Sex Education in Public Schools

Introduction

Sex education, sometimes called sexuality education, is the teaching of information regarding sexual behaviors and their effects. The history of sex education is relatively recent and has been shrouded in much controversy. In the early days of the 20th century, doctors and laypersons could be arrested for disseminating information regarding contraception and family planning (Luker, 12). As recently as the 1950s, the topic of sex was not considered appropriate for discussion in polite society and certainly not in public schools. Along with the lifting of other societal taboos, the 1960s brought discussions of sexuality into the public arena and with this, the introduction of sex education into public school classrooms (Bruckner, 2005).

Sex education has varied in response to shifting social values, public and financial support, and beliefs about “the child” and “the adolescent.” Whether youth are conceptualized as vulnerable children in need of surveillance, potential tax burdens, or future citizens capable of self-governance shapes how their education is envisioned, designed, and delivered (Fields, 2006). Race, class, and gender inform those conceptions. Unlike many other educational topics, the intent of sex education has often been to effect behavioral changes in those who receive it. This entry provides a historical overview, a brief look at some current issues, and a glimpse of future trends (Luker, 19).

Evaluating Already done Research Works

Polls show that the majority of American parents endorse the idea of their children receiving information on these topics. In addition, a number of international agreements recognize the right of all people, including young people, to accurate information on sexuality and sexual health. However, most sex and/or HIV education programs are not scientifically evaluated to determine their effectiveness (Kirby, 2006). Among those that have been closely studied, approximately two thirds had positive effects on sexual behavior or outcomes, whereas one third did not achieve any such success. Research has also shown that sex and/or HIV education programs do not themselves lead to increased sexual activity (Rogow, 11).

Nevertheless, sex education has become the subject of policy debates. On one hand, a number of conservative and religious groups have mounted significant opposition to sex education. On the other hand, a number of researchers and feminists have argued for the need to strengthen current approaches to sex education. Underlying both critiques are fundamental assumptions and values about gender roles (Bruckner, 5).

Since the 1980s, conservatives have organized to replace sex education programs with curricula that teach students that heterosexual marital relationships are the only context in which sexual activity is morally acceptable; in other words, masturbation, premarital sex, and homosexuality are all proscribed (Fields, 6). Because such curricula exclude mention of contraception or condoms as methods of protection or present negative messages about these methods, they are often called abstinence-only programs. Although abstinence-only programs often include information about trying to avoid sexual coercion, they tend to reinforce the traditional gender roles and marital arrangements that often facilitate sexual coercion and violence (Moran, 18).

Because conservative movements gained substantial political influence beginning in the 1980s, schools ...