An anxiety-ridden mother eagerly told me what had just happened:When she walked into her 12-year-old son’s bedroom, she bumped into his averted eyes, while her 3-year-old daughter was currently sitting on the bed, dressed but with her legs open, facing her brother …… From her daughter’s intermittent description, this mother was horrified to know that her daughter had experienced What: brother take off my pants, tongue, lick, can not say to anyone ……
Recently I was preparing a lecture on sex education for junior high school students, a process in which I was deeply aware that a very important part of our education is missing – sex education for children. In the traditional concept of many parents, “sex” is a taboo subject and cannot be talked about.
According to a survey, 74% of parents avoid talking to their children about sex. A similar survey by the Chinese Academy of Textbooks found that nearly 50 percent of parents never mentioned anything about sex education to their children.
Because of the lack of sex education, many people are ignorant about their own bodies.
There are girls who panic when they get their first period and even feel fearful that they are about to leave the world with a serious illness.
There are boys who feel so guilty for masturbating that they fall into anxiety and depression.
Many children think they were “pulled” or born from the navel.
Many women never know what their reproductive organs look like, let alone how to take care of them.
Some people hate their bodies and think they are ugly.
Some people can’t even enjoy a good relationship after marriage ……
Because they can’t talk about it, children and adolescents don’t know anything about the subject of “sex” and don’t even know what happens when they are sexually abused or harassed, let alone how to protect themselves.
For sex education, there are four common misconceptions, have you been “shot”?
Myth 1: Sex education is the education of sexual intercourse, children are still young, there is no need to receive sex education.
When you see sex as something cheap and nasty, and equate sex education with sex education, you naturally can’t talk to your child about “sex” openly. But the truth is
“Sexuality can be understood as a core dimension of the human being, which includes: human understanding of the body and human relationship to the body; emotional attachment and love; biological sex; social sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; sexual intimacy; sexual pleasure and reproduction. The concept of sexuality is very complex, covering physical, social, psychological, spiritual, religious, political, legal, historical, ethical and cultural dimensions, and continues to develop throughout a person’s life.
And what about sex education? It is a comprehensive sexual education with a much broader content and meaning than the act of sexual intercourse.
What is Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE)?
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education states that comprehensive sexuality education is a curriculum-based teaching and learning process that explores the cognitive, emotional, physical and social dimensions of sexuality.
The aim is to equip children and young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that will ensure their health, well-being and dignity. Comprehensive sexuality education fosters respectful social and sexual relationships and helps children and young people learn to consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of others, and to know how to advocate for themselves throughout their lives.
Myth #2: Sexuality education is the same as sexual assault prevention education
Sexual assault prevention education is indeed an important part of sex education, but only a part. A child’s relationship with himself or herself, his or her interpersonal relationship with others, and his or her knowledge, attitude, and values about sex are more important.
According to the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, about 20% of females and 5% to 10% of males have experienced sexual violence in childhood. In my work, I have also come into contact with parents of boys who have been sexually abused. So, here, I would like to remind you especially that boys should be equally protected against sexual abuse.
Myth #3: Sex education can rob innocence and make children have intercourse early
It is dangerous to take ignorance for innocence.
Because you know nothing, you are more likely to be curious, try, make mistakes, deal with it, and end up getting yourself hurt.
People are curious about their own bodies and the bodies of others from a young age, and sex education helps children understand their own bodies, respect and accept them. And to know what happens when sexual intercourse occurs and how to take responsibility for that outcome.
There is research evidence that comprehensive sexuality education not only does not lead to early sexual intercourse, but also delays the time when sexual intercourse first occurs. In addition, sex education can help reduce the number of times sex occurs, reduce the number of sexual partners, increase the chances of using condoms and other safety measures when having sex, and reduce the chance of contracting sexually transmitted infections.
Myth #4: Sex education content can be accessed through the Internet and does not need to be taught separately.
The Internet and social media do play a very important role in disseminating information about sex, but these messages are very complex, with some positive and some unclear and wrong messages. Adolescents are often not very good at discerning which messages are age appropriate and which are beneficial for constructing sexual awareness.
So, when should sex education begin?
The answer is: from an early age, the earlier the better, on the first day of life. Guide your child to know the reproductive organs and to know sex just like any other body organ!
If you haven’t started your child’s sex education yet, get on it!
Now, is the best time!
