Both educators and parents are concerned with how best to shape sexual development because of the myriad personal and social complications that can occur for adolescents along with becoming sexually active. Many variables have been shown individually to influence sexuality. Of specific interest in this study was parent-adolescent closeness and communication about sexuality. Past research has found parental communication about sexuality and parent-adolescent closeness individually to have a positive impact on adolescent sexuality. However, other studies have found no relation between parent-adolescent communication about sexuality and sexual outcomes. Still others have suggested that the combination of the two variables may have the most significant influence on adolescent sexuality. The main goal of this study was to see if a combination of parent-adolescent closeness and parental communication about sexuality was more strongly related to adolescent sexual knowledge, attidudes, and behaviors than either communication or closeness alone. Participants were 157 boys and girls in the ninth through twelfth grades from two suburban high schools in the midwest: Questionnaire measures of adolescents' perceptions were used. Canonical correlation analyses revealed two significant combinations of variables. First, age and maternal and paternal communication were significantly related to sexual behavior and sexual knowledge. Specifically, younger age and less maternal and paternal communication were related to less sexual behavior and less sexual knowledge. Second, gender, age, and maternal communication were significantly related to less sexual knowledge and more conservative sexual attitudes. Specifically, being younger and female and receiving less maternal communication was related to less sexual knowledge and more conservative attitudes. Four important findings are evident in these results. Implications for interpretation and future research are discussed. / Department of Educational Psychology

A number of studies have attempted to describe and explain both the levels of and trend in support for abortion in the adult population and college students, yet there is a gap around abortion attitudes of adolescents. This quantitative study aims to examine the levels of knowledge and attitudes of abortion among male and female secondary school learners, to examine gender differences among the learners with regards to abortion attitudes and knowledge as well as to investigate the effect of religion in terms of abortion. A sample of 150 adolescent males and females from Grade 11 between the ages of 15 to 19 years old was chosen to be used in the study. This research study was conducted at a secondary school in a lower middle class suburb in Durban. The learners were required to complete a questionnaire measuring levels of knowledge (based on different components of the South African legislation regarding abortion, that is, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy (CTOP) Act (1996); a rating scale of abortion attitudes (Esposito & Basow, 1995) and a short biographical component. The statistical programme SPSS 15.0 was used to analyze the data. The results show that the respondents' knowledge about South African legislation governing the act of abortion; varied, attitudes to abortion differed by gender, sexual status and the reasons for abortion. It was found that the older the person, the more positive their attitude towards the elective reasons for abortion. In this study, more positive attitudes towards abortion were prevalent in the Hindu sample as compared to the Christian sample. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Alberta, 2009. / A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Population Health, Department of Public Health Sciences. Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on November 8, 2009). Includes bibliographical references.

