Greek Students’ Understanding of Sexual Diversity and Difference – Implications for Educational Policies and Practices

Abstract

Sexual diversity is part of human experience, as a number of people do not identify within heterosexual or cisgender terms. Understanding yourself and forming an identity as a sexual being, as well as understanding the “other”, your peers or friends is a process of growing up as part of adolescence. Many studies additionally show that people who identify as a sexual minority, LGBTQI people, have been pondering about their sexuality and difference from young age already. In this work, I will present and discuss Greek students’ (11–16 years old) questions on sexual diversity and sexual minorities. Data come from students’ anonymous questions gathered the last five years, as part of short sex education courses that the researcher had taught in more than a hundred Greek primary or secondary schools, approximately 2000 students. Sex education in Greece, still, is a topic that raises a lot of public, heated confrontations, especially when discussing sexual minorities and sexual diversity issues. Sex education is, technically, part of the curriculum in Greece and primary and secondary teachers have some material to implement sex education programs. However, as the data show, the number of such projects is limited. Less than 4% of health education projects discuss sex education topics. Lack of proper education can explain students' misconceptions and misunderstandings regarding sexuality in general and sexual diversity in particular. According to the analysis of data young people in Greece understand and interpret sexuality as reproduction, morality, pleasure and normativity. Sexual difference and diversity are often seen as constructed, threatening or abnormal or both. These views could lead to harassment and bullying in the schools.