For Adults Only? Young People and (Non)Participation in Sexual Decision Making

Abstract

The term 'participation' is often used to refer to children and young people's involvement in decision-making processes but it also denotes the individual decisions that they make about their everyday lives. With regards to sexuality, children and young people are routinely excluded from policy formation and decision-making processes, due to assumptions about their sexual immaturity and lack of competence.

European legislators’ attitudes toward childhood sexuality from the perspective of age of consent legislation

“…The works of Sigmund Freud mark a new era of understanding child sexuality and Freud has been commonly credited for "inventing" childhood sexuality (Egan and Hawkes, 2008). As a result, 20th century scholars and experts from various fields and disciplines began to use their corresponding expertise to publicly and explicitly acknowledge child sexuality as a normal and natural reality (Angelides, 2004) and adults began to exercise considerable power over children to determine the time at which children are deemed to be sexual and decide what knowledge they pass to children about sex (Moore, 2013). Although Fishman's periodization provided an important perspective for understanding the changing conceptualizations of childhood sexuality in history, it was constructed at the beginning of 1980s and missed various surging social movements and other new development since then.…”

Department for Education Statutory Guidance for Relationships and Sex Education in England: A Rights-Based Approach?

“…Determining how to deliver relationships and sex education (RSE) according to “rights-based” principles is subject to current debate within the field. Rights-based RSE is a contested concept (Moore, 2013 ). It has been variously conceived of as the right to receive RSE and the right to sexual health and well-being, as well as in terms of the teaching approach and pedagogical style that frames the delivery of RSE content.…”

“…It is suggested that teaching and informing young people about their rights is beneficial for skill development and helps prepare young people for participation as productive citizens in a democratic society (Goldman, 2008 ; Levesque, 2000 ). RSE is, therefore, often advanced as a “public good.” Given that conceptualizations of what is “good” and “appropriate” for young people remain contested, however, so too does the nature of RSE (Moore, 2013 ). Different forms of RSE thus remain despite a broad consensus that young people have a right to education about sex and relationships.…”

“…By contrast, HSE more fully engages with both the risks and pleasures of sexuality beyond a harm reduction paradigm (Midema et al, 2020 ; Parker et al, 2004 ). Here, young people are conceived of as having a right to sex, sexuality, and relationships as goods in and of themselves, as well as protection from harm (Jones, 2011 ; Ketting & Winkelmann, 2013 ; Midema et al, 2020 ; Moore, 2013 ). Despite these conceptual distinctions drawn in the literature, there are some overlaps in the application of CSE and HSE.…”

“…Young people’s access to discourses of positive rights to sex, sexuality, and relationships can be limited and has been subject to ongoing debate and resistance (Jackson & Scott, 2010 ; Moore, 2013 ). Narrow conceptualizations of youth sexuality can homogenize and pathologize young people’s developing sexual subjectivities and experiences and deny their agency which precludes full acknowledgment of positive rights (Brennan & Epp, 2015 ; Epstein et al, 2012 ).…”