ERIC Number: EJ976818
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 3
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0164-775X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Sexual Health Education: Social and Scientific Perspectives and How School Psychologists Can Be Involved
McClung, Ashley A.; Perfect, Michelle M.
Communique, v40 n6 p1, 14, 16 Mar-Apr 2012
The National Association of School Psychologists' (NASP) official stand on sexual education is that it should be taught in schools to help young people make healthy decisions regarding sex throughout their lives. Accordingly, school psychologists have a responsibility to use their expertise to facilitate these programs. Without a comprehensive sexual education program facilitated by a professional who is educated in these issues, young adults will often base their decisions on misinformation from peers and unvetted Internet sources. In this article, the authors inform readers about some of the issues associated with implementing and maintaining sexual health education programs in the schools. They briefly describe the problems raised by the popular press, particularly in light of the ongoing political debate. Furthermore, they discuss the variability in state requirements regarding school-based sexual health education. Then, they provide an overview of the research related to the effectiveness of various programs. As part of this coverage, they present two reviews of reviews (umbrella reviews) that critically evaluated different programs. Finally, this article provides tips on how to create and implement an effective evidence-based curriculum, how to involve parents and the community, and most importantly, why school psychologists should be at the forefront of creating and implementing these programs. (Lists 5 online resources.)
Descriptors: Expertise, Evidence, Health Education, Sex Education, School Psychologists, Young Adults, Information Needs, Program Implementation, Mass Media, Political Influences, State Standards, Program Effectiveness
National Association of School Psychologists. 4340 East West Highway Suite 402, Bethesda, MD 20814. Tel: 301-657-0270; Fax: 301-657-0275; e-mail: publications@naspweb.org; Web site: http://www.nasponline.org/publications/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A