The Falls Church experience.

Abstract

Many students in the family life education programs in the Falls Church Virginia school system have reported positive results. They seem to feel greater ease in just talking with the opposite sex as friends, and they are able to discuss sexual behavior sensitively. In contrast to many teenagers today, they appear to feel secure within their own sexual value structure. The classroom interaction and atmosphere encourages students to be proud of well thought out decisions and family and religious values. In Falls Church a parent education program is offered twice a year. The basic structure consists of teaching communication skills, a history of attitudes about sexuality, and the current research on sexual function, behavior, and adolescent development issues. Parents are encouraged to define their own values and to learn skills in communicating them effectively. In Falls Church it was discovered that 5 groups of people must become involved in the production of a program: administrators; faculty; parents; students; and the school board. Administrative support for sex education is essential for both a stable and a well organized effort. In the ideal, a well-taught course is offered to parents initially as a means of building a solid base of support. An ongoing parent-community committee functions as a support for and as a resource as the curricula grow and change.