A study examined how children in Wales aged 10-12 years perceived gender, sexual identity and relationships. The report said that both boys and girls felt pressurized to conform to gender norms, children generally found it difficult to either deal with or disclose their experiences of verbal sexual harassment, and many children were angry about sexism among their peers and in society as a whole. Recommendations included: better sex- and relationship-education, with a rights-based approach; greater efforts to assess the well-being of children; and better advice, information, and support.
Source: Emma Renold, Boys and Girls Speak Out: A qualitative study of children s gender and sexual cultures (age 10-12), University of Cardiff
Links: Report | Summary | University of Cardiff press release
Date: 2013-Dec
A new book examined how young people aged 15-21 engaged with education on sex and relationships. It described how a range of socio-economic, cultural, and sexual norms, values, and attitudes shaped young people's decision-making on sex, intimacy, and future pathways.
Source: Sharon Elley, Understanding Sex and Relationship Education, Youth and Class: A youth work-led approach, Routledge
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-Sep
The inspectorate for education and children's services said that personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education in England was inadequate in 40 per cent of cases examined.
Source: Not Yet Good Enough: Personal, social, health and economic education in schools, HMI 130065, Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills
Links: Report | OFSTED press release | Accord Coalition press release | BHA press release | EVAW press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2013-May
A research study for the children's watchdog for England found that: a significant number of children accessed pornography; it influenced their attitudes towards relationships and sex; it was linked to risky behaviour such as having sex at a younger age; and there was a correlation between holding violent attitudes and accessing more violent media. The watchdog called for urgent action to develop children's resilience to pornography.
Source: Miranda Horvath, Llian Alys, Kristina Massey, Afroditi Pina, Mia Scally, and Joanna Adler, 'Basically... Porn Is Everywhere': A rapid evidence assessment on the effects that access and exposure to pornography has on children and young people, Office of the Children's Commissioner
Links: Report | OCC press release | Middlesex University press release | Canterbury Christ Church University press release | BHA press release | EVAW press release | SEF press release | Womens Aid press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2013-May
The coalition government published a framework for improving sexual health in England. It said that a concerted effort was needed by local councils to cut rates of sexually transmitted infection and reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
Source: A Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England, Department of Health
Links: Framework | DH press release | BHA press release | Brook press release | NAT press release | SEF press release | THT press release
Date: 2013-Mar
The coalition government published a summary of responses to consultation on personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. It said that PSHE would remain a non-statutory subject, and that it was unnecessary to provide new standardized frameworks or programmes of study.
Source: Consultation on PSHE Education: Summary Report, Department for Education
Links: Consultation responses | Hansard | DE press release | Accord Coalition press release | BHA press release | Brook press release | Christian Institute report | NAT press release | PFEG press release | Population Matters press release | Relate press release | SEF press release
Date: 2013-Mar
A report said that there was widespread evidence of bad practice in abortion education in schools. In some schools abortion was not addressed at all. In others anti-abortion groups were being invited to talk about contraception and abortion to young people. Poor educational practice from these groups included: providing misinformation about abortion and contraception; reinforcing stigma associated with abortion; and breaching schools' equalities duties and diversity policies when addressing homosexuality and family life.
Source: Abortion Education in the UK: Failing our young people?, Education For Choice
Links: Report | Summary | EFC blog post | Brook press release | BHA press release
Date: 2013-Feb
An article said that existing youth policy said little about young people's sexuality; and that, when it did, it frequently conflated sexual behaviour with sexual health. Despite the rhetoric of participation, engagement, and inclusion, youth policy continued to perpetuate and naturalize the symbolic order between 'adults' and young people, and continued to position youth sexuality as potentially dangerous.
Source: Allison Moore and Phil Prescott, 'Absent but present: a critical analysis of the representation of sexuality in recent youth policy in the UK', Journal of Youth Studies, Volume 16 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Jan
A report examined the provision of sexuality education in the context of schooling and in the context of family planning facilities in 24 European Union member states. It highlighted issues in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Source: Karolina Beaumont and Marcia Maguire, Policies for Sexuality Education in the European Union, European Parliament
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Jan