Final Group Summary

Throughout this blog experience our group has discussed many issues pertaining to Sexual Education, Drugs, and at what age should we be educating children on the issue of sex and safe sex. Our blog, entitled “How Young is too Young?”, refers to the earlier ages we are teaching children about these issues.

In this blog some important issues were raised, including:
- What is an appropriate age to be teaching sex education?
- Should it be taught earlier due to the risk of children receiving inaccurate information from other sources?
- Should this issue be left up to parents and is parental involvement necessary?
- To what degree should sex education be taught, is it an open forum (ie. Homosexuality)?


During the blogging interactions everyone in our group has been encouraged to see both sides of each issue, raising points and ideas that many of us had never thought about before. We were lucky to have a variety of viewpoints on the topics discussed, allowing everyone to get a fuller understanding of the issues. Throughout this experience we have grown to see and understand why this is such an important topic to the teachers and youth in today’s society.

There were no clear conclusions to any of the issues discussed, highlighting why this has been such a long debated issue within education.

- Chelsea, Shantel, Tyson, Angela, and Terri

Sex Ed: Empowering or Deflowering Students

With reference to the title of my piece, I reflect on what I feel are the two main schools of thought as to whether Sex Ed should be taught in schools. I believe that sex ed when it is appropriately presented, keeping in mind the population to whom the information is being targeted, the beliefs, morals and attitudes of the students and their families can be very empowering for the student. Education is power and informed choices particularly with relation to sexual activity can be the difference between life and death. Information can also be dangerous when it is not presented in appropriate ways. Misinformation on sex particualrly that gathered by unreliable or ill-informed sources can lead to poor choices. The reality is that students will make choices and those choices will lead to actions (relating to sex or not), regardless I feel it important that the choices students will make are informed and intelligent. Providing students with the right tools will prepare them when the time arrives and they need to make decisions. My hope is that the balanced education they recieve will allow them to make informed decisions.

Mixed Feelings

I think everyone has misunderstood me. I am not disagreeing with the fact that safe sex should not be taught, but I feel that it shouldn't be taught so young. My friend teaches grade 4 in Grande Prairie AB, and this year they had to teach so 'in depth' that these kids were learning how to put on a condom properly. This is where I have a problem with it... I don't think they should be learning so much at such a young age. I come from a little down in B.C. and I didn't get taught any sex ed until grade 6... not when I was 10.

However, I have to understand that in places (in Vancouver) kinds in grade 4 are being targeted to have sex. Now, this is where I start to contradict myself, because I think that these kids need to learn about safe sex if they are going to be having it. In my town... a small farming community... nobody even hears tell of kids in grade 4-5 being sexually active that is why it is so hard for me to even believe that these kids need to know about safe sex... But like I said there are places out there that kids are experimenting with sex. So the question now comes up... Should EVERY school district teach sex ed to students in grade 4 or younger? and how would each school district know when the right time to teach sex ed?

Sex Ed is being taught!

From what I have experience while doing my student teaching is sex ed and safe sex is being taught in schools, especially high school and a little in junior high. I did a practicum in each and although I don't know what age is the "right" age to be teaching it, Kids are encouraged to ask questions and bring up topics and although not everything is discussed due to vulgarity, I think there is a more open forum. I sat in on a sexual education guest speaker at a high school and kids were throwing out questions that I wouldn't even think about asking. The speaker answered every question in a matter of fact way and I think the students really respected that. I know that this is a topic that has been discussed for years but the fact is that sex ed IS being taught, and I am sure there was a lot of research that went into whether it should be or not. I do agree that parents should also be educating thier children and given the option to allow not allow thier children to particpate in classes where sex education is being taught. Which from what I have seen they are, I believe in most classes a consent form is sent home informing parents.

Is sex education being taught in elementary school? I guess that is the point of this blog is should it be?

correlation between sex and drugs

I thought this cartoon was kinda funny

Along with Sex Education comes drug use and abuse amoung children and teens. I often wonder if there is a corelation between sexual activity and drug use. If teens are sexually active younger does that increase thier chances of experimenting with drugs and alcohol, or vice versa? I think that when teens and children are exposed to drugs and alcohol at a young age either through friends, parents or TV they are more likely to experiment at a younger age casuing them to sometimes make poor decisions in other areas of life.

I strongly believe that the biggest influence in young adults lives is thier friends, and some may disagree saying that other things may play a larger role (religion, family) and although I belive they are important they simply influence teens in how they choose thier friends, who ultimately have the most influence

Benefits of sex education

Sex education isn't all negative effects and nothing more, there are some important things to look at on the other side of the argument.
One of the most important of these is the "Where else?" question. If students don't learn about this new world of sexuality from a realiable, safe source such as our schools, where else will they learn it? I wouldn't want a child of mine to be learning about sex from rumours spread around amongst friends. Some would argue that they can learn it from their parents, but not all parents are comfortable speaking to their children about sensitive subjects such as these, especially at a young age. I believe that schools can provide a safe and educational learning experience in this area, safegaurding our children from many of the myths and misguided ideas about sex.

Also, our schools have been teaching sex education at earlier and earlier grade levels, causing people to point to this as the source for children having sex at younger ages. Is this necessarily true? Maybe schools are only teaching this subject earlier as a reaction to the increasing number of teens having sex. Maybe neither has a significant effect on the other. The causality cannot be proven in either direction.

Solving or Creating problems??

I think sex education is being introduced to children at too young of an age. Why? Because at such a young age children are curious about everything their taught and discover. Teaching young kids about sex opens their minds to a world they are not ready for and all they are going to want to do is explore that world. So now what has happened, is kids who weren't thinking or caring about sex all of a sudden they are interested in it. What happens next? Look around, it's everywhere... kids having sex WAY too young, girls pregnant at such a young age. Now, we can't say that teachers are accountable for this but the education system definitely plays a huge role in my opinion. Therefore, in teaching young kids about sexuality, perhaps it is more detrimental than it is doing good!

-Shantel Raaen

This blog has been set up to discuss the issue surrounding children and young adults and sexuality and drugs.

How young is too youngto be tecahing children about sex and sexuality?

If these things are not being taught in schools, where are students learning about them, and why is it such an area of conflict in some schools?

Is it more aceptable to be teaching students about drugs then it is to talk about sex?

I thought these could get us started