In a concerted effort to cope with the rising trend of teenage sex, educators and policymakers have voiced their need for sex education at all levels of public schools from kindergarten to 12th grade. Known as comprehensive sex education, this approach uses teaching materials and methods that match the age group of the students (Whitehead, 1994, p. 1; Meade, 2001, p. 7). Currently, 32 states including California do not require schools to offer sex education. Nonetheless, California is one of the 36 states that mandate the provision of STD, HIV, and/or AIDS education (Meade, 2001, pp. 10-11). Apart from the broad mandate that that sex education programs should stress abstinence, California has left the creation of the curriculum and its implementation to the initiative of the individual school districts and even the schools themselves (California Department of Education, 2000, p. 1; Wells, 1999, p. 4).
Although sex education is not a recent phenomenon, its extension into increasingly earlier grades has generated tremendous controversy. Critics of sex education of elementary school children maintain that premature discussions about sex will heighten children's interest in sex and encourage them to engage in sexual activity (Irvine, 2000, p. 60). Other critics believe that sex education in schools should only teach children about abstinence (Whitehead, 1994, p. 1).
The purpose of this paper is to refute these criticisms and argue in favor of providing sex education in all elementary schools. In addition, the paper will discuss the content and the methods of teaching sex education to elementary school students. Clearly, the most effective sex education programs will need to match the developmental level of their intended audience (Meade, 2001, p. 7).
The implementation of sex education in elementary schools is vital for several reasons:
First, children have a natural curiosity about their body parts, including the sexual p...