The Case Against Mandated Sex Education in Public Schools

1. The Case Against Mandated Sex Education in Public Schools

2. TEAM • Bonnie Erickson • Earney F. Lasten • David Norman • Nicole Vaccaro • Gulnora Hundley • Scot Smith • Heather Batchelder • Ric Reardon • Jennifer Tobias • Tyson Kuch • Julie Pepe

3. Heather Family Issues & Attitude No sex education

4. Jennifer Funding & Training

5. Earney International Issues

6. Gulnora International Issues & Effectiveness of Current Programs

7. Tyson Summary

8. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education The debate over sex education is not simply about the best ways to educate youth regarding sexual and reproductive health; rather it is a battle over the morality and direction of society itself (McKay, 1999).

9. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education The family may be the most influential context in which the child develops and family values shape the child’s sexual identity and behavior from the beginning of life. Children identify and imitate others they admire so parents are a basic source of learned behavior and attitudes (Kakavoulis, 2001).

10. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education Empirical evidence indicates that adolescents whose parents openly communicated with them about sexuality when they were younger were more likely to make personal decisions about sexual behavior that reflect parental behavior and morals ( Geasler et al., 1995; Brock & Jennings, 1993; Fisher, 1988).

11. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education Centers for Disease Control contracted with Mathtech to develop, implement and evaluate a model program to enable parents to educate their children about sexuality. Results indicated that development of a sex education curriculum for parents using experienced based learning and group interactions with other parents is recommended to facilitate the parental role in the sexuality education of their children (Geasler et al., 1995).

12. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education Despite public opinion that sex education delivered by teachers can reduce sexual risk taking, there have not been many randomized trials large enough to substantiate this opinion. Several quasi-experimental studies have concluded that sex education is effective, but most randomized trials suggest it is not (Wight et al., 2002).

13. Family Issues & Attitude Family Concerns Regarding Sex Education Despite public opinion that sex education delivered by teachers can reduce sexual risk taking, there have not been many randomized trials large enough to substantiate this opinion. Several quasi-experimental studies have concluded that sex education is effective, but most randomized trials suggest it is not (Wight et al., 2002).

14. Funding & Training Jennifer

15. Funding & Training Issues with Mandated Sex Education • Government Funding • Parental and Peer Influence • Teacher Training

16. Funding & Training Government Funding • In 2004, the government spent at least $4.50 promoting teen contraceptive use for every $1.00 spent to promote teen abstinence • Source: Rector, R.E., Pardue, M.G., and Martin, S. (2004) What Parents Want Taught in Sex Education. No. 1722, Jan. 28. The Heritage Foundation. • By Feb. 2005, for every $1 spent on abstinence education, the government was spending $12 on condom and birth control related activities • Despite this, Senators are still arguing that there are no federal programs dedicated to the comprehensive view of sex education. • Source: Wetzstein, C. (2005, February 11). Young people ‘need’ new sex-education funding plans. • The Washington Times.

17. Funding & Training Parental and Peer Influence • 85% of parents surveyed want some sort of abstinence education taught in school • 7% of parents believe that having sex in high school is fine as long as some sort of protection is used • 7 out of every 100 teens are growing up in a household where having safe sex in high school is acceptable • Source: Rector, R.E., Pardue, M.G., and Martin, S. (2004) What do Parents Want Taught in Sex Education Programs. No. 1722, Jan. 28. The Heritage Foundation.

18. Funding & Training Teacher Training • ‘Despite parental support and state-mandated demands for sex education, those charged with this task do not have the proper tools to do so, leaving the responsibility to state and local departments of education and to the teachers themselves.’ • ‘Teachers do not have the skills, knowledge, or inclination to teach such courses. Few have received training in sexuality education, and even fewer have received certification as sexuality educators.’ • Source: Rodriguez, M., Young, R., Renfro, S., Ascencio, M., and Haffner, D. W. (1996). Teaching Our Teachers to Teach: A SIECUS Study on Training and Preparation for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Sexuality Education.

19. Funding & Training Conclusion • We are not arguing that no sex education course should be taught anywhere. We feel that school is not the place. • Mandated sex education programs will result in more conflicts regarding what should be taught and how. In addition, time and tax dollars will be wasted.

