Sex Respect: A Problematic Public School Sexuality Curriculum

Abstract

This paper critically examines Sex Respect: The Option of True Sexual Freedom, a prepackaged and controversial sexuality curriculum being promoted nationally, which urges teens to avoid all sexual activity—including necking and petting—until marriage. Drawing on federal and state nondiscrimination legislation and policy, other established selection standards for educational materials, and the authors' experience in sexuality education, the paper argues that Sex Respect is problematic for use in public schools because it: (1) substitutes biased opinion for fact; (2) conveys insufficient and inaccurate information; (3) relies on scare tactics; (4) ignores realities of life for many students; (5) reinforces gender stereotypes; (6) lacks respect for cultural and economic differences; (7) presents one side of controversial issues; (8) fails to meaningfully involve parents; (9) is marketed using inadequate evaluations.