Sexual Education the Age Group Term Paper

470).

The Age Group for Which Curriculum is Being Developed

Other parents' organizations and experts urge parents and schools to talk to children at least by the age of 10 about sex, even though they squirm. Young children today have a great need for sex education. The influence of the internet and television creates false rumors and sex gossip among children this age. Sexual predators look for ignorance when they are looking for a child to abuse, so knowledge and a vocabulary to match are important. Experts claim "this is the most crucial time to talk" (Hickley, p. 34).

It is important for children to learn about sex from teachers at school, as most parents are not well educated in this area and are usually hesitant to discuss such things with their children. Courses for preadolescents should be taught by teachers familiar with the subject who are able to couch the discussion in terms with which children are familiar, using a layman's vocabulary, but correct sexual terminology. Girls need to know about menstruation, its physical manifestation and why it happens, as most girls will begin menstruating between the ages of 8 and 14. They also need to know what to do when it first happens and the various sanitary products that can be used for menstruation. Boys need to know about ejaculation and how hormones will affect their bodies as they enter puberty. Both boys and girls should become aware, at least technically, of how babies are created and grow inside the woman: the culmination as well as the act which begins the process.

Information emphasized:

Girls and boys this age need to know about breast development in girls and weight gain or loss in both