Israel ( = 1),
Canada ( = 6),
Australia ( = 3),
New Zealand ( = 1),
The Netherlands ( = 2)
Kenya ( = 1),
Mexico ( = 2),
South Africa ( = 1),
Ireland ( = 2),
South Korea ( = 1),
China ( = 1), Holland ( = 1)
U.K ( = 1), Europe ( = 2).
Characteristics and main results of the studies included.
Chokprajakchad et al. (2018) | To describe and analyze methodological and substantive features of research on interventions to delay the initiation of sexual intercourse and prevent other sexual risk behaviors among early adolescents. | 10–13 years | 14 studies used randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 16 used quasi-experimental designs and three used a pre-test, post-test design. | (a) Adolescent sexual behavior. (b) Initiation of sexual activity. (c) Condom use and other. Contraceptive use. (a) Adolescents’ attitudes. (b) Self-efficacy. (c) Intentions related to sexual behavior. | |
Goldfarb et al. (2020) | To find evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education in school-based programs. | 3–18 years | Randomized controlled trial (RCTs), quasi-experimental, and pre- and post-test. | Homophobia, homophobic bullying, understanding of gender/gender norms, recognition of gender equity, rights, and social justice. Knowledge and attitudes about, and reporting of, DV and IPV; DV and IPV perpetration and victimization; bystander, intentions and behaviors. Knowledge, attitudes, and skills and intentions. Knowledge, attitudes, skills and social-emotional outcomes related to personal safety and touch. Social emotional learning. Media literacy. | |
Haberland et al. (2016) | Evaluation of behavior-change interventions to prevent HIV, STIs or unintended pregnancy to analyze whether addressing gender and power in sexuality education curricula is associated with better outcomes. | Adolescents under 19 years | Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) or quasi-experimental. | (a) STIs. (b) HIV. (c) Pregnancy. (d) Childbearing. | |
Kedzior et al. (2020) | Determine the impact of school-based programs that promote social connectedness on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. | 10–19 years | Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials (including quasi), controlled before-after (pre-/post-) interrupted time series, and program evaluations. Program evaluation without a control group were eligible if they reported on outcomes pre- and post- program implementation. | (a) Contraception use. (b) Intercourse (frequency or another outcome as defined by authors). (c) Risk of adolescent pregnancy and birth. (d) Rates of sexually transmissible infections (STIs). (e) Attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about sex and reproductive health. (f) Autonomy. (g) Connectedness. | |
Lopez et al. (2016) | To identify school-based interventions that improved contraceptive use among adolescents. | 19 years or younger | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). (Of 11 trials, 10 were cluster randomized). | (a) Pregnancy (six months or more after the intervention began). (b) Contraceptive use (three months or more after the intervention began). (a) Knowledge of contraceptive effectiveness or effective method use. (b) Attitude about contraception or a specific contraceptive method. | |
Marseille et al. (2018) | To evaluate the effectiveness of school-based teen pregnancy prevention programs in the USA. | 10–19 years | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (10 studies) and non-RCTs (11 studies) with comparator groups were eligible yielded 30 unique pooled comparisons for pregnancy. | Pregnancy. (a) Sexual Initiation. (b) Condom Use. (c) Oral Contraception Pill Use. | |
Mason-Jones et al. (2016) | To evaluate the effects of school-based sexual and reproductive health programs on sexually transmitted infections (such as HIV, herpes simplex virus, and syphilis), and pregnancy among adolescents. | 10–19 years | Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) (both individually randomized and cluster-randomized included 8 cluster-RCTs). | (a) HIV prevalence. (b) STI prevalence. (c) Pregnancy prevalence. (a) Use of male condoms at first sex. (b) Use of male condoms at most recent (last) sex. (c) Initiation (sexual debut). | |
Mirzazadeh et al. (2018) | To evaluate the effectiveness of school-based programs prevent HIV and other sexually Transmitted Infections in adolescents in the USA. | 10–19 years | Three RCTs and six non-RCTs describing seven interventions. | (a) HIV/STI incidence or prevalence. (b) HIV/STI testing. (a) Frequency of intercourse. (b) Number of partners. (c) Initiation of sexual intercourse. (d) Sex without a condom. (e) HIV/STI knowledge, attitude, and behavior. | |
Oringanje et al. (2016) | To assess the effects of primary prevention interventions (school-based, community/home-based, clinic-based, and faith-based) on unintended pregnancies among adolescents. | 10–19 years | 53 Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) comparing these interventions to various control groups (mostly usual standard sex education offered by schools). | (a) Unintended pregnancy. (a) Reported changes in knowledge and attitudes about the risk of unintended pregnancies. (b) Initiation of sexual intercourse. (c) Use of birth control methods. (d) Abortion. (e) Childbirth. (f) Morbidity related to pregnancy, abortion or child birth. (g) Mortality related to pregnancy, abortion or childbirth. (h) Sexually transmitted infections (including HIV). | |
Peterson et al. (2019) | To examine whether interventions, addressing school-level environment or student-level educational assets, can promote young people’s sexual health. | 10–19 years | Randomized trial or quasi experimental design, in which control groups received usual treatment or a comparison intervention, and they must have reported at least one sexual health outcome, such as pregnancy, STDs or sexual behaviors associated with increased risk of pregnancy or STDs. | (a) Knowledge. (b) Attitudes. (c) Skills. (d) Services related to sexual health. | |
Bailey et al. (2015) | To summarize evidence on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and mechanism of action of interactive digital interventions (IDIs) for sexual health; optimal practice for intervention development; contexts for successful implementation; research methods for digital intervention evaluation; and the future potential of sexual health promotion via digital media. | 12–19 years | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). | (a) Sexual health knowledge. (b) Self-efficacy. (c) Intention/motivation. (d) Sexual behavior and biological. | |
Celik et al. (2020) | To determine the effect of technology-based programmes in changing adolescent health behaviors. | 10–24 years | Randomized control group. | Adolescents’ health-promoting behaviors: pregnancy, HIV/disease-related knowledge, condom use, condom intentions, condom skills, self-efficacy, and related infectious diseases risk behavior. | |
Desmet et al. (2015) | To analyze the effectiveness of interventions for sexual health promotion that use serious digital games. | 13–29 years | Randomized control group, and randomized on an individual. | Behavior, knowledge, behavioral intention, perceived environmental constraints, skills, attitudes, subjective norm, and self-efficacy. Clinical effects (e.g., rates of sexually transmitted infections). | |
Holstrom (2015) | To draw a more comprehensive picture of how online sexual health interventions do and do not align with real world habits and interests of adolescents. | 10–24 years | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and focus groups participants. | (a) Sexual Health information. (b) What topics they want to know about. (c) Evaluations of Internet-based sexual health interventions. | |
L’Engle et al. (2016) | To assess strategies, findings, and quality of evidence on using mobile phones to improve adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH). | 13–24 years | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental, observational, or descriptive research. | (a) Promote positive and preventive SRH behaviors. (b) Increase adoption and continuation of contraception. (c) Support medication adherence for HIV-positive young people. (d) Encourage use of health screening and treatment services. | |
