Sexuality education in different contexts: limitations and possibilities

Abstract

Purpose - Sexuality education is a controversial and contested issue that has evoked wide debate on the question of its aims, contents, methods, pedagogy and desired outcomes. This editorial aims to provide a brief commentary, positioning the contributions to this Special Issue of Health Education within the research landscape concerning sexuality education in schools internationally. Design/methodology/approach - The idea for this Special Issue was born in Odense, Denmark, in October 2012, during the 4th European Conference of Health Promoting Schools. The Conference Programme and the debates during the sessions demonstrated the need for a wider discussion of sexuality education, particularly within the framework of the health-promoting school. There was recognition of the need to endorse positive and wide socio-ecological views of health, including sexual health and a critical educational approach to sexuality education. The conference delegates and the members of the Schools for Health in Europe Research Network were invited to submit a paper for the Special Issue, and the invitation was also sent through other networks and research communities globally. The invitation resulted in papers being submitted beyond Europe and the Special Issue took an interesting global turn. This networking process also resulted in the identification of a number of key international subject-specific experts who took on the role of independent reviewers. Findings -Following the review and editorial process six papers were accepted for the Special Issue. The papers highlight contrasts, tensions, potentials and barriers embedded in the ways sexuality education is delivered to children and young people internationally. Examples are drawn from Russia, Wales, China and the USA; they identify historical and structural issues related to the implementation of comprehensive progressive approaches. Topics discussed include the importance of appropriate content, theoretical/conceptual frameworks, modes of delivery, timing, attitudes from key stakeholders and the need for comprehensive evaluation of innovative approaches to the delivery of sexual education. Originality/value - The Special Issue provides a unique blend of evaluations of practical examples of pioneering programmes, research using qualitative, quantitative and mixed method designs, and critical conceptual discussions related to sexuality education and factors that influence it. The Special Issue addresses sexuality education from a life course perspective; some of the individual papers focus on young children and some on lifelong learning. All the papers point to the importance of understanding structural, socio-historical, political and cultural factors influencing sexuality education

Listening for commissioning: A participatory study exploring young people's experiences, views and preferences of school‐based sexual health and school nursing

“…Explanations for the mismatch between young people's involvement and engagement and what is provided often produces calls or demands for more effective school nursing, or improved management or organisation of a service; what might be termed more “technical or instrumental” fixes. In order to more fully understand the underpinning logics for the continuing mismatch and to explain the apparent resistance to not only listen to young people but to involve them and to act on these views, we turned to contemporary critical perspectives on sexual health (Attwood & Smith, ; Simovska & Kane, ). Like others, we suggest the mismatch may be more fully understood or explained as a continuing embodiment of conflicting societal fears over young people's sexuality (Attwood & Smith, ; Hayter et al., ).…”

Peran Spiritual Berhubungan dengan Perilaku Sosial dan Seksual Remaja

“…Tahun 2012 perilaku seks pranikah pada lakilaki kelompok usia 15 -19 tahun sebasar 4,5% dan kelompok usia 20 -24 tahun 14,6% dari jumlah populasi (Kusumaryani and Antarwati, 2017). Dalam kondisi diatas, maka orang tua dan keluarga memiliki peran dalam proses tumbuh dan berkembang remaja khusunya tentang perilaku seksual remaja (Simovska and Kane, 2015).…”

The (mis)match between sexuality education programs in school and the expectations of Ecuadorian adolescents

“…Being context-sensitive also requires that sexuality education programs are aligned with adolescents' specific circumstances and unique characteristics (DiCenso, Guyatt, Willan, & Griffith, 2002;Helmich, 2009;MacDonald et al, 2011;Schmidt et al, 2015;Simovska & Kane, 2015;Thomas & Aggleton, 2016). Literature points at the need to teach sexuality education in a developmentally appropriate way, acknowledging that adolescents' development may differ in specific cultures and contexts (World Health Organization, 2010;Muhanguzi & Ninsiima, 2011;Das, 2014;Thomas & Aggleton, 2016).…”

“…The same gap is noted in the research literature. Available research focuses mainly on outcomes, particularly in adolescents´ behavior after sexuality education (Suellentrop, 2011), with a focus mainly on the use of contraceptives or abstinence approaches (Kirby, 2002;Wilson, Goodson, Pruitt, Buhi, & Davis-Gunnels, 2005;Rijsdijk et al, 2011;Haberland & Rogow, 2015) and on the obstacles when implementing sexuality education in schools (Eisenberg et al, 2013;Simovska & Kane, 2015). Yet, very little is known about the fit between sexuality education provided and adolescents' expectations.…”