A new study is challenging the way some adults think about sex education. While some think lessons on the birds and the bees are best reserved for high school kids, a new review finds that comprehensive sex education needs to start much earlier than we think.
Researchers at Montclair State University in New Jersey reviewed three decades of data on sex ed programs and their outcomes. According to the findings, comprehensive sex education that covers a wide range of subjects and is tailored to multiple age groups has the best outcomes for kids. This type of sex education is not only associated with a lower risk of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections but can also help prevent childhood sexual abuse, partner violence, homophobia and bullying.
Additionally, researchers say educating children on topics like consent and gender identity can help lay the groundwork for kids to form positive, healthy relationships later in life.
The review says elementary school is not too early to begin introducing age-appropriate topics, like gender, anatomy and health. “The studies noted here, as well as one of a preschool class, highlight that young children are, in fact, quite capable of understanding and discussing issues related to gender diversity, including gender expectations, gender nonconformity and gender-based oppression,” the researchers explain. “They also underscore that the development of such understanding requires instructional scaffolding over a period and not just one session.”
Sex education is a controversial topic for some, but research shows a majority of people are in favor of kids receiving comprehensive sex education at school. In a 2019 survey published in the journal Sex Education, 64% of nearly 1,000 people surveyed said sex education is very important for middle school children, and 82% agreed sex education is very important at the high school level. Fewer than 4% of those surveyed thought sex education was unimportant or should not be taught in school at all.
While sex education is more rare at the elementary school level in the U.S., some states have already begun to incorporate it. In states like Oregon, Iowa, Missouri, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, sex education is a part of elementary school curriculums. Other states are in the process of trying to establish sex education as a component of elementary learning. In both Illinois and Minnesota, legislators are considering legislation to begin comprehensive sex education in kindergarten.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of early sex education. In response to the Illinois legislation, one parent writes on Twitter, “I’d pull my child out immediately if this passed.”
Others think kindergarteners are too young to understand what they’re learning. “Think back when you were 5,” one person writes. “This is so unnecessary. It’s like teaching driver training to kindergarteners.”
Introducing comprehensive sex education to elementary students doesn’t mean they’ll explore inappropriate topics or be exposed to any R-rated lesson plans. The research from Montclair University shows sex education for younger kids is important in preventing sexual abuse by teaching about body ownership, personal safety and appropriate touch.
The researchers also support implementation of the National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES), which call for a gender and sexuality curriculum that is evidence-informed and age-appropriate.
Under NSES guidance, kids in kindergarten through second grade learn:
- Basic anatomy.
- How to show respect to different kinds of people and families.
- Healthy ways to express feelings.
- The basics of gender.
- How living things reproduce.
As kids move through elementary school, they learn more about puberty and how to care for their changing bodies. In middle and high school, curriculum expands to include discussions on healthy relationships, and pregnancy and disease prevention.
Every parent has their own ideas about when is the right time to start conversations about bodies, gender and sexuality; however, these are important topics that every child will eventually need to understand. This study shows that giving kids the tools to learn about and discuss their changing bodies and health can be vital to their physical, emotional and social development. That’s true no matter how awkward or uncomfortable those conversations might be for adults.
