COLLECTIVE ACTION FOR RELATIONSHIPS AND SEXUALITY EDUCATION (RSE)

Research Snapshot

Parents are not a barrier to the delivery of RSE in schools

 

Did you know that a lot of research is currently underway to examine parental attitudes towards  school-based relationships and sexuality education?

 

A team from Western Sydney University recently conducted a nationwide survey of Australian parents (n=2,093) who currently have a child in a government school. As part of the Gender and Sexuality Diversity in Schools project, their work has shown that more than 80% of parents support the inclusion of relationships and sexual health education in primary and secondary government schools that is inclusive of gender and sexuality diversity.

 

Please check out their website to learn more about this fabulous work. You can also view their extensive list of publications (including state-based snapshots), media and public commentary.

Check out the website

Spotlight on the ACT

A new group was recently formed in the Australian Capital Territory, to collectively advocate for comprehensive RSE throughout the state. We encourage you to visit the Relationships and Sexuality Education Alliance (R&SEA) website and learn more about their work. You might even like to register as an affiliate or organisational member.

 

R&SEA also have all the socials covered: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

Visit the R&SEA website

Reading Corner

You may be interested in reading this recently published report from England. The research was conducted before the new statutory guidance regarding school-based delivery of RSE came into effect. Based on interviews with nearly 7,000 school students, this report provides compelling evidence for the importance of comprehensive RSE.

 

Key findings include:

  • Young people who did not receive any RSE in schools were more likely to go on take more sexual risks, including intercourse before the legal age of consent, unprotected sex and contraction of a sexually transmitted infection.
  • Young people whose parents identified as non-religious were more likely to say they learnt about sexual matters from family members. Those from religious backgrounds were more likely to rely on different sources of information.
  • Nearly 1 in 5 young people described the RSE received in school as 'not at all useful'.
  • Young people of minority sexual orientations (i.e. gay, lesbian, bisexual or other), those with disabilities, and those who participated in other risky behaviours were significantly more likely to say that their school RSE was 'not at all useful'.
 
Read the report here

New Resources

 

Our Rainbow Lives is a wonderfully inclusive resource that provides an introduction to LGBTIQA+ identity, experiences, sexuality, gender and bodies for people with intellectual disability and their supporters.

 
Check it out
 

Including Intersex is designed to support schools to be more informed about intersex topics and relevant content. It provides relevant background information, summarises current research, explores educational barriers and highlights ways in which existing approaches can be reframed to facilitate a more inclusive and effective learning environment for intersex students.

 
Check it out

If you would like to share an update regarding your work to support or deliver relationships and sexuality education throughout Australia, please get in touch.

So who is Bloom-ED? We are a collective of teachers, researchers, sexologists, students, parents and activists who operate as an alliance - in conjunction with other organisations - to advocate for comprehensive RSE. Learn more about our hopes for RSE here. At the current time our focus is on improving RSE delivery in Australia, but watch this space...

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