Martin et al. (2020) | To describe existing published studies on online participatory intervention methods used to promote the sexual health of adolescents and young adults. | 10–24 years | 16 Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT), 15 Control group (NI = 2), 4 Information-only control website, 7 Before-after study (no RCT), 3 Cross-sectional study, 8 other design, 3 Unspecified. | Acceptability, Attractiveness, Feasibility, Satisfaction and Implementation. Behaviors. Condom use, condom use intention, self-efficacy toward condom use, and attitude toward condom use attitudes. Communication. Knowledge. Behavioral skills. Self-efficacy. Contraception use. History of sexually transmitted infections. HIV stigma. HIV test history (date and result of the last test). Incidence of sexually transmitted infections. Intentions related to risky sexual activity. Internalized homophobia. Intimate partner violence. Motivation. Pubertal development. Sexual abstinence. Waiting before having sex. | = 23) |
Palmer et al. (2020) | To assess the effects of targeted client communication via delivered via mobile devices on adolescents’ knowledge, and on adolescents’ and adults’ sexual and reproductive health behavior, health service use, and health and well-being. | 10 -24 years | Randomized controlled trials (RCTs). | • STI/HIV prevention. • STI/HIV treatment. • Contraception/family planning. • Pre-conception care. • Partner violence. • STI/HIV prevention/treatment. • Contraception/family planning. • HPV vaccination. • Cervical screening. • Pre-conception care. • Use of services designed for those who have experienced partner violence. • STI/HIV prevention. • STI/HIV treatment. • Contraception/family planning. • Partner violence. • Well-being. • STI prevention and/or treatment. • Contraception/family planning. • Cervical cancer screening. • Sexual violence. • HPV vaccination. • Puberty. •Patient/client acceptability and satisfaction with the intervention. •Resource use, including cost to the system and unintended consequences. | |
Wadham et al. (2019) | To assess the effectiveness of sexual health interventions delivered via new digital media to young people. | 12–24 years | Randomized to a control group and pre-/post-test evaluation design, uncontrolled longitudinal studies and the remaining studies comprised a mixture of qualitative cohort, observational and mixed methods. | (a) Behavior (number of sexual partners, number of unprotected sexual acts, frequency of condom use, negotiation skills for condom use, sex under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, testing seeking behavior). (b) Self-efficacy (condom use). (c) Skills and Abilities (sexual communication and risk assessment). (d) Intentions (to use condoms). (e) Attitudes. (f) Knowledge (HIV, STI, general sexual health). (g) Efficacy of the Intervention (feasibility, acceptability, usability, satisfaction). (h) Well-being (mental health, sexuality, self-acceptance). | |
Widman et al. (2018) | To synthesize the technology-based sexual health interventions among youth people to determine their overall efficacy on two key behavioral outcomes: condom use and abstinence. | 13–24 years | Randomized to a control group and experimental or quasi-experimental design. | (a) Condom use (b) Abstinence. (a) Safer sex attitudes. (b) Social norms for safer sexual activity. (c) self-efficacy. (d) Behavioral intentions to practice safer sex. (e) Sexual health knowledge. | < 0.001) and abstinence (d = 0.21, 95% CI [0.02, 0.40], p = 0.027). < 0.001), safer sex norms (d = 0.15, = 0.022), and attitudes (d = 0.12, = 0.016) |
Coyle et al. (2019) | To identify sexual health education studies using blended learning to summarize the best practices and potential challenges. | 13–24 years, and adults of over 25 | Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). | (a) Initiation of sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral or anal intercourse). (b) Other sexual risk behaviors (condom use, communication, condom use skills, frequency of sex, unprotected sex, number of partners with whom had sex without protection, frequency of using alcohol and or other substances during sex). (c) Sexual coercion or dating violence (sexual coercion, dating violence). (d) Sexuality-related psychosocial factors (attitudes, beliefs, perceptions regarding abstinence, and protection). (e) Perceived satisfaction and usability (of blended learning). |
Evaluation of the studies included (AMSTAR II).
School | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Authors | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Overall Rating |
Chokprajakchad et al. (2018) | Y | N | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | N | CL |
Goldfarb et al. (2020) | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Partial Y | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | Y | CL |
Haberland et al. (2016) | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Partial Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | N | CL |
Kedzior et al. (2020) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Partial Y | Y | Y | N | NM | NM | Y | Y | NM | Y | M |
Lopez et al. (2016) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | NM | NM | Y | Y | NM | Y | H |
Marseille et al. (2018) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | H |
Mason-Jones et al. (2016) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | H |
Mirzazadeh et al. (2018) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | H |
Oringanje et al. (2016) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | NM | NM | Y | Y | NM | Y | H |
Peterson et al. (2019) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | L |
Bailey et al. (2015) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | L |
Celik et al. (2020) | Y | Y | Y | N | N | N | Y | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | Y | CL |
DeSmet et al. (2015) | Y | Partial Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | Partial Y | N | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | Y | CL |
Holstrom (2015) | N | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | N | NM | N | CL |
L´Engle et al. (2016) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Partial Y | Partial Y | N | Y | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | Y | CL |
Martin et al. (2020) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | Y | CL |
Palmer et al. (2020) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | H |
Wadham et al. (2019) | N | Y | Y | Y | Partial Y | Partial Y | N | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | N | NM | Y | CL |
Widman et al. (2018) | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Partial Y | Partial Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | L |
Coyle et al. (2019) | Y | N | N | Y | N | N | N | Y | N | N | NM | NM | N | Y | NM | N | CL |
1 1. Did the research questions and inclusion criteria for the review include the components of PCIO?; 2. Did the report of the review contain an explicit statement that the review methods were established prior to the conduct of the review and did the report justify any significant deviations from the protocol?; 3. Did the review authors explain their selection of the study designs for inclusion in the review?; 4. Did the review authors use a comprehensive literature search strategy?; 5. Did the review authors perform study selection in duplicate?; 6. Did the review authors perform data extraction in duplicate?; 7. Did the review authors provide a list of excluded studies and justify the exclusions?; 8. Did the review authors describe the included studies in adequate detail?; 9. Did the review authors use a satisfactory technique for assessing the risk of bias (RoB) in individual studies that were included in the review?; 10. Did the review authors report on the sources of funding for the studies included in the review?; 11. If meta-analysis was performed, did the review authors use appropriate methods for statistical combination of results?; 12. If meta-analysis was performed, did the review authors assess the potential impact of RoB in individual studies on the results of the meta-analysis or other evidence synthesis?; 13. Did the review authors account for RoB in primary studies when interpreting/discussing the results of the review?; 14. Did the review authors provide a satisfactory explanation for, and discussion of, any heterogeneity observed in the results of the review?; 15. If they performed quantitative synthesis did the review authors carry out an adequate investigation of publication bias (small study bias) and discuss its likely impact on the results of the review?; 16. Did the review authors report any potential sources of conflict of interest, including any funding they received for conducting the review? 2 H = Hight; M = Media; C = Low; CL = Critically Low. N = No; Y = Yes.