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Acompanha: Guia didático para elaboração e aplicação de atividades referentes à orientação sexual no espaço escolar para alunos do ensino médio sob a perspectiva Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) / A questão norteadora deste estudo trata da contribuição que o enfoque Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) trazem para o trabalho de orientação sexual desenvolvido dentro do espaço escolar. O objetivo desse estudo consiste em propor metodologias às questões sobre sexualidade com os adolescentes, no sentido de instigá-los a serem mais críticos e conscientes nas tomadas de decisões. O estudo foi desenvolvido junto a alunos do 2º ano do Ensino Médio de um Colégio Estadual do município de Guarapuava, Paraná. A fundamentação teórica baseou-se a partir do eixo temático Orientação Sexual proposto pelos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais. Para embasamento do estudo buscou-se contemplar reflexões sobre o ensino de biologia, as questões do desenvolvimento sexual dos adolescentes bem como a responsabilidade da educação e da orientação sexual. Autores como Krasilchick (2005), Souza (2010), Furlani (2011), Ribeiro (2011), Bazzo (2002), Moresi (2003) entre outros fundamentam esse estudo em sua referência, metodologia e análise das discussões. A metodologia utilizada foi qualitativa de natureza interpretativa com observação participante. As técnicas de coleta de dados foram observação, anotações em diário de campo, gravações em áudio e vídeo, fotografias e atividades realizadas pelos alunos. As atividades desenvolvidas foram organizadas em seis momentos, que buscaram contextualizar as relações sociais da ciência e da tecnologia por meio de reflexões sobre a sexualidade. Os resultados demonstraram que o enfoque CTS contribuiu para despertar o senso critico nos adolescentes envolvendo a sua vida e de toda a sociedade. Entre inicio e fim da aplicação do trabalho o que pode ser observado foi uma evolução nos pensamentos dos adolescentes que contribuiu para a formação mais critica dos mesmos. Outro resultado positivo foi a elaboração de um guia didático, que poderá ser utilizado por tantos outros professores deste como também de outros colégios, e ser adaptados também para outras séries do ensino básico. / The guiding question of this study is to understand what is the contribution that the approach Science, Technology and Society (STS) brings the work of sexual orientation developed within the school space. The aim of this study is to work through the issues about sexuality with adolescents in a STS approach, aiming instigate them to be more critical and conscious when making decisions. The study was conducted with students from second year of high school a State College Guarapuava, Paraná State. The theoretical framework was based from the main theme Sexual orientation proposed by the National Curriculum Guidelines. To basement for the study we sought to include reflections on the teaching of biology, issues of sexual development of adolescents and the responsibility of education and sexual orientation. Authors like Krasilchick (2005), Souza (2010 ), Furlani (2011), Ribeiro (2011), Bazzo (2002), Moresi (2003) among others fundament this study in theirs reference, methodology and analysis of the discussions. The methodology was qualitative interpretative nature with participant observation. The techniques of data collection were observations, notes in a field diary, audio and video recording , photographs and activities performed by the students. The activities were organized in six moments, which seek to contextualize the social relations of science and technology through reflections about the sexuality. The results showed that the STS approach has helped to awake the sense through critical reflections involving their life and the whole society. Among the beginning and the end of the job application which can be observed was an evolution in the thoughts of teenagers who contributed to the formation most critical of them. Another positive outcome was the development of a didactic guide can will be use for so many other teachers of this as well as other colleges, and also adapted for other grades of the basic education.

Acompanha: Guia didático para elaboração e aplicação de atividades referentes à orientação sexual no espaço escolar para alunos do ensino médio sob a perspectiva Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) / A questão norteadora deste estudo trata da contribuição que o enfoque Ciência, Tecnologia e Sociedade (CTS) trazem para o trabalho de orientação sexual desenvolvido dentro do espaço escolar. O objetivo desse estudo consiste em propor metodologias às questões sobre sexualidade com os adolescentes, no sentido de instigá-los a serem mais críticos e conscientes nas tomadas de decisões. O estudo foi desenvolvido junto a alunos do 2º ano do Ensino Médio de um Colégio Estadual do município de Guarapuava, Paraná. A fundamentação teórica baseou-se a partir do eixo temático Orientação Sexual proposto pelos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais. Para embasamento do estudo buscou-se contemplar reflexões sobre o ensino de biologia, as questões do desenvolvimento sexual dos adolescentes bem como a responsabilidade da educação e da orientação sexual. Autores como Krasilchick (2005), Souza (2010), Furlani (2011), Ribeiro (2011), Bazzo (2002), Moresi (2003) entre outros fundamentam esse estudo em sua referência, metodologia e análise das discussões. A metodologia utilizada foi qualitativa de natureza interpretativa com observação participante. As técnicas de coleta de dados foram observação, anotações em diário de campo, gravações em áudio e vídeo, fotografias e atividades realizadas pelos alunos. As atividades desenvolvidas foram organizadas em seis momentos, que buscaram contextualizar as relações sociais da ciência e da tecnologia por meio de reflexões sobre a sexualidade. Os resultados demonstraram que o enfoque CTS contribuiu para despertar o senso critico nos adolescentes envolvendo a sua vida e de toda a sociedade. Entre inicio e fim da aplicação do trabalho o que pode ser observado foi uma evolução nos pensamentos dos adolescentes que contribuiu para a formação mais critica dos mesmos. Outro resultado positivo foi a elaboração de um guia didático, que poderá ser utilizado por tantos outros professores deste como também de outros colégios, e ser adaptados também para outras séries do ensino básico. / The guiding question of this study is to understand what is the contribution that the approach Science, Technology and Society (STS) brings the work of sexual orientation developed within the school space. The aim of this study is to work through the issues about sexuality with adolescents in a STS approach, aiming instigate them to be more critical and conscious when making decisions. The study was conducted with students from second year of high school a State College Guarapuava, Paraná State. The theoretical framework was based from the main theme Sexual orientation proposed by the National Curriculum Guidelines. To basement for the study we sought to include reflections on the teaching of biology, issues of sexual development of adolescents and the responsibility of education and sexual orientation. Authors like Krasilchick (2005), Souza (2010 ), Furlani (2011), Ribeiro (2011), Bazzo (2002), Moresi (2003) among others fundament this study in theirs reference, methodology and analysis of the discussions. The methodology was qualitative interpretative nature with participant observation. The techniques of data collection were observations, notes in a field diary, audio and video recording , photographs and activities performed by the students. The activities were organized in six moments, which seek to contextualize the social relations of science and technology through reflections about the sexuality. The results showed that the STS approach has helped to awake the sense through critical reflections involving their life and the whole society. Among the beginning and the end of the job application which can be observed was an evolution in the thoughts of teenagers who contributed to the formation most critical of them. Another positive outcome was the development of a didactic guide can will be use for so many other teachers of this as well as other colleges, and also adapted for other grades of the basic education.

