Sex Education and Children

The Teaching of Sex Education and Children
With the sexual revolution and the arrival of the newer diseases, parents and educators are at ever-increasing odds to what is the best way to educate children about sex. Sex education in the school systems would help prevent the spreading of diseases and pregnancies, the issue is the decision between parents and educators on what is the best way. America’s children are getting different messages which are confusing them on what they should do, “Just Do It”, “Just Say No” and “Just Wear a Condom”. Which are we saying? Without proper guidance and choices our children will make the choices of the moment instead of the future. Children need to know birth control, safer sex and abstinence are choices. Children today require the teachings of sex education to prevent the spread of sexual diseases and pregnancy, because of the opposing morals, psychological, and social dilemmas parents and teachers need to decide the best way.
Opposing Morals Confuse the Children
The moral issues that were once acceptable are now at the mercy to the sexual revolution and the medical ramifications. “Adults have one foot in the Victorian era while kids are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic” complains pediatrician Karen Hein, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City (May 1993). She has seen her share of teens infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases pass through the hospital. “There’s something wrong,” sex educator Sol Gordon said, “with a country that says, sex is dirty, save it for someone you love” (May 1993). Children need to know birth control, safer sex and abstinence are choices. One message all the programs are trying to convey is for the children to learn what sex education is needed, and choose to wait. The moral issues of sex education and, we have the highest record of young people having sex in this country. There is one point everyone agrees in this debate that is going on is sex educations is needed to be more then just about sex. Schools have reacted by putting more into the teachings of sex education.
Teaching the children everything they should know to protecting themselves to raising babies and stressing to waiting. Information is a powerful tool and children today need all the information they can to make the right choices for there future. Having schools start with the children learning the anatomy of female and male bodies. At the appropriate ages be taught about menstruating, erections and how to prevent diseases and pregnancies. On one hand of this moral dilemma are those that want condoms to be given way, gay curriculums and MTV videos as the breakdown. On the other hand do not want any part of that and throw religious beliefs and reject any discussion of sexual self-control as being an activist. The schools are not to teach to take away from the parents but to be there to help reinforce and reiterate the basics. Parents and educators are seeing that the children are suffering so the set some common grounds while they have the moral debate. The decision is that the subject can be discussed without any religious extremist getting involved. In a nut shell the children can get the information and give them the protection that is needed.
The psychology issue sex has on the children
Children lack the cognitive psychology development to understand sex. Education is important for parents (and other caretakers) to understand what is "normal" sexual development and behavior in children and teenagers. Sexual development and sexual play are natural and healthy processes in children, from toddlers through childhood and into adolescence. Puberty and adolescence, body parts and sexual organs are clearly developing, and puberty brings the onset of menstruation in girls and more routine masturbation for both boys and girls, but especially boys. “Whereas young people report concerns about HIV/AIDS, but many do not perceive themselves to be personally at risk and lack accurate information about circumstances that put them at risk for HIV infection” (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2000). The earlier the children have that first sexual experience the partners they are likely to have, which increases there exposure to the risk of pregnancy, STD and dropping out of school. Having sex at younger ages may be signs of other problems, such as drug use or alcohol and troubling behavior. Children are not capable of understanding all the ramification of sex.
Remember when children are ready they will ask and, that is where the parent steps in to follow-up with them. The issues of what the schools are to teach them are and will probably be a controversial issue. Religious beliefs, personal values and preference will come up time and time again in the discussion of schools, sex education and our children. The abstinence based sex education supporters have some background or connection to Christian organizations which have strong views regarding sex and sexuality. Due to a strong faith belief the supporters of the abstinence based education see the priorities are to encourage children to avoid sex al together and want to exclude other information. Such people with a strong religious belief highlight issues of fidelity to one partner and reject steps to protect the children against disease and pregnancy since it will send a confusing message. This also opens the children up to abuse, exploitation, sexually transmitted disease including HIV and AIDS.
Deciding what is best for the children at first seem a bit confusing. The issues are not just between the educators and parents, it is the educators, the parents, the supporters of the abstinence and comprehensive approaches to sex education. Figuring and sorting this out and coming up with not only the short-term but the long-term benefits and risks for the children and the best approach. On the one hand abstinence based approach has gathered political and financial support. This makes the abstinence based approach have fund readily available for this type of program whether it is the better choice or not. As it stands teaching the social, psychological and health gains from abstain for sexual activity. Teaching to abstain from sexual activity outside the marriage and avoiding out of wedlock activity. The teachings of monogamous heterosexual relationships only under marriage, out of wedlock will have harmful psychological and physical effects on the children. The bearing of children out of wedlock will have consequences for the child and their parents. To reject sexual advance and the effects alcohol and drugs allows such advances and the importance of self reliance before engaging in any sexual activity.
Social dilemmas for Parents, Teachers and Children
The Social issues and dilemmas parents and teachers are facing. According to a new Kaiser Family foundation survey parents state they want additional sex education taught in schools. They also want the subjects to be about both birth control and staining from sex. The survey Sex Education in America: “a view from Inside the Nation’s classrooms is based on opinions of students and parents (1,505 pairs), 1,001 sex education teachers and 313 principals” (May 1993). According to the Center for disease control in 1999 about half of the boys and girls in the country have had sexual intercourse by high school. Schools are taking a broader attempt to teach sex education, to wait to have sex however if they do not wait to safer birth control and practice “safer” sex. “Results show that 89 percent of students have had sex education by the 11th or 12th grade: overall, 75 percent of all 7th-12th graders have taken a class on this subject” (Dec 2000).