Conceptualization, M.L.-F. and R.M.-R.; methodology, M.L.-F.; R.M.-R.; Y.R.-C. and M.V.C.-F.; formal analysis, M.L.-F.; R.M.-R.; Y.R.-C. and M.V.C.-F.; investigation, M.L.-F.; R.M.-R.; Y.R.-C. and M.V.C.-F.; writing—original draft preparation, M.L.-F. and R.M.-R.; writing—review and editing, M.L.-F.; R.M.-R., and Y.R.-C. and.; supervision, M.L.-F.; R.M.-R.; Y.R.-C. and M.V.C.-F. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
This research received no external funding.
Not applicable.
Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Edith Cowan University
Nothing to disclose.
Edith Cowan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.
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There is currently no consistent standard of sex, sexuality, gender and respectful relationships education across Australian schools. Each state and territory makes decisions about what they teach in schools. Additionally, religious schools have exemptions under anti-discrimination laws to decide how they approach these issues, and whether they include them at all.
Despite the gains made in the marriage equality debate, Australia has been unable to translate this into inclusive sex and sexuality education for young people. While countries such as England and Canada are adopting progressive, consistent sex education programs at a national level, Australia has not.
Read more: Australian sex education isn't diverse enough. Here's why we should follow England's lead
The federal Department of Education is spending A$5 million to develop resources to teach respectful relationships in Australian schools. According to one news report , these resources will not include topics on toxic masculinity, gender theory or case studies about young people’s sexual activity. This project is a part of the women’s safety package announced in 2015 by the Turnbull government, which seeks to educate young people about violence against women.
The federal government is quietly trying to distance these resources from Victoria’s Respectful Relationships program, which has been criticised by some conservative commentators. Politics aside, there is an urgent need for these resources. Gendered violence against women and LGBTIQ people is too common in Australia.
Only a few years ago, Australia was very close to having a standard national resource for sex, sexuality and relationships education – the Safe Schools program. Its creators aspired to consistency across all state and territory educational jurisdictions in Australia, in line with the nationally consistent Australian Curriculum .
Safe Schools was designed as an evidence-based , educational anti-bullying program. The program had LGBTIQ inclusion at its core, and sought to create safe and inclusive environments for LGBTIQ students. Resources used to help deliver the program were developed by experts and carefully selected to ensure they were age-appropriate for the students using them.
The federal government stopped funding the program in mid-2017, following an extended public pillorying by conservative politicians and media commentators . This ranged from concern students were encouraged to cross-dress and role-play as gay teenages to false claims the program showed children how to masturbate and strap on dildos.
Read more: FactCheck: does the Safe Schools program contain 'highly explicit material'?
Safe Schools has been replaced by an eclectic mix of programs, which vary from state to state. As a result, Australia has an inconsistent approach across state education systems.
In Victoria, the Building Respectful Relationships program was trialled in 2015 in response to recommendations Royal Commission into Family Violence and rolled out more broadly since 2016.
The program contains strong messages of healthy relationships, violence prevention and control, which young people can relate to, regardless of their situation. The program has received criticism claiming it’s simply a repackaged version of the Safe Schools program. It runs concurrently with Safe Schools, which is now implemented in nearly all government secondary schools in Victoria.
Safe Schools programs are also run in one government school in the NT, 21 government schools in Tasmania and 24 government schools, 3 independent schools and 3 other educational settings in WA.
At the federal level, funding has been confirmed to make the John Howard-inspired school chaplain program permanent. The School Chaplaincy program is intended to support the social, emotional and spiritual well-being of school communities across Australia. This may include support and guidance about ethics, values, relationships and spiritual issues.
Scott Morrison has made a number of comments about LGBTIQ issues in his short time as Prime Minister. Morrison said schools don’t need “gender whisperers”, referring to an article which stated teachers were being taught how to spot potentially transgender students.
It has since been clarified teachers were being trained on how to support students if they identify as transgender, not to identify potentially transgender students.
Morrison has also brushed aside concerns about gay conversion therapy , and publicly stated he sends his children to a religious schools to avoid “ skin curling ” discussions about gender diversity and sexuality.
Other members of the Coalition have publicly echoed similar beliefs, including Tony Abbott and Tasmanian Liberal senator Eric Abetz who actively spoke out against voting “yes” in the same-sex marriage plebiscite for fear it would lead to a “ radical sex education program for schools ”.
Gender and sexual diversity are part of the rich multicultural landscape of contemporary Australian society. But research indicates there’s significant cause for concern about gender-based violence and family violence. Education about respectful relationships was identified as a key way to combat this in the Royal Commission into Family Violence .
Likewise, current research about young people and sex, sexuality and gender diversity is alarming. There are still high levels of mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide) among LGBTIQ young people as a result of bullying, discrimination, and harassment at school and in the wider community.
The data indicate increasingly high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young people are also a significant concern. Rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses in Australia are highest amongst people aged 15-24 years .
Regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, research indicates young people need to be reliably informed about safe sex. The ramifications of not doing so are far too significant. Research shows school-based sexuality education improves sexual health outcomes for young people.
Likewise, Australia has unacceptably high rates of family, domestic and sexual violence, while gender inequality permeates most aspects of society. This can be mitigated through reliable education about healthy relationships. Family, domestic and sexual violence is not a sign of a healthy society .
Read more: Young people want sex education and religion shouldn't get in the way
Sex, sexuality, respectful relationships, and gender all need to be discussed in schools as a component of a whole-school approach. This should not only include in-class education, but it should also be addressed in school cultures, policies and procedures, and in gender equity among the staff.
This is important because we need safe, inclusive schools that celebrate diversity. It’s also important to raise awareness among young people to mitigate family, domestic and sexual violence.
This article has been updated since publication to clarify that there are government schools in Victoria which run Safe Schools programs, and that the Building Respectful Relationships program is run concurrently, not as a replacement.
At What Age Should Sex Education Be Introduced at Schools?
Introduction
Sex education has vital importance for preventing teen pregnancy and sex-related risks, and providing kids with the knowledge of the proper sexual behavior. While sex education should be introduced in schools, it is also critical that parents educate their children about sex before school even begins. Therefore, sex education should be introduced to children at the earliest age, providing children with information which corresponds to their needs at a certain age. In addition, sex education at schools should be introduced as early as possible, ensuring children’s healthy sexual development.
