The good and bad about sex education for children

By Thanmaya Prakash

Is sex ed for children necessary? Picture credits: Thanmaya Prakash

The topic of sex education for children is contested in Indian society among educationists, psychologists, sex experts, and parents. While a few of them agree that sex education is important for the overall development of the child, few of them argue that it might ‘corrupt’ the young minds.

“Isn’t it ironic that despite India being the second highest populated country, sex is still considered a taboo? The term sex education is just restricted to sexual intercourse, which is not true. Sex education is a comprehensive process of creating a healthy atmosphere for kids by informing them about sexual intimacy, identity, and consent. It is very important to create awareness in kids,” said Dr. Lohith, a sexologist.

Contrary to this, Muniswamy K. S., consultant clinical psychologist, said, ‘Kids don’t have to be informed about anything. Neither our grandparents nor generations before that were taught sex education. Hence, it’s not advisable to inform children about what sex is and instigate their inquisitive minds until they bring up the topic on their own.

“There is a sharp rise in POCSO cases, and even infants are being sexually abused these days. Hence it is necessary to create awareness about sex education. From the initial years, we need to teach children about good touch and bad touch”, said Lohith. He further said that sex education must be included in the school curriculum and taught through drawings, cartoons, and illustrations. Parents and teachers must create an approachable environment for children to at least make sure that children reach out to them if there’s an issue.

Dr. Muniswamy said, “Teaching about good touch, bad touch, and boundaries is necessary. Teaching about the physiology of the body is needed, but not about the recreational activity. As the brain is functioned to urge pleasure and pleasantness, once children are taught about recreational activities, they urge for it as they do not understand the consequences. Hence it is better to refrain from including sex education in the school curriculum as it might sharpen their curiosity and increase their sexual tension and fantasies. He further said that the issue must not be hyper-sensitized as the intention to information might become the reason for hyper-curiosity amongst children.

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