon, which is growing and its importance in curriculum has broader implications. School is the single agent to which everybody in the society has equal access. So if sex education becomes a habit of schools it automatically changes the habits of students. Parents also have a hand in the sexual behavior of the children as ignorance at home can lead to unhealthy sexual habits in children. While schools play a major role in educating children about sex, parents can also join with them in giving some useful advice to children for the benefit of their future. Conclusion Teenagers unlike children are smart and responsible and the worst past is that they can at times underestimate their intelligence. According to Manhart(2008,p.324-26) The role that sex education plays in the initiation of sexual activity and risk of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) is controversial in UK”.It is a very good idea to teach children to abstain from sex as it would do the same benefit as comprehensive sex education. The teenagers should feel responsible about the concept of sex and should be made aware that impulsive sexual indulgence can impair their health and future.Young generation should also know about homosexuality and acts of sex that might put them in dangerous situation. They should be educated about ways to indulge in sex using condoms so that pregnancy can be avoided. Girls are at higher risk of pregnancy if they encounter with sex at an early age. Girls if got pregnant can jeopardize their whole life as they would have to face abortion which is very dangerous for their health. It is very important for children and teenagers to know what is acceptable and ethical when it comes to sexual behavior. According to Reid(2009,4-11). “The provision of sex education in British schools has improved both in quality and quantity in recent years. Evaluation suggests that it has a favorable influence on knowledge and atti tudes, but little direct effect on sexual behavior” So straight forward and factual information provided to students can immensely bring about positive changes in their life. However, Britain’s official education policy still continues to the present day struggle with according to children sexual rights and identity. Bibliography Allerston, S., 2001. Sex Education. 1st ed. London: Nelson Thornes Ltd. BBC. 2000. Sex education in schools. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/barefacts/sex_education.shtml. [Accessed 02 December 10 Curtis, P., 2008. Sex education made compulsory in all schools. Guardian, 23 October. 3 Campos, D, 2002. Sex, youth, and sex education: a reference handbook . 1st ed. California: abc clio inc publishing. Donovan,C., 1996. The History of Sex Education in the U.S.. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vidahumana.org/english/family/sexed-history.html. [Accessed 03 December 10. Freeman, S.K, 2008. Sex goes to school: girls and sex education before the 1960s . 1st ed. illinois: University of iIlinois. Goodin, R.E., 2002. The Politics of Sex Education Policy in England and Wales and The Netherlands since the 1980s . Journal of Social Policy, 31/4, 579-96. Garner, R, 2009. The Big Question: Why are teenage pregnancy rates so high, and what can be done about it?. Independent, 17 February. 2. Halstead, J.M, 2003. Values in sex education: from principles to practice . 1st ed. London: Routledge Falmer. Irvine, J.M, 2002. Talk about sex: the battles over sex education in the United States . 1st ed. London: University of California Press Jones,E. 2009. Sex Education. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=52. [Accessed 03 December 10]. Kohler, P.K, 2008. Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy. Journal of Adolscent Health, 42/4, 324-26 Kerr,C. 2010. 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[ONLINE] Available at:http://www.nydailynews. com/ny_local/high_school _awards /2010/ 12/02/2010-12-02_tv_replaces_parents _and_schools_in_sex_ education.html. [Accessed 02 December 10]. Rogers, R.S, 1974. Sex education; rationale and reaction . 1st ed. London: Cambridge University Press. Reid, D, 2009. School sex education and the causes of unintended teenage pregnancies. Health Education Journal, 41/1, 4-11. Reiss. 2005. A Brief History Of Sex Ed. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.open2.net/healtheducation/body_mind/thehistoryp_.html. [Accessed 03 December 10 Saito, M.I, 1998. Sex education in school: preventing unwanted pregnancy in adolescents. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 63/1, 157-160 Silva,M.. 2001. The effectiveness of school-based sex education programs in the promotion of abstinent behavior: a meta-analysis. [ONLINE] Available at: http://her.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/4/471.full. [Accessed 03 December 10 Webber,C. 2010. Talking to pre-adolescent children about sex . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/sex_relationships/facts/childrenandsex.htm. [Accessed 03 December 10 Read More