Parental Role in Starting Sex Education at Home
Sex is a sensitive topic that, as a rule, is not usually discussed by parents with their children. Parents may often feel uncomfortable when asked by their children about how children are conceived and born and other related topics. It is essential to communicate with children regarding sex and name things as they are from an early age, making them understand what may not be appropriate when interacting with other children (“When Is the Right Age to Teach a Child Sex Education”). This should be done as soon as a child goes to kindergarten and is exposed to communication with other boys and girls.
The Benefits of Early Sex Education
While parents should start educating their children as early as possible, there are debates regarding the age at which sex education should be introduced at school. Some parent groups consider that sex education should not start until grade 5 or 6. At the same time, others believe that this should start earlier. Namely, grades 3 and 4 should be suitable for giving students more knowledge about sex and their bodies (Walsh). This would decrease the chances of facing negative effects of the lack of knowledge about the topic for children.
There are numerous reasons why sex education is relevant from an early age. First, it helps children understand their bodies and not be surprised when their bodies start changing during puberty. Second, children will not be ashamed of discussing sex-related topics and not make rude jokes in their groups (Walsh). Third, students will be aware of the risks and negative effects that can arise in the case of improper sexual behavior. Lastly, they will be introduced to safety measures and ways to avoid damaging situations that can harm psychological health of children which can also affect their adult life. Therefore, children will possess sufficient knowledge about the required behavior and will become competent in understanding their bodies and sexuality.
Sex education is also critical considering the exposure of children to media where messages related to sex may not be clear to them. In this way, without necessary knowledge, they can misinterpret the messages of a sexual nature presented in the media and develop incorrect ideas about their bodies. This is especially relevant when it comes to images shown in media representing the bodies of men and women, which are often believed to be role models for children, especially girls, which can later result in eating disorders and low self-esteem.
Finally, sex education should begin in early childhood, with parents giving children an understanding of their bodies and sexuality. Sex education at schools should begin as early as possible, starting in grade 3 or 4, introducing the primary concepts of sexual development. In this way, sex education can help children be more confident in their sexual development and apply safety measures to avoid risks and negative effects of early sexual activity.
Works Cited
“When Is the Right Age to Teach a Child Sex Education.” Punch Newspapers, Punch Newspapers, 4 Feb. 2017, https://punchng.com/right-age-teach-child-sex-education/. Accessed 23 Jan 2019.
Walsh, Jenny. “Sex Education Needs to Begin Earlier.” Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Mar. 2013, https://www.afao.org.au/article/sex-education-needs-begin-earlier/. Accessed 23 Jan 2019.
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Comprehensive sex education is a critical component of sexual and reproductive health care.
Developing a healthy sexuality is a core developmental milestone for child and adolescent health.
Youth need developmentally appropriate information about their sexuality and how it relates to their bodies, community, culture, society, mental health, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners.
AAP supports broad access to comprehensive sex education, wherein all children and adolescents have access to developmentally appropriate, evidence-based education that provides the knowledge they need to:
Comprehensive sex education involves teaching about all aspects of human sexuality, including:
Comprehensive sex education programs have several common elements:
Comprehensive sex education should occur across the developmental spectrum, beginning at early ages and continuing throughout childhood and adolescence :
Most adolescents report receiving some type of formal sex education before age 18. While sex education is typically associated with schools, comprehensive sex education can be delivered in several complementary settings:
Comprehensive sex education provides children and adolescents with the information that they need to:
Comprehensive sex education programs have demonstrated success in reducing rates of sexual activity, sexual risk behaviors, STIs, and adolescent pregnancy and delaying sexual activity. Many systematic reviews of the literature have indicated that comprehensive sex education promotes healthy sexual behaviors:
However, comprehensive sex education curriculum goes beyond risk-reduction, by covering a broader range of content that has been shown to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.
A 2021 review of the literature found that comprehensive sex education programs that use a positive, affirming, and inclusive approach to human sexuality are associated with concrete benefits across 5 key domains:
When children and adolescents lack access to comprehensive sex education, they do not get the information they need to make informed, healthy decisions about their lives, relationships, and behaviors.
Several trends in sexual health in the US highlight the need for comprehensive sex education for all youth.
Education about condom and contraceptive use is needed:
STI prevention is needed:
Continued prevention of unintended pregnancy is needed:
Misinformation about sexual health is easily available online:
Prevention of sex abuse, dating violence, and unhealthy relationships is needed:
The quality and content of sex education in US schools varies widely.
There is significant variation in the quality of sex education taught in US schools, leading to disparities in attitudes, health information, and outcomes. The majority of sex education programs in the US tend to focus on public health goals of decreasing unintended pregnancies and preventing STIs, via individual behavior change.
There are three primary categories of sex educational programs taught in the US :
State laws impact the curriculum covered in sex education programs. According to a report from the Guttmacher Institute :
US states have varying requirements on sex education content related to sexual orientation :
Abstinence-only sex education programs do not meet the needs of children and adolescents.
While abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and STIs, research has conclusively shown that abstinence-only sex education programs do not support healthy sexual development in youth.
Abstinence-only programs are ineffective in reaching their stated goals, as evidenced by the data below:
Abstinence-only programs can harm the healthy sexual and mental development of youth by:
Abstinence-plus sex education programs focus solely on decreasing unintended pregnancy and STIs.
Abstinence-plus sex education programs promote abstinence until marriage. However, these programs also provide information on contraception and condom use to prevent unintended pregnancy and STIs.
Research has demonstrated that abstinence-plus programs have an impact on sexual behavior and safety, including:
While these programs add another layer of education, they do not address the broader spectrum of sexuality, gender identity, and relationship skills, thus withholding critical information and skill-building that can impact healthy sexual development.
AAP and other national medical and public health associations support comprehensive sex education for youth.
Given the evidence outlined above, AAP and other national medical organizations oppose abstinence-only education and endorse comprehensive sex education that includes both abstinence promotion and provision of accurate information about contraception, STIs, and sexuality.
National medical and public health organizations supporting comprehensive sex education include:
Pediatric clinics provide a unique opportunity for comprehensive sex education.
Pediatric health clinicians typically have longitudinal care relationships with their patients and families, and thus have unique opportunities to address comprehensive sex education across all stages of development.
The clinical visit can serve as a useful adjunct to support comprehensive sex education provided in schools, or to fill gaps in knowledge for youth who are exposed to abstinence-only or abstinence-plus curricula.
