Adolescent Sexuality and Sex Education: Parents’ Perspective

Abstract

Adolescence is a period which is distinctively manifested by rapid physical, emotional and psychological changes. The sudden development of secondary sex characteristics with lack of knowledge for understanding these changes can lead to confusion and anxiety among adolescents. Parents and family members can help their children develop and practice responsible sexual behaviours. The present study is an attempt to find out the perception of parents regarding their adolescent children’s sexuality and sex education. The parents of the 60 adolescent students from various schools were interviewed with the help of a semi structured interview schedule. Results revealed that fathers of the male adolescents and mothers of the female adolescents were in favour of imparting partial sex education to the adolescents. More mothers were apprehensive of the fact that sex education would affect pupil- taught relation. Most the parents believed that sex education to adolescents should be given at 9th -10th class level and it should be a collaborated effort of the parents, the teachers and the doctors. Fathers approved of use of discussion method on the problems of adolescents while mothers were not in the favour of class discussion as they felt that it would lead to embarrassment for teachers as well as adolescents. Parents opined that sex education should be given by the teacher of the same sex as that of the adolescent.