Attitudes toward Sex Education and Values in Sex Education

Author(s): Joan C. Marsman and Edward S. Herold

Source: Family Relations, Vol. 35, No. 3 (Jul., 1986), pp. 357-361
Published by: National Council on Family Relations
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/584361
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Attitudes Toward Sex Education
and Values in Sex Education
JOAN C. MARSMANAND EDWARDS. HEROLD*
This survey of 130 mothers of school children in grades 6, 9 and 12 in a school
district in Ontario,Canada, found that most supported the teaching of sex education
but were divided about which values should be taught. Whereas more than half disap-
proved of premarital sex, only one-third believed that an important objective of sex
education should be to discourage premaritalsex. Nevertheless, the strongest vari-
able related both to attitudes toward the teaching of sex education and values in sex
education was that of premaritalsexual attitudes. Churchattendance was not related
to support for sex education but was related to the teaching of conservative values.
These results clearly indicate the necessity for educators to be aware not only of
whether parents support sex education but also of the values which they want to
have presented.

Until the 1960's there were virtuallyno organ-
ized sex education programs in Canada. In
those few cases where sex was discussed, lit-
tle or no information was given other than
vague references to the avoidance of tempta-
tion. However, beginning in the late 1960's, in
response to the increased sexual activity
among young people and the accompanying in-
crease in unplanned pregnancies, health pro-
fessionals, educators, social workers and
parents cooperated to develop sex education
programs (Herold, 1984).
During the 1970's some of the provinces
developed policies and guidelines for the
teaching of sex education. Although the im-
plementation of sex education programs was
left to individualschool boards, the fact of hav-
ing provincialapproval facilitated school board
involvement in these programs.
A 1984 survey of Canadian school superin-
tendents by the Planned Parenthood Federa-
tion of Canada found that 50% offered a family
life education program (Nolte, 1984). Whereas
87% of urban districts had a program, only
*Joan C. Marsmanis a counsellor at Humwood House in
Toronto, Ontario,Canada. EdwardS. Herold is Associate Pro-
fessor, Department of Family Studies, University of Guelph,
Guelph, Ontario,Canada, NlG 2W1. Reprint requests should
be sent to EdwardS. Herold.
Key Words:attitudes, sex education, values.
(FamilyRelations, 1986, 35, 357-361.)
25% of rural districts provided family life
education. Of 125 family life coordinators sur-
veyed, only 260% indicated their school board
had a policy statement on family life education.
Coordinators stressed the necessity of obtain-
ing school board commitment to the program
in order to push reluctant administrators to act
and provide the needed resources and training
for the teachers to do a good job. Only one-half
of teachers surveyed indicated that they had
taken courses to prepare them for teaching
family life education. Few teachers reported
having experienced any opposition to their pro-
grams and most indicated that parents pro-
vided overwhelming support.
Surveys of adults in the United States in-
dicate that the vast majority approve of the
teaching of sex education in the public schools
(Alexander, 1984; Gallup Poll, 1978). Similar
support has been reported in studies of Cana-
dian adults (Nolte, 1984; Livingstone & Hart,
1979).
However, while there is almost universal
support for sex education, there are con-
siderable differences in opinion regarding the
nature and content of these programs. Alex-
ander (1984) found that there was less support
for school discussion of topics such as
masturbation and intercourse than for other
topics. Earlier, Libby (1970) had found that
while the majority of parents approved of a
wide range of topics, liberal parents were ap-
proving of a significantly greater number of
tronics

