Should Sexual Education Be Taught in Elementary School?

Should Sexual Education Be Taught in Elementary School?

Naghmeh Keshavarz

National University

Should Sexual Education Be Taught in Elementary School?

ABSTRACT:

Children’s sexuality education in primary school continues to be plagued with controversies. In consequence, children’s access to sexuality education is severely compromised, especially in terms of the content addressed, on which age should the teaching begin and by whom. In this paper four different arguments would be considered: (i) researchers’ and parents’ perceptions of the relevance and importance of sexuality education to their primary school-aged children and their perspectives; (ii) researchers’ and parents’ views of school should be responsible for the sexuality education of young children;  (iii)  parents’ and researchers’ view that sexuality education is not appropriate for elementary age; and (iv) view of sexual education are more appropriate for the family to address with children and not school.

INTRODUCTION:

Child sexual abuse is one of the main reasons that sexual education is becoming a highly emotive subject. Children are suffering from a hidden epidemic of child abuse and neglect. It’s a widespread war against our children and we have the power to stop it. Just to show how bad the issue of child abuse in the United States is; one report of child abuse is made every ten seconds. Based on National Association of Adult Survivors of Child Abuse statistics, 20% of all child sexual abuse victims are under the age of eight. And most of the children never tell anyone about it. 90% of abuses are done by someone they know, love or trust. (NAASCA, 2017)

In regard to Walsh’s and peers’ research in 2018 educating children in primary grades by participation in school-based sexual abuse prevention programs can increase children’s self-protective skills and knowledge. (Walsh, Zwi, Woolfenden & Shlonsky, 2018) In fact, an international-meta analysis found that children of all age who attend in sexual education programs were six to seven times more likely to demonstrate protective behavior in simulated situations than children who had not. (Walsh, Zwi, Woolfenden & Shlonsky, 2018)

AIMS:         

The purpose of the research is to show, the importance of sexual education program and why should it be added to elementary school curriculums. The essay also aims to promote, why this program is better to be provided by schools and not parents. The social anxieties encountered by many parents continue to exist despite the demonstrated value of comprehensive sexuality education for young people’s health and well-being. Sexuality education is also essential for building young people’s informed decision-making around sexuality, and for developing awareness and understandings of the importance of ethical intimate relationships. This research will cover why sexual education for children in early grades is necessary and how it can prevent them from being abused sexually, physically and emotionally.

BENEFITS:

There are several benefits to children, parents, and society by adding sexual education in elementary curriculums.

The first benefit of implementing sexual education in primary school’s curriculum is, children have less chance of being involved with unhealthy sexual activities such as; being abused and raped. The second one, by learning from a proper source before the time their curiosity arises, make them not seek sexual information from unsafe sources. The thirds benefit to the child is, in their adulthood, by less involving in sexual issues, they are going to less struggle with psychological issues which is caused by being abused during childhood. The last benefit to the children is based on considerable evaluation research that providing this program by schools could help reduce abused and raped in their home, as said earlier 90% of abuses are done by someone kids know, love or trust. (NAASCA, 2017)

Parents also get the benefit of school teaching sexual education to their kids. It’s not easy for all parents to talk about sex to their kids. Also, parents do not have enough knowledge as much as a professional does in teaching kids about sexual subjects. If this information is provided by the school, this burden is off from the parents, and that also might be more effective if kids hear them from the third person.

There are also benefits to society. Providing information early to the child is going to prevent her or him from being hurt sexually as well as decreasing the chance of unhealthy actions by those students. So, the child will grow up in a healthier environment, school, and society.

DESIRED OUTCOMES:

The goal of this paper is to decrease the rate of psychological issues by decreasing the rate of sexual abuses, rapes by strangers, friends, and family members. This could happen with educating very young kids, in primary school how to protect themselves and learn sexual matters.

BACKGROUND:

First time in the United States in 1960, sexual education in high school started for the reason of hygiene and pregnancy prevention. Later in the 1980s when AIDS spread, school sexual education was highlighted again. Unfortunately, in the United States, a defined guideline for sexual education has not yet been assigned for elementary schools. However, in some states, there is some sexual education available for grade five and six, but not much is covered so it is not very significant.

In Canada, The Public Health Agency of Canada's (2008) Canadian Guidelines for Sexual Health Education have been used by communities as a basis for the development of a consensus on the fundamental values that should be reflected in school-based sexual health education. In the current curriculum, sex education starts as early as a kindergarten in some provinces like British Columbia. (Global News, 2015)

BODY:

         There are four different arguments about this statement. Two of them are supporting the statement and two are opposing it. First supporting agreement is parent and researchers that believed sexual education should be taught to elementary kids. Second, the argument that supports this paper’s statement is a group of parents and researchers that believe sex education should be taught by schools and not the parents at home. There are also two opposing sides. First, some parents are against that their young children are taught sexual information in primary schools and another opposing opinion is the group of parents and researchers that believe Sexual education should be taught at home, not at school.