20. Earney International Class

21. International Issues Pregnancy rates among adolescents 8.1 per 1000 in The Netherlands 93.0 per 1000 in the United States 62.6 per 1000 in United Kingdom 42.7 per 1000 in Canada 15.1 per 1000 in Belgium Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_education

22. International Issues Year Total babies born Total Abortions Teens pregnancies % abortions per 100 pregnancies 1996 1306 771 2077 59.1 1997 1298 743 2041 57.2 1998 1255 800 2055 63.7 1999 1313 767 2080 58.4 2000 1371 810 2181 59.1 2001 1441 848 2289 58.9 Belgium Pregnancies 10-19 years of age Source: http://www.ethesis.net/clb/clb.htm

23. International Issues The reality is From every 100 teens pregnant only 40% get recorded in Belgium Earlier I said 15.1 per 1000 in Belgium (excl. abortions) ….and 93.0 per 1000 in U.S.A. (incl. abortions) Pregnancy rates among adolescents is: 93.1 per 1000 in U.S.A. 90 per 1000 in Belgium

24. International Issues Maybe we should look at the bigger picture Is Sex Education the No. 1 priority? Source: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

25. International Issues What affects pregnancy rates among adolescents? …is it... - IT? - Age? - People? - Poverty? - Divorce? - lifestyle? - Gay? - Gender? - Adoption? - Culture? - Media? - or else…

26. Gulnora International Issues & Effectiveness of Current Programs

27. International Effectiveness Canadian study, by A. Marcus, Health Scout News reporter, 2002 Canadian researchers analyzed more than two dozen earlier trials and concluded that, overall, none made reduced the rate of teen births. Experts have emphasized the need for comprehensive approaches to reducing teen pregnancies – programs that focus on family and community. Efforts that make a difference don’t target sexual behavior at all. Several community services programs that had teens cleaning parks, visiting nursing homes, and performing other tasks helped reduce sexual activity among the volunteers. Also the author points out that the presence of committed, caring adults could have been the reason of positive impact on reduced sexual activity.

28. International Effectiveness UK study, by E. Williams, 2003 The UK has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western Europe. There has been a major sex education campaign in the UK since the early 1970s. The author asserts that the government refuses to acknowledge that the contraceptive based sex education of the last three decades may have been a failure. The author argues that comprehensive sex education is not only ineffective in achieving its stated objective of reducing sexual tragedies, but that it contributes to the problem. “Condoms won’t protect your heart, latex won’t stop human papilloma virus”. Knowledge alone is not enough to change behaviors .

29. International Effectiveness New Zealand Study The latest figures from the Ministry of Health relating to an increase in Sexually Transmitted Infections in New Zealand show, once again, that the current condom based sex education programs are failing miserably. Condoms are not the magic ingredient that suddenly makes casual sex safe, and the current messages being given to young people are reminiscent of the ludicrous messages we used to promote about smoking - "not smoking is best, but if you must smoke, use a filter". Source:http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0511/S00057.htm

30. International Effectiveness The public School Parent’s Network Sex education environment: teachers find themselves out of control when facing a room full of teenagers. Teachers constantly struggling to keep the children focused on the gravity of what being discussed. Because of loose and casual atmosphere of sex ed classrooms, many parents question the validity and the effectiveness of sex education being delivered in public education. If the message can’t be delivered responsibly then should it be delivered at all!

31. International Effectiveness Dr. Kirschman, Contemporary problems in education, 1995 Distribution of condoms confuses teenagers, while effectiveness of condoms – to prevent pregnancy or transmission of STDs – is not perfect. The author concludes, that condom distribution might promote sexual activities because of the image that sexual activities with contraception are “safe”. As a result the number of the STDs and pregnancy would increase. According to Dr. Kirschman, the most important role in sex education is played by the parents.

32. Sex Education Summary Tyson

33. Summary Dailey, D.M. (1997). The failure of sexuality education: Meeting the challenge of behavioral • According to Dailey (1997), while comprehensive sexuality education may increase knowledge about sex and sexuality in students, it has not successfully facilitated subsequent effective behavioral changes in students. • Dailey proposes that teachers must maintain a “sex-positive” attitude in order to effectively teach toward the behavioral component of sexuality education (p. 96). • He challenges the presumption that frank and in depth discussions of sexual behavior, emotions, and sexuality will encourage careless and risky behavior. change in a sex-positive context. In: Maddock, J.W. ed. (1997). Sexuality education in postsecondary and professional training settings. New York: Haworth Press.

