“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
-Nelson Mandela
The act of perceiving younger and an adult generation about things they need to know about sex is called Sex education. Educating children about sex can be uncomfortable and hard. But most people feel that it is essential and mandatory to teach them at the right time. As we all know, sex education is the one of the most controversial issues in the education system. It has been floating on educational institutions since ages. Some people believe to give sex education while some think it’s still a taboo.
Basically, sex education is not just about sex. It involves other sensitive issues like the science of reproduction, sexual health, emotional relation, sexuality, reproductive rights and others aspects of human sexual behavior.
Sex Education is Necessary
Specifically, some parents and guardians often feel weird talking with their youngsters about it. They are either too embarrassed about talking the extreme topic of sex. Or just afraid of providing too much information to push their children to act on what they have told them. They may be shy of not knowing the answers to the questions that their children might ask. Open and clear communication between parents and children through childhood, pre-teen and adulthood can help young people mature into sexually healthy adults. As a result, from the beginning of a child’s life, they properly learn how to respond to affection, show love, and how to react in different types of relationships.
Moreover, sex education is mainly provided by parents or caregivers as well as teachers, school programs and public health campaigns. In fact, it should be given to children before they reach puberty and before they have progressed mature patterns of behavior. Usually, children do not get the right amount of sex information at home. The school is the only place that can help them give enlightenment about education. This awareness builds the basic foundation on the basis of which more complex knowledge can develop over time. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of schools to elaborate this problem and teach students about it clearly as much as possible.
“Since most sexual abuse begins well before puberty, preventive education, if it is to have any effect at all, should begin early in grade school.”
― Judith Lewis Herman
4 Major Pros and Cons
Howbeit, there is ongoing debate about the benefits and barriers of providing sex education in schools. It means apart from offering various pros, it has its list of cons as well. So, let’s take a look on them.
Pros:
- Good quality of sex education has a significant effect on positive attitudes and values. It also can even out the power dynamics in intimate relationships.
- Appropriate sex education in schools has a great impact on preventing sexual problems in adulthood.
- Sex education helps young adults in preventing any sexual assaults and child abuse. It also teaches students what is right and what is wrong.
- It is scientifically non-judgmental, accurate, age appropriate and does not deprive children of their innocence. As a part of a carefully phased process, from the beginning of formal schooling, it ca be something which children can find beneficial and protect themselves consciously.
Cons:
- Most parents think that children will not be ashamed of discussing sex related topics and make inappropriate jokes in their groups. It can also damage their psychological health which can have a negative impact on their adult life.
- By educating kids about sex at an early age, it spoils their minds and enhances their curiosity. In other words, when a person is prone to initiate her sexual relationships, receiving sexual information will make her thirsty for more information. It also motivates for initiating sexual relationship.
- There is a lack of skilled mentors for instructing sex education. The main reason is, some find it problematic and discomforting to teach such topics in school.
- Teachers appointed for the task are mostly untrained as to how should they go about teaching sex education to children. As a result, rather than focusing on the facts, they end up comparing their own morals and beliefs into the subject matter.
In a nutshell, I want to conclude this with a wish that all children will find advantages from comprehensive sexuality education. Regardless of gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status. The topic of sex education should not be scary or taboo. We must need to begin a conversation about it because, consequently, that communication will beneficial for our youth.
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