Sexual Education In The United States

Triasco

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I was unsure where exactly to put this, but feel free to move this where necessary.

I'm in college and working on a project regarding sexual education in the U.S.. Frankly, I'm surprised it took so long for me to think about asking questions regarding it here.



I suppose my questions are:



Who has the responsibility to teach about sex, sexuality and relationships? Is it fair to have schools teach about it in case the other method fails?



How did you learn about the above? Do you think this was a healthy way to learn about it? What pros and cons would you describe for the method?



What would be your concerns for a comprehensive but flexible sex , sexuality, and relationship education curriculum offered from age 11 or so and onward through high school, with basics to understand sexual harassment and assault taught as early as 6?



If you're not from or weren't raised in the U.S., how did you learn about sex, sexuality, and relationships? If your school taught it, how did they structure it?



Of course, feel free to reply with something related but not answering directly any of the questions. Thank you for reading and, hopefully, replying.
 

keenobserver

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I would have suggested the Relationships forum or even the Etc. Etc. Forum. Great questions, they are not really political - although some views on them will be.
 

Triasco

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I would have suggested the Relationships forum or even the Etc. Etc. Forum. Great questions, they are not really political - although some views on them will be.

I suppose I thought of the politics of actually enacting legislation, but you're right, this aspect of it may not be as politically focused to warrant posting in this subforum.
 
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keenobserver

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I was unsure where exactly to put this, but feel free to move this where necessary.

I'm in college and working on a project regarding sexual education in the U.S.. Frankly, I'm surprised it took so long for me to think about asking questions regarding it here.



I suppose my questions are:



Who has the responsibility to teach about sex, sexuality and relationships? Is it fair to have schools teach about it in case the other method fails?



How did you learn about the above? Do you think this was a healthy way to learn about it? What pros and cons would you describe for the method?



What would be your concerns for a comprehensive but flexible sex , sexuality, and relationship education curriculum offered from age 11 or so and onward through high school, with basics to understand sexual harassment and assault taught as early as 6?



If you're not from or weren't raised in the U.S., how did you learn about sex, sexuality, and relationships? If your school taught it, how did they structure it?



Of course, feel free to reply with something related but not answering directly any of the questions. Thank you for reading and, hopefully, replying.


1. Parents of course should be the primary teachers about sex, but not the sole teacher. Parents have a bias based on their religion and background - they are teaching moral behavior but that has little to do with sex. Teachers should have a curriculum for every age from first grade on that is about the physical aspects that are age appropriate and not grounded in religious trappings or gender stereotypes. The issue is not that one method fails, a more rounded point of view best informs the student and reduced ignorance.

2. I learned by trial and error, clandestine research ( generations before the internet). It was not a good way to learn and it came with its own problems, some of which were funny, others quite sad. I had minimal sex education in public school - seventh grade for half a year and that was it. There was nothing about birth control, sexual identity or orientation, gay was considered sinful and a deviation.

3. Interaction and harassment issues should be covered as soon as a child starts school and education as soon as kids start asking questions. My biggest concerns would be implementing an intelligent curriculum that is honest and without religious bias or moralizing over the vast number of elected school boards in the US. The elected school board has set education back 100 years. This is why Trump got elected - the massive failure of public education going back to the late 70's.

4. I was raised in the US and in a rural area that was hyper conservative. The only books on sexuality in the public library were written by Catholic priests. In my junior year "Everything to Always Wanted to Know About Sex, but were afraid to ask," was published. Despite a lot of flaws it helped.
 

keenobserver

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I suppose I thought of the politics of actually enacting legislation, but you're right, this aspect of it may not be as politically focused to warrant posting in this subforum.

Fair point - the politics are killing all education, but especially on sexuality.
 
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Perados

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I was unsure where exactly to put this, but feel free to move this where necessary.

I'm in college and working on a project regarding sexual education in the U.S.. Frankly, I'm surprised it took so long for me to think about asking questions regarding it here.



I suppose my questions are:



Who has the responsibility to teach about sex, sexuality and relationships? Is it fair to have schools teach about it in case the other method fails?
that's two questions in one...

Responsible are parents, but teachers should be obligated as well.

Why shouldn't it be fair? - do teachers tell you how your cardiovascular system works? How cells work?... why not sex?
How did you learn about the above? Do you think this was a healthy way to learn about it? What pros and cons would you describe for the method?
I asked my parents as a pre teen. They did their best (considering my age) - I never felt the need to ask again. everything else I learned in school. As I was in the age to be sexually active my mother thought it might be a good idea to talk to me again. I could calm her and tell her I know everything what is needed.

Pros: both, parents and teachers were very open about it. I felt like I could ask them everything... and I did (I asked my teacher some questions)

No cons
What would be your concerns for a comprehensive but flexible sex , sexuality, and relationship education curriculum offered from age 11 or so and onward through high school, with basics to understand sexual harassment and assault taught as early as 6?
I think it's important to learn everything about sex.

It should be at the right age - as soon as you could become sexually active.
I don't think it's wrong to teach 6 years old about the way childrens are made, but I don't think it's necessary at this age.
If you're not from or weren't raised in the U.S., how did you learn about sex, sexuality, and relationships? If your school taught it, how did they structure it?
it started in 6th grade and ended in 8th...
They told us everything. It was good.
Of course, feel free to reply with something related but not answering directly any of the questions. Thank you for reading and, hopefully, replying.
 