AAP policy and Bright Futures: Guidelines for Health Supervision of Infants, Children, and Adolescents provide recommendations for comprehensive sex education in clinical settings, including:
There were two cardboard bears, and a person explained that one bear wears a bikini to the beach and the other bear wears shorts – that is the closest thing I ever got to sex ed throughout my entire K-12 education. I often think about that bear lesson because it was the day our institutions failed to teach me anything about my body, relationships, consent, and self-advocacy, which became even more evident after I was sexually assaulted at 16 years old. My story is not unique, I know that many young people have been through similar traumas, but many of us were also subjected to days, months, and years of silence and embarrassment because we were never given the knowledge to know how to spot abuse or the language to ask for help. Comprehensive sex ed is so much more than people make it out to be, it teaches about sex but also about different types of experiences, how to respect one another, how to communicate in uncomfortable situations, how to ask for help and an insurmountable amount of other valuable lessons.
From these lessons, people become well-rounded, people become more empathetic to other experiences, and people become better. I believe comprehensive sex ed is vital to all people and would eventually work as a part to build more compassionate communities.
Many US children and adolescents do not receive comprehensive sex education; and rates of formal sex education have declined significantly in recent decades.
Misinformation, stigma, and fear of negative reactions:
Inconsistencies in school-based sex education:
Need for resources and training:
Lack of diversity and cultural awareness in curricula:
The barriers listed above limit access to comprehensive sex education in schools and communities. While these barriers impact youth across the US, there are some populations who are less likely to have access to comprehensive to sex education.
Youth who are LGBTQ2S+:
Youth with disabilities or special health care needs:
Youth from historically underserved communities:
Youth from rural communities:
Youth from communities and schools that are low-income:
Youth who receive sex education in some religious settings:
Youth who live in states that limit the topics that can be covered in sex education:
Youth who are exposed to comprehensive sex education programs in school demonstrate healthier sexual behaviors:
More broadly, comprehensive sexual education impacts overall social-emotional health , including:
Comprehensive sex education curriculum goes beyond risk reduction, to ensure that youth are supported in understanding their identity and sexuality and making informed decisions about their relationships, behaviors, and future. These benefits are critical to healthy sexual development.
When youth are denied access to comprehensive sex education, they do not get the information and skill-building required for healthy sexual development. As such, they face unnecessary barriers to understanding their gender and sexuality, building positive interpersonal relationships, and making informed decisions about their sexual behavior and sexual health.
Impacts of a lack of comprehensive sex education for all youth can include :
In addition, the lack of access to comprehensive sex education can exacerbate existing health disparities, with disproportionate impacts on specific populations of youth.
Youth who identify as women, youth from communities of color, youth with disabilities, and youth who are LGBTQ2S+ are particularly impacted by inequitable access to comprehensive sex education, as this lack of education can impact their health, safety, and self-identity. Examples of these impacts are outlined below.
Sex education is often the first experience that youth have with understanding and discussing their gender and sexual health.
Youth deserve to a strong foundation of developmentally appropriate information about gender and sexuality, and how these things relate to their bodies, community, culture, society, mental health, and relationships with family, peers, and romantic partners.
Decades of data have demonstrated that comprehensive sex education programs are effective in reducing risk of STIs and unplanned pregnancy. These benefits are critical to public health. However, comprehensive sex education goes even further, by instilling youth with a broad range of knowledge and skills that are proven to support social-emotional learning, positive communication skills, and development of healthy relationships.
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As they grow up, young people face important decisions about relationships, sexuality, and sexual behavior. The decisions they make can impact their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives, and society has the responsibility to prepare youth by providing them with comprehensive sexual health education that gives them the tools they need to make healthy decisions. But it is not enough for programs to include discussions of abstinence and contraception to help young people avoid unintended pregnancy or disease. Comprehensive sexual health education must do more. It must provide young people with honest, age-appropriate information and skills necessary to help them take personal responsibility for their health and overall well being. This paper provides an overview of research on effective sex education, laws and policies that shape it, and how it can impact young people’s lives.
Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Sex education should occur throughout a student’s grade levels, with information appropriate to students’ development and cultural background. It should include information about puberty and reproduction, abstinence, contraception and condoms, relationships, sexual violence prevention, body image, gender identity and sexual orientation. It should be taught by trained teachers. Sex education should be informed by evidence of what works best to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, but it should also respect young people’s right to complete and honest information. Sex education should treat sexual development as a normal, natural part of human development.
Comprehensive sexual health education covers a range of topics throughout the student’s grade levels. Along with parental and community support, it can help young people:
Many students receive abstinence-only-until marriage programs instead of or in addition to more comprehensive programs. These programs:
Only one abstinence-only program has ever been proven effective at helping young people delay sex; yet in withholding information about contraception, it leaves those who do have sex completely at risk. Studies show that 99 percent of people will use contraception in their lifetimes,[20] and that the provision of information about contraception does not hasten the onset of sexual debut or increase sexual activity.[10] Meanwhile, thirty years of public health research clearly demonstrate that comprehensive sex education can help young people delay sexual initiation while also assisting them to use protection when they do become sexually active. We want young people to behave responsibly when it comes to decisions about sexual health, and that means society has the responsibility to provide them with honest, age-appropriate comprehensive sexual health education; access to services to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections; and the resources to help them lead healthy lives.
All young people need comprehensive sexual health education, while others also need sexual health services. Youth at disproportionate risk for sexual health disparities may also need targeted interventions designed specifically to build self efficacy and agency. Further, administrators and other policy makers must recognize that structural determinants, socio-cultural factors and cultural norms have been shown to have a strong impact on youth sexual health and must be tackled to truly redress sexual health disparity fueled by social inequity.
Many factors help shape the content of a student’s sex education. These include:
With thousands of school districts around the nation, students’ experiences can vary drastically from district to district and school to school.
In the United States, education is largely a state and local responsibility, as dictated by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment states that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”[3] Because the Constitution doesn’t specifically mention education, the federal government does not have any direct authority regarding curriculum, instruction, administration, personnel, etc. In 1980, the U.S. Department of Education was created. While this move centralized federal efforts and responsibilities into one office, it did not come with an increase in federal jurisdiction over the educational system.