M.Ed. / A great deal of concern is being expressed about the high teenage pregnancy rate as well as the leaping AIDS and sexual disease figures. There are programmes in place which aim to bring these numbers down, but it appears as if neither the abortion rate nor premarital sexual experimentation have been affected. This situation is cause for concern. The question thus arises - why have these programmes not made any headway on the statistics? Perhaps the answer lies in the fact that most researchers have not asked the children themselves about their needs with regard to sex education. It is for this reason that this study has been undertaken. In this study a qualitative research method has been followed, where focus group interviews with Standard 7 pupils have been conducted. The original question posed by this researcher was as follows: "What are the needs of Standard 7 pupils with regard to sexual education and what guidelines could be suggested in order to provide a workable pupil-orientated education programme for high schools?" In turn, the posing of the above question led to the following aim: To gauge what the needs of Standard 7 pupils are with regard to sexual education in order to design guidelines for the development of a sex-education programme for high schools. The qualitative research which flowed from this is exploratory, descriptive and contextual. The analysis of the data indicate that there is a need for sexual education in schools, more than is at present available. Pupils would like this subject to be compulsory and that it be taught during stipulated times/periods. There is also a need for a cumulative curriculum in which enough time for discussions is allowed. The children believe that sexual education at school should be presented by a person whom they can trust. Boys and girls differ as to whether this person should be attached to the school or not. The girls are especially critical of the teacher as sex educator. The parent as sex educator has also been criticised. The children would prefer someone out of their peer group to guide them. They also feel that adequate training, openness and neutrality are important characteristics in a sex education specialist. The boys feel that this type of education should not be over-emphasised. Another need expressed is that the sex educator should work from a holistic perspective, thereby putting sex education in a natural context. The requirements with regard to the content of the sexual education programme include the following: knowledge of sexual responsibilities, as well as an understanding of anatomy and physiology, knowledge of the sexual act and premarital sex, as well as an understanding of pregnancy, rape and the way the opposite sex experiences sexuality The children also believe that the way sex is presented in the media should be put into perspective. Knowledge of deviant sexual behaviour, the availability of source material, for example where one would obtain a supply of contraceptives and where to go if one suspects that one is pregnant, are also needs which teenagers expressed with regard to programme content and sex education. From the study it became apparent that, even though the girls maintained that they all receive sex education at home, there are nevertheless many questions which still require addressing. A number of misconceptions were also apparent. Information which is highlighted by these themes and which is furthermore supported by the other research includes aspects such as parent and teacher involvement. A number of guidelines based on the themes identified by the analysis of the focus group interviews, have been developed for exposure and for possible use by compilers of sex education curriculi. A shortfall in this study has been identified and the following recommendations have been suggested: Further research should be undertaken as to the need for sex education o fpupils of other cultures and standards as well as the teachers' views about sex education.

