Empowering today's youth: how sexual health and relationship education should be constructed

Modern technology has allowed young people to have their values and knowledge heavily influenced by the media they consume. I first watched Netflix’s Sex Education (2019) at 15-years-old, and consequently a large part of my knowledge came from that series. But is that necessarily a bad thing? Despite constant debates on how misinformation permeates media, and the dramatization of television, I believe that there is a substantial amount this series got right. From proving the benefits of implementing more progressive sexuality and gender education in schools to positively representing a range of educative content that caters directly towards young people’s needs, this show demonstrates how and why modern society should embrace these environments for today’s youth (Allen 2024).

Young people tend to “rely on informal sources of information about sex, sexuality and gender identities” such as film, television and pornography, which often leads to misinformed depictions of relationships and sexual expression, whilst promoting gender-based violence (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024, p. 52). Various research concludes that Sex Education (2019) open-mindedly portrays culturally diverse sexual issues, providing information that many young people lack extensive access to (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024). The show’s themes are useful in understanding how real-world sex education can operate, providing a foundation for how schools can implement progressive components. Allen (2024, p. 408) discusses framing school content as “[encouraging] informed decision making”, rather than imposing predetermined decisions. A core component in constructing this education involves discussing “positive and healthy sex and relationships”, not just the “potential risks [and] negative outcomes associated with sexual activity (Allen 2024, p. 408).

Heavily regarded for not only normalising youth sexuality but embracing it, the show’s setting allows for an interrogation of “the policing of sex and gender norms in schools” (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024, p. 54). Allen (2024) demonstrates that students desire for sexual education to be discussed less as problematic, and more as a normal part of life – because it is. Through destigmatising sexuality, valuable environments are fostered, immensely benefiting students. Rather than young people’s sexuality being a “problem to be managed”, open and non-judgemental discussions are key in effectively conveying important messages (Allen 2024, p. 405). Additionally, the show treats students as “mature and knowledgeable”, something that schools “do not typically acknowledge”; this supports the idea that adults need to acknowledge the autonomy young people have over their bodies and accept them “legitimately and positively as sexual subjects” (Allen 2024, p. 406).

When compared to traditional “formal” curriculums, Sex Education (2019) discusses a broader range of topics, enabling taboo-busting conversations” (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024, p. 56). Schools tend to focus on the biological factors and risks of sexual activity, however, exploring individual and relationship identities can account for necessary knowledge. Factors that have been identified as missing from school curriculums that were effectively portrayed in Sex Education include: the communication of consent and boundaries, developing healthy relationships, and understanding emotions and agency (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024). It is highly agreed that schools should provide more substantial information and time on LGBTQIA+ identity and sexual relationships, alongside discovering personal identity (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024). The importance of schools’ sexual education lays not only in effective promotion of responsible sexual behaviours, but in communicating the values of “inclusivity, respect, honesty and acceptance” (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024, p. 61).

Throughout the show, conflict occurs between students and teachers in how sexual education should be structured, and ultimately it becomes the students who “emerge as responsible, mature and aware of their information needs” (Mhórdha & Stępień 2024, p. 61). The acknowledgement of young people’s agency is a core component of the show, one of which portrays an environment that today’s youth desire. This research emphasises the need for comprehensive and diverse sexual education in schools, highlighting the importance of overcoming social barriers and restrictions.

References

Allen, L 2023, ‘What can the Netflix series Sex Education teach school-based sexuality

education?’, American Journal of Sexuality Education, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 398-416.

Mhórdha, M N & Stępień, A 2024, ‘Sex education on screen: Power, pleasure and moral

panics’, Alizés: Revue angliciste de La Réunion, no. 44, pp. 51-66.

Sex Education 2019, television program, Netflix, America.