Community Resources in Teaching Sex Education

Abstract

It scarcely seems necessary at this time to discuss the need for sex education. Even the public has recognized the need. In June 1943 a national poll showed that in a cross section of public opinion 68% of those interviewed favored giving a course in sex education in high schools; in cities over 100000 there was a 79% approval. Many parents of the teenagers seem relieved to hand over the responsibility to the schools. Such widescale approval is comparatively recent and perhaps expedited by war problems such as broken controls new independence of youth facing adult situations and publicized delinquencies. A sudden awareness of dangers with fear for their adolescent-age children may have been a strong factor in this expressed approval for teaching sex education in the high schools. The facts are that while public opinion is more enlightened we still a long way to go educationally to incorporate this subject matter in our schools on a broad scale. Over twenty-seven of our States have had a negligible amount of attention given to the subject; only about ten States have had encouragement on a State wide basis. Many of the States have had sponsorship from the community rather than the school groups and even among those communities which favor such education many do not have functioning programs. (excerpt)