34. Summary McCarthy, J.F. (1996). Sex education should be taught primarily by parents. • Taking a religious perspective, McCarthy (1996) argues that parents should teach their children sex education. He suggests that school-based education “corrupts the innocence and purity of young children” by causing them to “think impure thoughts” and instead needs to focus on developing “the virtue of chastity.” In: Roleff, T.L. ed. (1999). Sex education. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc

35. Summary Haffner, D.W. (1997). Abstinence-only programs are ineffective. • Haffner (1997), president and CEO of the Sex Information and Education Council of the United States argues that abstinence-oriented sex-education programs do not preventing teenagers from becoming sexually active. • While her council supports abstinence, it does not support limiting sex-education to this position. • She notes that there is no professional literature which supports the claim that abstinence-only education prevents or delays sexual intercourse among youth. In: Roleff, T.L. ed. (1999). Sex education. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc

36. Summary Gough, R.W. (1997). Studies to determine the effectiveness of sex-education and abstinence- only programs are inconclusive. • This author takes a realistic stance on the issue of sex education, arguing that insufficient evidence exists to support one method of sex education over another. • He challenges readers to define “effectiveness” for themselves and consider how important a role “values” play in both sex education and research. • Consider the latter when both estimating and operationally defining “effectiveness.” In: Roleff, T.L. ed. (1999). Sex education. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc.

37. Summary Sears, J. T. (1992). Sexuality and the curriculum: The politics and practices of sexuality education. • The author states that the effectiveness of sex-ed programs can best be measured via sexual behavior and its subsequent consequences (e.g. teen pregnancy, STD rates, abortion rates, etc.). • He argues that traditional curriculum mainly teaches factual information and leaves the “decision-making” up to the students, many of whom may not be able to make sound, reasonable decisions. • He argues that adolescents (particularly minority youth) possess little sexual knowledge even after instruction in sex and sexuality. • Of interest, he notes the following: • South Carolina law prohibits teaching about abortion or homosexuality • Utah school personnel who discuss condoms with students w/out parental consent have committed a Class B misdemeanor New York: Teachers College Press.

38. Summary Kellly, K. (2005). Just don’t do it. • The author notes that critics of abstinence-only courses argue that the subjected is often presented from a one-sided religious point of view. •  The author cites Joshua Sparrow, assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School “Abstinence-only is a catastrophe from a public-health point of view…If kids who chose abstinence waver but do not have information on how to protect themselves, that is a recipe for a public-health nightmare that is entirely preventable.” •   In 1996, in accordance with the Welfare Reform Act, congress created a federal program geared solely to funding abstinence-only curricula. What happened after that?? •   -California, Pennsylvania, and (eventually Maine) declined the money and have elected to teach on their own terms. • -NC state board ordered 3 chapters from a health book to be stripped from a ninth-grade health book in Franklin County because it covered concepts which deviated from the State’s abstinence-only approach. • A Columbia University study found that students who receive comprehensive sex education (i.e. dealing with subjects including, but not limited to- abstinence, birth control, abortion, sexual orientation, condom use, peer pressure, emotional consequences, STDs) display no change in age onset of sexual activity. While they display greater instances of safe sex practice, they display the same rate of sexually transmitted diseases. U.S. news and world report,14(139).

39.  Methodological Issues • Most programs are voluntary and it is reasonable to say that these teens may not be a random sample of all teens. • Programs may only work for one particular group of teens. • Programs can vary in content and delivery. • Teachers may feel uncomfortable or lack sufficient training to cover the content designated. • The students may not truthfully provide information obtained from survey information. • Variables of what constitutes success may be different from one study to another. • Success may be due to changes in society and not due to education.

40. Against Sex Education period The End Bonnie Erickson David Kent Norman Nicole Vaccaro Gulnora Hundley Scot Smith Heather Batchelder Ric Reardon Jennifer Tobias Tyson Kuch Julie Pepe Earney F. Lasten Thanks ---- Questions?