The U.S. Department of Education currently has no authority over sexual health education. However, there have been federal funds allocated, primarily through the Department of Health and Human Services that school systems and community-based agencies have used throughout the last three decades to provide various forms of sex education.[21]
In 2010, two streams of funding became available for evidence-based sex education interventions.[22]
In addition, in 2013, CDC/Division of School Health issued a request for proposals to fund State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Large Municipal Education Agencies (LEAs) to implement Exemplary Sexual Health Education (ESHE). ESHE is defined as a systematic, evidence-informed approach to sexual health education that includes the use of grade-specific, evidence-based interventions, but also emphasizes sequential learning across elementary, middle, and high school grade levels.[23]
States may accept PREP, TPPI, or Title V funds. Many states accept funds for both abstinence-only programs and evidence-based interventions. In 2013, 19 SEAs and 17 LEAs received five year cooperative agreements from CDC/DASH to implement ESHE within their school systems.[22]
Each state has a department of education headed by a chief state school officer, more commonly known as the Superintendent of Public Instruction or the Commissioner of Education (titles vary by state). State departments of education are generally responsible for disbursing state and federal funds to local school districts, setting parameters for the length of school day and year, teacher certification, testing requirements, graduation requirements, developing learning standards and promoting professional development. Generally, the chief state school officer is appointed by the Governor, though in a few states they are elected.[23]
State departments of education may also have Standards which provide benchmark measures that define what students should know and be able to do at specified grade levels. These sometimes, but not always, address sexual health education. For instance, Connecticut and New Jersey have standards similar to the National Sexuality Education Standards in place and which address reproduction, prevention of STIs and pregnancy, and healthy relationships. A number of other states have general health education standards which do not directly address sexual health, while others make mention of HIV/STI prevention and abstinence but don’t demand the most thorough instruction in sexual health.[24]
Local school boards are responsible for ensuring that each school in their district is in compliance with the laws and policies set by the state and federal government. Local school board also have broad decision and rule-making authority with regards to the operations of their local school district, including determining the school district budget and priorities; curriculum decisions such as the scope and sequence of classroom content in all subject areas; and textbook approval authority. [21]
Typically, school boards set the sex education policy for a school district. They must follow state law. Some school boards provide guidelines or standards, while others select specific curricula for schools to deliver. Most school boards are advised by School Health Advisory Councils (SHACs). SHAC members are individuals who represent the community and who provide advice about health education.[21]
There are a number of ways to help ensure that students get the information they need to live healthy lives, build healthy relationships, and take personal responsibility for their health and well being.
Young people have the right to lead healthy lives. As they develop, we want them to take more and more control of their lives so that as they get older, they can make important life decisions on their own. The balance between responsibility and rights is critical because it sets behavioral expectations and builds trust while providing young people with the knowledge, ability, and comfort to manage their sexual health throughout life in a thoughtful, empowered and responsible way. But responsibility is a two-way street. Society needs to provide young people with honest, age-appropriate information they need to live healthy lives, and build healthy relationships, and young people need to take personal responsibility for their health and well being. Advocates must also work to dismantle barriers to sexual health, including poverty and lack of access to health care.
Emily Bridges, MLS, and Debra Hauser, MPH
Advocates for Youth © May 2014
1. CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, 2011. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2012.
2. Finer LB et al., Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2006, 38(2):90–96.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2011. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance 2012. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2013.
5. Alford S, et al. Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs that Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2008;
6. Dating Matters: Strategies to Promote Health Teen Relationships. Atlanta: Center for Disease Control and Prevention; 2013.
7. National Sexual Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. 2012: 6-9. http://www.futureofsexed.org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2013.
8. Davis A. Interpersonal and Physical Dating Violence among Teens. National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2008. Retrieved November 15, 2013 from http://www.nccdglobal.org/sites/default/files/publication_pdf/focus-dating-violence.pdf
9. Ybarra ML and Mitchell KJ. “Prevalence Rates of Male and Female Sexual Violence Perpetrators in a National Sample of Adolescents.” JAMA Pediatrics, December 2013.
10. Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network. The 20011 National School Climate Survey: The School Related Experiences of Our Nation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. New York, NY: GLSEN, 2012.
11. CDC. Sexual Risk Behaviors and Academic Achievement. Atlanta, GA: CDC, (2010); http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/ health_and_academics/pdf/sexual_risk_behaviors.pdf; last accessed 5/23/2010. 12. Chin B et al. “The effectiveness of group-based comprehensive risk-reduction and abstinence education interventions to prevent or reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus, and sexually transmitted infections: two systematic reviews for the Guide to Community Preventive Services.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, March 2012.
13. Kohler PK, Manhart LE, Lafferty WE. Abstinence-Only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2007; 42(4): 344-351.
14. Stanger-Hall KF, Hall DW. “Abstinence-only education and teen pregnancy rates: why we need comprehensive sex education in the U.S.
15. National Sexual Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. 2012: 6-9. http://www.futureofsexed.org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2013.
16. National Sexual Education Standards: Core Content and Skills, K-12. A Special Publication of the Journal of School Health. 2012: 6-9. http://www.futureofsexed.org/documents/josh-fose-standards-web.pdf. Accessed October 2, 2013.
17. Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2007. 18. Office of Adolescent Health. “Evidence-Based Programs (31 Programs). Accessed March 5, 2014 from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/oah-initiatives/teen_pregnancy/db/programs.html
19. Public Religion Research Institute. Survey – Committed to Availability, Conflicted about Morality: What the Millennial Generation Tells Us about the Future of the Abortion Debate and the Culture Wars. 2011. Accessed from http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/06/committed-to-availability-conflicted-about-morality-what-the-millennial-generation-tells-us-about-the-future-of-the-abortion-debate-and-the-culture-wars/ on May 13, 2014.
20. Daniels K, Mosher WD and Jones J, Contraceptive methods women have ever used: United States, 1982–2010,National Health Statistics Reports, 2013, No. 62, <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr062.pdf>, accessed Mar. 20, 2013.
21. Future of Sex Education. “Public Education Primer. “ Accessed from http://www.futureofsexed.org/documents/public_education_primer.pdf on May 13, 2014.
22. Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, Siecus State Profiles, Fiscal Year 2012. Accessed from http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=1369 on May 13, 2014.
23. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “In Brief: Rationale for Exemplary Sexual Health Education (ESHE) for PS13-1308. Accessed from http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/fundedpartners/1308/strategies/education.htm on May 13, 2014.
24. Answer. “State sex education policies by state.” Accessed from http://answer.rutgers.edu/page/state_policy/ on May 13, 2014.
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Sex education is designed to help young people gain the information and skills they need to make the best decisions for themselves about sex and relationships throughout their lives.
Sex education gives young people the knowledge and skills they need for a lifetime of good sexual health. They learn how to have healthy relationships, make informed decisions about sex, think critically about the world, be a good ally to those who are marginalized, and love themselves for who they are.
Research shows that sex education that’s culturally responsive and inclusive helps young people develop the social and emotional skills they need to become caring and empathetic adults. This type of sex education early and often leads to appreciation of sexual diversity, dating and intimate partner violence prevention, development of healthy relationships, prevention of child sex abuse, improved social/emotional learning, and increased media literacy. It also helps young people avoid unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Sex education works best when it’s:
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Home — Essay Samples — Education — Sex Education — Pros And Cons Of Sexual Education Being Taught In Schools
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We all have heard of the Onam festival. It is an important festival celebrated in South India, especially for the people of Kerala. This is a harvest festival which is celebrated in various parts of the country with different names. In Kerala, this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm for ten days. Each day of the festival has its own significance. In this section, we will look at some samples of essay on Onam that will help you learn the celebration in depth. It will also help children understand their cultural diversity and richness. So, if you want to know more about the festival, keep reading.