M.Cur. / The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of significantothers in sex education of the Vha-Venda youth and to describe principles of managing sex education of the youth by community nurses. The researcher's view was that if sexuality education of the youth was done effectively, the youth might acquire the necessary knowledge of sex that would help them to deal with the social, physical and emotional demands of sexuality as they occur. This could reduce the high level of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among the youth. An exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was followed to achieve the aim of this study. Data was obtained from the youth, parents, guardians community nurses through focus group interviews. The main categories that emerged from the process of data analysis are as follows: The content of sex information given to the youth, the role of significant others in sex education of the youth, strategies that are used in providing sex education to the youth and obstacles in providing sex education to the youth. The results of this study show that the content of sexuality information given to the youth is not adequate. The role of significant others in sexuality education of the youth was found to be educating, guiding, advising and listening to the youth when talking about sexuality issues. Mothers and teachers were identified to be the people mostly involved in sexuality education of the youth. The study also revealed that sexuality' education of the Vha-Venda Youth is started very late in a child's life. Non effective strategies of providing sexuality information are used by parents and guardians. All three groups of respondents identified common obstacles in providing sexuality education of the youth. The results of this study and literature control were used as the basis for description of principles of managing sexuality education of the youth effectively by the community nurses . Recommendations ensuing from this study are that community nurses should involve themselves in assessment of need for help and assist the youth and parents, particularly mothers and teachers according to their needs. Nursing curricula should include guidelines on sexuality education and facilitation of parent's role as primary sexuality educators of their own children. The findings of this study can be considered for designing in-service education programs for community nurses and the curriculum for the training of community nurses in under and post graduate level. Further research needs to be done to assess if the principles described in this study are effective in managing sexuality education of the youths.

Secondary analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health is used to examine possible explanatory variables for sexual health outcomes. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between sexual health outcomes and topical content in sexuality education, controlling for race, biological sex, low socioeconomic status, and religiosity. Results indicated increasing topical content in sexuality education had a positive effect on knowledge acquisition and confidence, but no statistically significant effect on engagement in sexual risk behavior or likelihood of reporting sexual coercion. Control variables were significant predictors and overall model fit was low, indicating topical content in sexuality education is minimally important in creating adolescent sexual behavior. Further exploration of differing aspects of sexuality education is suggested.

Early engagement in sexual activities amongst adolescents has become a worldwide concern, with studies finding them to begin as early as 12 or earlier (Booysen & Summerton, 2000; Dowsett & Aggleton, 1999). The behaviour becomes even more concerning when youths engage in sexual relationships which are considered as “risky”, that is, that put their health and wellbeing in danger. According to Trends (2010), such behaviour increases one’s risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies. Guided by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model, this study investigated risky sexual behaviours amongst adolescents living in the rural areas. The motivation was twofold, namely: to change the behaviours and to strengthen school sexuality education programme. The study aligned itself to qualitative paradigm and adopted a case study design. Data was collected using focus interviews with 20 adolescents (10 boys and 10 girls) in the age range of 15-17 years, who were selected following purposive sampling. The findings revealed adolescents’ tendencies of engaging in risky sexual behaviours such as: sexual relationship with older people, involvement with multiple partners, unstable relationship, pornography, sex in exchange of money. Factors contributing to these behaviours include: limited sexuality education, parents not teaching about sexuality education, lack of good role models, poverty, and fear to disclose problems to teachers, ostentatious lifestyles, peer pressure, and myths about sex. Suggestions put forth for preventing involving risky sexual behaviours include: appropriate school programmes, good learner-teacher relationship, effective communication with parents, strengthening of the learning content of Life Orientation, discipline at home, good friends, closing down of illegal taverns, illegalising sex with young boys and girls and restricting access to pornography on the internet. In conclusion, I suggest that the problem be addressed ecosystematically. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)