Parents are content with whatever sex education is presented through the schools to there children. This does not mean that all parties agree on the kind of sex education is offered to them. One example is to teach abstinence only programs and not to provide knowledge on condoms and other contraception. There are a number of Americans that believes that if given the knowledge it would not promote sexual intercourse earlier. “Eighty-three percent of parents say they are more open with their children about sex and sexual issues than their parents were with them”, Sex Education in America, (September and October 2003). Pain and suffering is not what anyone would want for the children. Without the proper teaching that is what will be the result. With parents at work longer hours making ends meet in today’s economy children are left alone to explore desires. Children are having sex are at much younger age then prior. Diseases will be spread without the information getting explained at home and in schools the issue would only be worse.
Even with the children getting the sex education in school the outside world has other kinds of exposure to sex. “Kids are seeing a world in which everything is sensual and physical,” says Dr. Richard Ratner, president of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry (May, 1993). Television and songs are big culprits of sexual messages. Television includes commercials such as the Calvin Klein ads, MTV which and explicit words, to movies that have heavy breathing as sound effects. When the television gets turned on what is seen is females taking there cloths just to promote a song. This makes the children want to dress inapproachably and think it is acceptable to act promiscuous.
Conclusion
Overall, parents are content with whatever sex education is presented through the schools to there children. This does not mean that all parties agree on the kind of sex education is offered to them. The issue is to teach abstinence only programs and not to provide knowledge on condoms and other contraception. There are a number of Americans that believes that if given the knowledge it would not promote sexual intercourse earlier. “Eighty-three percent of parents say they are more open with their children about sex and sexual issues than their parents were with them”, Sex Education in America, (September and October 2003). Children today are getting pregnant and having babies at to young of an age. Children are having sex are at much younger age then prior. With parents at work longer hours making ends meet in today’s economy children are left alone to explore desires. Diseases are being spread without the information getting explained at home and in schools the issue would only be worse.
In the teaching of sex and relationship education it encourages the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of the children. Not by encouraging early sexual experimentation but will teach them to respect themselves and others. Teaching children to learn and understand human sexuality, the reasons and benefits for delaying. Doing so the children will understand the importance of marriage, the stability of loving relationships, respect, to love and care. The gains from such a delay and obtain appropriate advice on sexual health. In so doing it will prepare the children for opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life. This will help them to build up confidence, self-esteem and comprehend the reason for taking there time with sexual activity. The teachers, in consultation with parents develop policies that not only serve the children but reflect the parent’s wishes of the communities. The role the teachers and parents play by working together to teach the children sex education is crucial to protect them against inappropriate teachings and materials.

Reference
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