Students Aren’t Happy with School-Based Sex Ed

In 2017, members of Sex Ed East (Bonnie and Lisa Dawn) published a paper along with Dr. Sandi Byers examining how students at two New Brunswick universities perceived the school-based sexual health education they received in middle and high school (Byers, Hamilton, & Fisher, 2017). We were saddened to report that, overall, participants had unfavourable attitudes towards their sex ed. Our results, however, did provide valuable information on how we can help improve sexual knowledge and sexual health outcomes for people going forward.

Many factors impacted how participants rated their sex ed experience. Here are a few we found in our study.

1. Untrained Teachers

Teachers are not always trained to deliver school-based sex ed. As a result, some educators may be uncomfortable with the material, and this discomfort is translated to students who then also become uncomfortable with communicating about sexual health. By starting sexually-related conversations with children and young people early on and discussing these topics as casually and comfortably as non sexually related material, you’ll help instil the skills required for good, confident relationship communication where people can openly discuss their likes and needs as well as assert their dislikes or disinterests.

2. Timing and Appropriateness of Curriculum

Second, various topics in the curriculum may not be delivered when they would have the most significant impact or benefit to students. For instance, in some cases students do not receive sex ed in high school, just middle school. Since most teens become sexually active in high school, continued sex ed throughout grades 9-12 would help teens to better navigate and have healthy, safe relationships and sexual experiences.

In addition, girls often felt that the curriculum was more geared towards boys' needs and development. For example, girls typically begin puberty at a younger age than boys, generally before sex ed is first introduced in school. Not receiving appropriate information on time or too short of duration will understandably leave people to feel unfavourably towards their sexuality education.

3. Topic Coverage

Third, it was reported that various topics of interest were not adequately covered (such as interpersonal skills, sexual orientation, sexual decision making, behavioural aspects of sexuality, etc.) in students' school-based sex ed. This is problematic because if young people do not receive information from a good, credible resource, they may seek information themselves- and the resources they turn to may not be factual or credible (e.g., peers, porn, various websites, etc.). Assuming students' sexual health education needs are not being met in school, it is important that they have the skills and access to obtain the correct information outside of school.

Take Home Message

So, why are the results of this study and this information significant? Children and adolescents want to receive credible information from a trusted adult. And what is a better, more trusted resource than a parent or caretaker? In fact, students often list parents as an important source of sexuality information.

Of course, many parents or caretakers may not feel that they have the required skills or adequate knowledge to teach their children. And that is where we at Sex Ed East can help. We offer two classes for parents: parents with young children and the other for parents with adolescents. We help parents develop skills to have comfortable conversations about sexuality and sexual health with their children. We provide resources for parents to access scientific, fact-based information and teach parents how to navigate these resources to find this information themselves and guide their children on how to access quality information.

Sexuality education should not be one single conversation that focuses on penises, vaginas, and penetrative intercourse. In contrast, it should begin young and be an ongoing conversation that involves discussions about biology, emotions, naming body parts, body autonomy, sexual identity, consent and rejection, gender identity, relationship communication, pleasure, safety - and the list goes on. When we start these conversations with young children and build on them over time, we help foster and grow the skills needed for young people to have happy, healthy, safe, and consensual relationships and sex lives.