Table of Contents
Onam is the festival of Kerala and it is considered as one of the most important festivals in India. This festival is celebrated by Malayalees not just in India but all around the world. The festival highlights Kerala’s vibrant culture, traditions and history. This ten-day festival includes big feasts, folk dances, music, boat races and floral decorations.
Onam festival is deeply roted in Hindu mythology with the story of King Mahabali. The story of onam revolves around the legendar figure of Kerala, King Mahabali. According to Hindu mythology, Mahabali was the king of Kerala, and his rule was marked by peace and equality. However, the gods were worried by his growing popularity and requested Lord Vishnu’s help. Lord Vishnu, in the form of Vamana, went to Mahabali and requested three paves of land. Mahabli agreed and Vamana grew to a large size, covering both the earth and the heavens in two steps. For the third step, Mahabali respectfully surrendered his head, and he was sent to Patalalok. Impressed by Mahabali’s devotion, Lord Vishnu granted him the blessing of visiting his kingdom once a year. This annual visit is celebrated as Onam and symbolizes the spirit of sacrifice and the promise of hope and renewal.
The Onam festival begins in the Malayalam month of Chingam, which usually falls in August or September. This festival lasts for ten days and each day of Onam has its own traditions and significance. The first day of the festival marks the beginning of the festival, with people preparing for the major celebration. The making of a flower rangoli begins today and rises in size each day, symbolising the arrival of King Mahabali. The second day is spent visiting temples, and on the third day, people begin shopping for new clothes and gifts. The fourth day is known as Vishakam, and it marks the beginning of the beautiful Onam Sadhya (feast). The fifth day is known for the Vallamkali, or boat race. On the sixth and seventh day, people start preparing for the festival which is followed by many traditional games and performances. The eighth day is dedicated to creating idols of King Mahabali. The ninth day, also known as Uthradam is considered as the eve of onam and the tenth day is the most important day of the festival, marked by the grand Onam Sandhya.
The Onam festival is celebrated with prayers, feasts and traditional traditional games. The Vallamkali, commonly known as the Snake Boat Race, is one of the festival’s most stunning events. Another unique feature of Onam is the folk dance Pulikali, in which men dress up as tigers and leopards and dance to traditional music. Kaikottikali or Thiruvathirakali, is a graceful dance done by women in a circle around a lit lamp to express joy and unity. Kummattikali is another dance form in which performers use colourful costumes and wooden masks that represent mythological characters. Onam Sandhya, which is the grand feast followed by this festival is the highlight of this celebration. It includes over 26 dishes on the banana leaves and represents the distinct flavour of the Kerala.
Onam is now celebrated all across the world which helps to preserve Malayalee traditions. This celebration promotes inclusivity and unity across communities. Its mythological roots represent values such as equality, humility and devotion. Onam brings together individuals from every phase of life and it is the true symbol of social harmony.
Also Read: 5 and 10 Lines on Onam Festival in English for Students
Onam is a festival that is celebrated in India’s southern state, Kerala. It is a harvest festival that crosses all religious and social borders. It takes place during the Malayalam month of Chingam, which is generally between August and September. This celebration lasts around ten days and is considered one of India’s most important festivals. Onam celebrations are deeply rooted in Hindu mythology and are associated with King Mahabali.
According to mythology, Mahabali was a generous king whose popularity scared the gods. Lord Vishnu took the form of Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin, and demanded three paces of land from the king. King Mahabali’s generosity pleased Lord Vishnu, who granted him the boon of visiting his kingdom and people once a year. This annual visit is known as Onam and this festival represents humility and hope for a better future.
Onam is celebrated with various traditional activities, including Pookalam, the floral rangoli, and Onam Sandhya, a large feast served on banana leaves. These traditions reflect Kerala’s cultural heritage and richness. The highlights of Onam include many cultural performances like as the snake boat races known as Vallamkali, the folk dance Pulikali, in which men dress as tigers, and the graceful Kaikottikali, a group dance performed by women. Onam is a celebration that promotes inclusivity and community harmony. Onam is more than just a harvest festival; it is a celebration of Kerala’s rich cultural traditions and a hope for peace.
Also Read: Why is Onam Celebrated: The Festival of Joy in Kerala
Here we have mentioned some of the interesting facts about ONam which will give you a better learning about this festival.
Onam Sandhya, which is te grand feast served on the banana leaves is the main highlight of the onam.
Onam festival is deeply roted in Hindu mythology with the story of King Mahabali. The festival is connected with Lord Vishnu’s Vamana avatar.
Onam takes place during the Malayalam month of Chingam, which is generally between August and September. This celebration lasts around ten days and is considered one of India’s most important festivals.
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The first time I heard the 1-in-3 figure, I didn’t realize how shocking this is because I didn’t realize exactly how serious these events are that the campus survey data is capturing. Half are what used to be called rape. The rest involve force and coercion and everything right up to rape. Many women simply aren’t the same afterward. Fully a third consider suicide. This is not what parents hoped for when they heard that college would be a life-changing experience for their daughter.
This is the most important problem in higher education that no one is talking about, one that’s rampant at some of the biggest-name schools.
The problem is so big one might worry it’s too big to fix. But that’s what lots of people thought about street crime in the early 1990s, too, at the peak of the nationwide crack cocaine epidemic. Yet 30 years later, homicide rates in the U.S. plummeted by fully 40%. How did we do that?
There are three lessons to take away.
The first lesson is to find exemplars. For street crime, the exemplars everyone points to are Los Angeles and New York City. They were early and rapid adopters of data-driven policing and investing in community violence intervention groups . Mayors across the country sent their people out there to get new ideas.
For campus sexual assault, the exemplars include places such as Rice University. One thing Rice did was to ban fraternities . The survey data shows that in general, schools without fraternity systems tend to have lower rates of sexual assault. We also see that men who do and don’t join fraternities behave similarly before college, but once in college, the men in fraternities commit sexual assault three times as often. This suggests fraternities don’t just happen to be home to people who would behave horribly no matter what; the fraternities seem to be cultivating horrible behavior.
A second lesson is to pay attention to data and do things that actually work. Universities currently do countless trainings that have no evidence whatsoever of effectiveness. At the same time, few of the trainings that have been proved to work are widely used.
For example, while most training programs are fairly short, the research-based Enhanced Assess, Acknowledge, Act (EAAA) training program engages people for fully 12 hours. It covers, among other things, risk cues in the situation and in the man’s behavior, overcoming the emotional obstacles to prioritizing the woman’s own safety over the man’s entreaties (given most offenders are acquaintances), and practical verbal and physical strategies to get out of a situation. A randomized controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the program cut sexual assaults in half. Why isn’t every college doing that training?