Triasco

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To clarify, I'm not saying that sex, sexuality, and relationships should be taught to ages below 11. However, I sure they should know enough to be able to recognize (and then report) when someone tries to or succeeds in taking advantage of them. Youth sports are a prime example of how vulnerable some children can be and how long shudder can go on for before being reported or recognized.
 
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IntactMale

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Who has the responsibility to teach about sex, sexuality and relationships? Is it fair to have schools teach about it in case the other method fails?

I think it needs to be primarily taught in schools. One reason is related to what was mentioned above, for generations there hasn't been formal sex education, at least not of the quality that is needed. Why would we trust parents who never got real sex education to teach their kids. It doesn't make sense and leads to more misinformation.

Also some parents will let their religion influence what they teach. I hope it goes without saying how dangerous that can be. Sex education needs to be based on scientific fact, not feelings based on religion. For example, teaching kids that using condoms is a sin is, at least, irresponsible.

I also think that teachers need to go through training, and be reviewed to determine what they are teaching. Otherwise, who knows what they will be teaching when the class starts and they can be as biased or uninformed as anyone else. Of course, that is true no matter what subject is being taught.


How did you learn about the above? Do you think this was a healthy way to learn about it? What pros and cons would you describe for the method?

I learned primarily from school. In 4th or 5th grade they split up the boys and girls and showed us each a film that was mostly about changes in our bodies that I don't think any of us would experience for 2-3 years after watching that film.

After that there wasn't any sex education until middle school, grade 8 I think, and that was part of an overall health class. It got into more useful information, but the teacher clearly had an agenda in what she was teaching. Similarly, she taught about drugs, alcohol, smoking, etc. in a way that showed an agenda.

I think I had two other health classes throughout high school, both of which had more detail and less agenda. The classes covered many aspects of health but each had a segment that focused on sex education. I also took a physiology class in high school which had a bit more clinical information.

Pros: Everyone learned the same things. Everything we were taught was, at least in theory, scientifically correct.

Cons: Teachers can still express an agenda. Students who may have heard different things can still spread rumors that aren't necessarily true.



What would be your concerns for a comprehensive but flexible sex , sexuality, and relationship education curriculum offered from age 11 or so and onward through high school, with basics to understand sexual harassment and assault taught as early as 6?

My concerns would only be that an individual teacher could have biases or an agenda that gets expressed in their lessons. I think that can be addressed by reviewing the lessons, as should be done with all courses. I have no concerns at all with teaching children of any age the realities of biology.
 
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Freddie53

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One:

Let's go back to the farm of a century ago. The dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, horses, etc. could be seen mating from time to time. Children often helped in the birthing of animals or at least saw a mammal being born.

Today, most Americans live in the city, go the the pet store to pick out a pet who is neutered. Children's environment is totally different today than a century ago.

Two:

Is using a condom a sin? That and many other questions like it or moral questions that parents and religious institutions can deal with.

The schools can provide some education each year that is based on truth and science. The school board can not determine for its students what is moral or not concerning many sexual moral questions.

Schools can teach and should how it is wrong for others to require certain behaviors starting very early. This is the best way to reduce sexual predators for succeeding.

Three:

It is much easier to explain some things to six year olds than try to explain them to 8th graders.

Documentaries on animals mating and giving birth produced for the intended age group of students six to eight would allow for much education transfer. Is that how people do it. Very similar. You will learn about that in "name the time."

Four:

Parents have certain legal powers that they can enact over their children, even if these powers are very destructive to their children.

Therefore, when a parent doesn't like the sex ed program, instead of doing away with it, let their children out of it without fanfare. In time, these children will learn from other children the information that have been forbidden to get.

Shutting down the sex ed program hurts all students who don't have parents that provide the information the children should get and at the appropriate ages.

As for my school when I was in school?

The fifth grade and sixth grade boys were sent to the playground for a long recess. The girls were given information about having periods and how to deal with that at school.

That was it!
 

twoton

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But most of the funding goes to Abstinence Only Until Marriage programs because of conservative legislation and religious lobbyists.

Does it? Proof? Do conservative legislators and lobbyists control it? If you're doing this for a college project, you'll need peer-reviewed journal articles to substantiate your claim. Also, you'll need to whether and how state statutes provide for funding from private sources.

It might be tricky to tease out the details, however. Sex education is probably tied in with a whole lot of other education programs--as part of Health class, a wellness of fitness class, for example. Abstinence Only programs are probably funded by more specific line items. It'll be easier to find dollars flowing to those particular programs than it will be to separate sex ed from whatever general education silo it's in.

I taught a little college. When it comes to academia, opinion is only as valid as the evidence that supports it.
 

bigbull29

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Religion, in general, likes to shame people.

If you're gay or trans....well, you're super flawed. Nice to find out from adults when you're young and unable to process what is happening to you.

Sex education should be taught with no religious bias - period. All sexualities should be discussed so that all feel self-worth with no shame. All boys are the same. All girls are the same. All people are fundamentally the same. That's what we should be taught.

True morality doesn't come from warped religions. It comes from all of sitting in silence and knowing what it is to be human.

Again, I am not attack those who believe in god or gods on here. I am simply criticizing organized religions for all the horrors they have afflicted upon others throughout the centuries (wars in the name of god, racism, etc.).