Report from the Youth Forum

The consumers point of view

With the participation of students from Hungary, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland

Chair : Olga Loeber (Netherlands) and Ulla Ollendorf (Norway)

This active workshop started with the introduction of the forum and then several topics concerning sex education were discussed with the forum and the participants.

The take home messages from the forum can be summarized as follows:

1. Sex education should be continuous and start at an early age (preschool). At this stage it should be done by parents and include information about physical differences between boys and girls and behavioural aspects like equal rights between boys and girls.
2. Later at school age sex education should: a- contain knowledge about fertility, body development, facts about contraception and prevention of unwanted consequences. This part should be standardized, checked and updated to enhance quality and could well be provided by school teachers. b- deal with behaviour and communica- tion, homosexuality, the development of sexual behaviour in life etc. This part could be provided by specialized trainers or peer educators
3. The taboo concerning talking about sexuality by parents and teachers should be reduced.
4. The method ‘Nine Steps of Sexuality’ seems a good method of dealing with sex education.
5. Sexuality has dark sides in all of us. These should also be addressed. Protection against coercion and other unwanted behaviour could be done by enhancing self respect and self esteem.
6. The main focus of sex education should be on the positive sides of sex.
7. Boys should be taught what girls think and vice versa.