California Parents’ Preferences and Beliefs Regarding School‐Based Sex Education Policy

Abstract

The high levels of support for comprehensive sex education across California's diverse regions and demographic subgroups suggest that such support may be generalizable to communities and school districts both in California and around the country. Furthermore, ideological differences might be less important to the sex education debates than the distinction between pragmatic and absolutist perspectives.

Predicting Preferences for Types of Sex Education in US Schools

“…In a survey of parents in Minnesota, Eisenberg and colleagues found differences in support for comprehensive sex education by religious affiliation, child enrollment in public school, political orientation, and income. However, a survey of California parents (Constantine et al 2007) showed little variation in support for comprehensive sex education by religious attendance and political orientation. Furthermore, the authors suggested that differences in support are guided by pragmatic versus absolutist reasons for support or opposition.…”

“…Although public-opinion research has demonstrated support for comprehensive sex education among the general public (Albert 2004;Bleakley et al 2006; National Public Radio, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government 2004) and especially among parents (Constantine et al 2007;Eisenberg et al 2008;Ito et al 2006), little is known about what factors are associated with support for or opposition to comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only education programs. In a survey of parents in Minnesota, Eisenberg and colleagues found differences in support for comprehensive sex education by religious affiliation, child enrollment in public school, political orientation, and income.…”

“…Furthermore, the authors suggested that differences in support are guided by pragmatic versus absolutist reasons for support or opposition. Pragmatic reasons include focusing on providing full and complete information to adolescents and the inevitably of teens having sex, whereas absolutist reasons focus on religious beliefs or moral principles (Constantine et al 2007).…”

Stavovi o cjelovitoj seksualnoj edukaciji u hrvatskim školama: rezultati nacionalnog istraživanja mladih

“…S druge strane, programi cjelovite SE imaju širi raspon ciljeva, pri čemu je zajednički nazivnik naglašavanje pozitivnih aspekata seksualnosti. Cjelovita SE u pravilu uključuje tri edukacijske dimenzije: upoznavanje s pouzdanim (znanstveno provjerenim) informacijama, usvajanje vještina potrebnih za minimiziranje rizika vezanih uz seksualno ponašanje i promoviranje pozitivnih stavova prema seksualnosti, spolne/ rodne ravnopravnosti te tolerancije prema seksualnim manjinama (Council of Representatives, 2005;Constantine, Jerman i Huang, 2007;Hodžić i Štulhofer, 2002).…”

“…Tako je u nedavnom američkom istraživanju, provedenom u saveznoj državi koja provodi apstinencijsku SE, ideju cjelovite SE u školama podržalo 89% roditelja (Ito i dr., 2006). Slične proporcije navode i drugi autori, primjerice Eisenberg i dr. (2008;89,3%) te Constantine, Jerman i Huang (2007;82%). Procjena jedanaest tematskih cjelina, oslonjenih na nedavno objavljene UNESCO-ve smjernice (UNESCO, 2009), kojima smo nastojali obuhvatiti sve relevantne sadržaje programa cjelovite SE pokazala se značajno povezana s dobi, spolom te religioznošću.…”