A third lesson is to think outside the box. With street crime, the numbers seemed overwhelming. In Chicago, for example, we reportedly have more than 100,000 gang members in more than 700 gang factions. The few thousand officers that the city has out on patrol at any given time can’t be everywhere. A key innovation was to prioritize the police department’s limited resources on the small number of gangs that were most violent. The hope was that the threat of police crackdown would reorient the gang’s internal norms from supporting to discouraging violence. The evidence suggests this so-called “ focused deterrence ” strategy reduces crime.
If fraternities are the campus version of street gangs that university presidents just can’t get rid of altogether, why not think out of the box and apply focused deterrence to the fraternities? Tell them that the next time the victim of a sexual assault mentions your fraternity in any capacity — even if she was “just” served alcohol there earlier in the night — the campus police will make sure every future party that fraternity throws receives hyperenforcement, and every noise complaint leads to a police visit that (while inside) includes carding everyone who’s drinking.
For a long time in America, we thought high rates of street crime and gun violence were inevitable. By being more thoughtful and data-driven, that pessimistic view of things was proved wrong. Too many people today think of campus sexual assault as similarly inevitable. It’s time — perhaps long past time — to prove that pessimistic view wrong, too.
Editor’s note: A graph included in this piece misstated the percent of 4th year Ohio State female undergraduates who have experienced sexual assault by force or inability to consent. The Tribune regrets the error.
Jens Ludwig is the Edwin A. and Betty L. Bergman distinguished service professor at the University of Chicago, Pritzker director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. He also serves on the Committee on Law and Justice of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Being sexually literate is very essential as it helps society change their views on the concept of sex education and develop a broader perspective about the same. These changes occurring around the curriculum of sex education will help the society and school students understand the importance of sex education in their day to day lives.
Why Sex Education Matters. In 2014, a study found that 93% of parents supported having sex education in middle school and 96% supported teaching sex ed in high school. A 2017 study again found that 93% of parents favored sexuality education in schools. These are not isolated results; decades of research support the benefits of comprehensive ...
Personal Sexuality. Sexual education has an integral role in removing one's doubts on sexuality and sex related topics. It has often been identified that sexual education helps one to get a clear picture of the male and female sexuality. The sexual counseling and orientation class that I received was really effective in taking away the veil ...
Sex education is a type of teaching where students are taught about sexuality, contraceptive methods, how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, the importance of protection and attitudes and principles about sex.
Comprehensive sex education (CSE) is preferred over abstinence-only sex education for obvious reasons. CSE is much more than just "how we have babies" and "birth control"; it focuses on healthy decision-making, respect for the opposite gender, safe sex, ability to consent, and sexual rights. The United Nations Educational, Scientific ...
First and foremost, there is a debate between the use of sexual education programs, where they openly teach about sex and prevention, and abstinence-only programs, which Advocates for Youth say ...
The Role of Education in Preventing Sexual Misconduct. Three ideas for improving sex education to create a culture of consent and help prevent sexual misconduct. As a consultant and researcher on sexuality and misconduct, I know that preventing sexual misconduct starts with education that shifts the paradigms and norms we have about sex ...
The evidence on the impact of CSE is clear: Sexuality education has positive effects, including increasing young people's knowledge and improving their attitudes related to sexual and reproductive health and behaviors. Sexuality education leads to learners delaying the age of sexual initiation, increasing the use of condoms and other ...
Historically, the measure of a good sex education program has been in the numbers: marked decreases in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancies, and pregnancy-related drop-outs. But, increasingly, researchers, educators, and advocates are emphasizing that sex ed should focus on more than physical health. Sex education, they say, should also be about relationships.
High quality, evidence-informed sex education is critically important, effective and supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans.
The aim of this study is to provide an overview of what is known about the dissemination and effectiveness of sex education programs and thereby to inform better public policy making in this area. Methodology: We carried out a systematic review based on international scientific literature, in which only peer-reviewed papers were included.
Sex, sexuality, respectful relationships, and gender all need to be discussed in schools as a component of a whole-school approach. This should not only include in-class education, but it should ...
Sex Education Essay: Argumentative Essay Sample At What Age Should Sex Education Be Introduced at Schools? Introduction Sex education has vital importance for preventing teen pregnancy and sex-related risks, and providing kids with the knowledge of the proper sexual behavior.
School-based sex education plays a vital role in the sexual health and well-being of young people. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of efforts beyond pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of three decades of research on school-based programs to find evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education.
Sex education is high quality teaching and learning about a broad variety of topics related to sex and sexuality. It explores values and beliefs about those topics and helps people gain the skills that are needed to navigate relationships with self, partners, and community, and manage one's own sexual health.
This article contributes to understanding sexuality education beyond health effects or critique, through exploring sex education in school spaces. It does so through analysing sex education in practice in classrooms, in the Netherlands, a country that is often ascribed a guiding role in issues of youth sexuality (Naezer et al., 2017).
School-based sex education in the U.S. is at a crossroads. The United Nations defines sex education as a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social aspects of sexuality [1]. Over many years, sex education has had strong support among both parents [2] and health professionals [3-6], yet the receipt of sex education among U.S ...
Benefits of comprehensive sex education. Comprehensive sex education provides children and adolescents with the information that they need to: Understand their body, gender identity, and sexuality. Build and maintain healthy and safe relationships. Engage in healthy communication and decision-making around sex.
The Importance Of Sex Education. Satisfactory Essays. 1340 Words. 6 Pages. Open Document. Sex education is one of the most debated problems in education, which has been floating on educational agendas for ages. There has been a constant dialogue about the role that sex education should play in curriculum of K-12 education.
What is sexual health education? Sex education is the provision of information about bodily development, sex, sexuality, and relationships, along with skills-building to help young people communicate about and make informed decisions regarding sex and their sexual health. Sex education should occur throughout a student's grade levels, with information appropriate to students' development ...
Sex education gives young people the knowledge and skills they need for a lifetime of good sexual health. They learn how to have healthy relationships, make informed decisions about sex, think critically about the world, be a good ally to those who are marginalized, and love themselves for who they are. Research shows that sex education that ...
Sex education in schools can lead to a much healthier behavior in life later on for students. They would be able to actually plan for children instead od having a child unexpectantly as a teen. "Sex education has positive effects, including increasing young people's knowledge and improving their attitudes related to sexual and reproductive ...
Purpose School-based sex education plays a vital role in the sexual health and well-being of young people. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of efforts beyond pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease prevention. The authors conducted a systematic literature review of three decades of research on school-based programs to find evidence for the effectiveness of comprehensive sex ...
Long Essay on Onam (500 words) Onam is the festival of Kerala and it is considered as one of the most important festivals in India. This festival is celebrated by Malayalees not just in India but all around the world. The festival highlights Kerala's vibrant culture, traditions and history.
This is the most important problem in higher education that no one is talking about, one that's rampant at some of the biggest-name schools. The problem is so big one might worry it's too big ...