Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-01T04:52:11.687Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Sexuality education for children and pre-schoolers in the information age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Juliette D G Goldman*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, PMP 50, Gold Coast Mail Centre, Qld 4217. Email: [email protected]

Abstract

All children have the right to have sexuality education in order to enhance their self-understanding, their developing maturity and their self-concept. In the past, parents and some schools have provided this, usually as formal school programs. However, many children receive sexuality education informally from other sources such as peers, television, magazines and books. The technology available in the information age provides yet another source. The Internet has a growing number of sites specifically for sexuality education for children and pre-schoolers. Here, a selection of relevant sites is identified and presented for their developmental appropriateness. The opportunities these promote are almost limitless for children's enhanced personal understanding and knowledge-base upon which further development will occur in their teenage years and beyond.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Amin, T. (2000) Students Need Better Sex Ed, [Accessed: 27 March 2000], www.sxetc.org/library/articles/ Google Scholar
Berger, K.S. (1998) The Developing Person Through the Lifespan, New York: Worth.Google Scholar
Bernstein, B. (1977) Class, Codes and Control: Vol 3. Towards a Theory of Educational Transmissions, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Coleman, E. (1999/2000) ‘A new sexual revolution in health, diversity, and rights’, SIECUS Report, New York; Dec 1999/Jan 2000, Vol. 28, Iss. 2, pp. 48.Google Scholar
Drielsma, P. (2000) ‘Hard living young brains for intimacy’, Child Abuse Prevention Newsletter, National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 611.Google Scholar
Durham, M.G. (1998) ‘Dilemmas of desire: Representations of adolescent sexuality in two teen magazines’, Youth and Society, Vol.29, No.3, pp.369389.Google Scholar
ECPAT Australia (2000) ‘Protecting children online’, Newsletter, No. 59, p.5.Google Scholar
Education Queensland (2000) Study of Society and Environment Syllabus, Brisbane.Google Scholar
Erikson, E.H. (1963) Childhood and Society, New York: Norton.Google Scholar
Gibbons, M., Lomoges, C., Nowotny, H., Schwartzman, S., Scott, P. & Trow, M. (1994) The New Production of Knowledge: the Dynamics of Science and Research in Contemporary Societies, London; SAGE Publications.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. (1982) Children's Sexual Thinking, London; Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. (2000) Sexuality Education in the New Millennium, Keynote address, paper presented at the 4th National Sexuality Conference, Hobart, Australia, 21-23 May.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. & Bradley, G.L. (2001) ‘Sexuality Education across the Life Cycle in the New Millennium’, Sex Education, Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 197217.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. & Hocking, C.G. (2000) ‘Internet Connectivity in the Education of High School Students around the World; An Australian Originated Study’, Pacific Asian Education, Vol.12, No.2, pp.2539.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. & Hocking, C.G. (1999) ‘Internet Educational Usage by High School Students around the World’, Educational Theory and Practice, Vol.21, No.1, pp.6785.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. & Krause, J. (2001) ‘Interactive multimedia strategies employed by upper Primary School students: A case study’, Educational Practice and Theory, Vol. 23, No. 2.Google Scholar
Goldman, J.D.G. & Krause, J. (2002) Preparatory collaborative problem-solving for interactive multimedia projects in a Primary School, (submitted).Google Scholar
Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D.G. (1981a) ‘Sources of Sex Information for Australia, English, North American and Swedish Children’, Journal of Psychology, Vol. 109, pp.97108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D.G. (1981b) ‘What Children want to know about Sex and what they claim to receive in School: A Comparison of Australian with English, North American and Swedish Children’, Australian Science Teachers Journal, Vol.27, No.2, pp.6169.Google Scholar
Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D.G. (1982) Children's Sexual Thinking, Henley, UK: Routledge & Kegan Paul.Google Scholar
Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D.G. (1988a) Show Me Yours: Understanding Children's Sexuality, Melbourne: Penguin.Google Scholar
Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D.G. (1988b) “The Prevalence and Nature of Child Sexual Abuse in Australia’, Australian Journal of Sex, Marriage and the Family, Vol.9, No.2, pp.94106.Google Scholar
Gourlay, P. (1996) If you think sexuality education is dangerous, try ignorance! Sexuality Education: Critical Factors for Success, Box Hill, Australia: Family Planning Victoria.Google Scholar
Haffner, D.W. (1990) ‘Towards a New Paradigm on Adolescent Sexual Health’, SIECUS Report, December 1992-January 1993.Google Scholar
Klein, M. (2000) ‘Coming attractions: Sexual expression in the next decade’, SIECUS Report, New York, Dec 1999/Jan 2000, Vol.28, Iss.2, pp.9(6).Google Scholar
Levitan, J. (2000) ‘Health and Sexuality Education in Schools: The Process of Social Change, by Ridini, Steven P. (book review), Journal of Sex Research, February, Vol.37, Iss.1, p.92.Google Scholar
Maclean's, (2000) ‘Cyber Sex-Ed for Global Students’, Maclean's, Feb 14, p.8, Maclean Hunter Canadian Publishing Ltd.Google Scholar
Maddock, J.W. (1997) ‘Sexuality Education: A History Lesson’, in Maddock, J.W. (Ed), Sexuality Education in Postmodern and Professional Training Settings, New York: The Haworth Press.Google Scholar
McCann, S. (1999) ‘Learning to feel good about yourself: Puberty education reconsidered’, SIECUS Report, New York. Aug/Sep, Vol.27, Iss.6, pp.24(4).Google Scholar
Pateman, B. Grunbaum, J. & Kann, L. (1999) ‘Voices from the Field: A Qualitative Analysis of Classroom, School, District, and State Health Education Policies and Programs’, Journal of School Health, September, Vol.69, No.7, pp.258263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Portelli, C.J., & Meade, C.W. (1998) ‘Censorship and the Internet: No easy answers’, SIECUS Report, Oct/Nov, Vol.27, Iss.1, pp.48.Google Scholar
Pringle, P. (2000) ‘Adult Web Sites Pioneered E-Commerce Long Before the Retail World Caught Up’, Australian, 10 January, p.40.Google Scholar
Roffman, D.M., Shannon, D. & Dwyer, C. (1997) ‘Adolescents, sexual health and the internet: Possibilities, prospects and challenges for educators’, Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, Vol.22, No.1, pp.4955.Google Scholar
SIECUS (1999) ‘Issues and answers facts sheet on sexuality education’, SIECUS Report, New York, Aug/Sep., Vol.27, Iss.6, pp.29(5).Google Scholar
Schnarch, D. (1997) ‘Sex, intimacy and the Internet’, Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, Vol.22, No. 1, pp. 1520.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silverman, M.L. (1993) Virtual Reality Sex: A Case Study in Gender Construction and the Ethics of Technology. [Accessed online, 15 March 2000], URL: http://www.sexuality.Org/l/incoming/vrsex.html Google Scholar
Sorrell, M. 2000Trend of the world as we know it … is American’, Australian. 8 February, p.27.Google Scholar
Tanner, J.M. (1978) Foetus into Man, Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
The Associated Press. (2001) ‘Early Signs of Puberty Evident’. [Accessed online, Tuesday, 20 February 2001], www.intelihealth.com Google Scholar
West, J. (1999) ‘(Not) talking about sex: Youth, identity and sexuality”, Sociological Review, Vol.47, No.3, pp.525547.Google Scholar
West, W. (2000) ‘Millennium School: Online education begins to take off’, Education Review, Feb/March, Vol.4, No.1, pp.1011.Google Scholar