July 1986 FAMILY RELATIONS 357

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 One belief of some opponents of sex educa-
tion is that sex education promotes promiscui-
ty. The research evidence clearly does not sup-
port this belief. Instead, research has shown
that sex education does not increase pre-
marital sex but may increase the more respon-
sible use of contraception among young peo-
ple who are sexually active. For example,
Zelnik and Kim (1982), in studying a large ran-
dom sample of American teenagers found that
those with sex education were no more likely
than those who had no sex education to
engage in premarital intercourse. However,
those whose sex education included birth con-
trol education were less likely to become preg-
nant because they were using contraception.
Research has suggested certain key factors
as distinguishing supporters from opponents
of sex education. These include: educational
attainment, church attendance, attitudes
toward premaritalsex, and age of the child.
Roberts, Kline and Gagnon (1978) found that
compared to parents with less formal educa-
tion, college educated parents, and especially
the mothers, had less traditional attitudes
towards many sexual topics. Frequency of
church attendance has also been associated
with sex education attitudes, as researchers
have found increased church attendance to be
associated with lower liberalism scores (Libby,
1970; Roberts et al., 1978). Mahoney (1979)
found that adherence to traditional premarital
sexual norms was an important factor distin-
guishing pro- and anti-sex education individu-
als. Subjects who felt that sex education
threatened the traditional sex role norms and
sexual values which they felt were important
were more likely to oppose sex education.
The child's age has been significantly
related to parental sexual attitudes. Roberts et
al. (1978)found that older parents reported less
liberal attitudes toward sexuality than younger
parents. They suggested two reasons for this
finding. It is possible that this difference in at-
titudes may represent a real difference be-
tween age groups or parental attitudes may be
influenced by the presence of older children in
the family. Older parents with older children
may be more aware of their child's potential for
engaging in sexual activities and this may ac-
count for more conservative attitudes. Libby
(1970) supported this second assumption with
his finding that parents of preadolescent chil-
dren were more accepting of sex education in
schools than parents of adolescent children.
Roberts et al. (1978) suggested that the pat-
terns of communication about sexuality estab-
lished during parents' own childhoods are
often carried over into the discussions these
parents establish with their own children.
Parents who reported frequent discussions
about sexuality while they were growing up
were more likely to discuss more sexual topics
more easily with their child and were also more
358 FAMILY RELATIONS
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likely to initiate discussions about these
topics. While researchers have examined the
relationship between one's own sex education
and the provision of sex education in the fami-
ly, they have not analyzed how one's own sex
education might be related to support of sex
education in the schools.
Most research into parental attitudes about
sex education has focused on whether or not
they support sex education. However, this ap-
proach has ignored the crux of the debate over
sex education which is the issue of which
values should be taught. The first objective of
this study was to differentiate attitudes toward
the support of sex education from attitudes
toward values in sex education and to deter-
mine whether or not the same factors are
related to both sets of attitudes.
Another aspect of sex education which has
received attention in recent years is the need
to provide sex education courses for parents to
help them discuss sexuality with their children.
Alexander (1984) found that the majority of
parents indicated they would take such
classes if the schools offered them.
In a study of 150 intact families from the
greater New York area, Welbourne (1977) in-
vestigated parental sexual knowledge and at-
titudes and how frequently parents were cited
as sources of information and discussion with
their early adolescent children. The adoles-
cents ranged from 12 to 14 years of age.
Parents were most likely to be identified as in-
itial sources of sex information, particularly
about topics concerned with reproduction. For
all adolescents the most frequent source of
sexual information was the school. The most
frequently cited parental source, particularly
for daughters, was the mother. Fathers were
rarely cited. Adolescents were also asked to
rate their parents on a scale ranging from un-
satisfactory to highly satisfactory as sources
of sex information. Adolescents' ratings of
their mothers were mostly in the low satis-
factory range. Ratings of fathers were very un-
satisfactory. The data showed that those
parents with the most accepting sexual at-
titudes as measured by The Sex Knowledge
and Attitude Test were likely to be rated highly.
Kirby, Peterson and Brown (1982) described
a joint parent-child sex education program of-
fered by a Family Guidance Centre in Missouri.
Evaluation of the course demonstrated that
parents wanted to be involved in the sex educa-
tion of their children and welcomed the oppor-
tunity to participate in a parent-child sexuality
program. The sessions taught both parents
and children facts and skills to enable in-
creased communication about sexuality.
Parents were able to continue communicating
with their children about sexual issues outside
the classroom in a more comfortable and
meaningful manner.
The second research objective of the study
July 1986
was to determine if a sample of Canadian
parents were supportive of sex education pro-
grams for parents.
Methods
The study was carried out in a school district
in Southern Ontario, Canada. Four schools,
two at the elementary level and two at the sec-
ondary level, were designated by the school
board to provide the desired sample. In grant-
ing approval for this study, the school board
stipulated that the researchers could not be
given direct access to the schools' records of
parental addresses. Thus, the school secre-
taries addressed the envelopes and mailed the
questionnaires directly to the participants.
Questionnaires were mailed to 308 mothers
with students enrolled in grades 6, 9 or 12.
Sampling procedures were designed to obtain
equal numbers of subjects from each of the
grades. A simple random sampling procedure
was used to obtain a sample of mothers of
students in grades 9 and 12. The secretaries in
the high schools were instructed to use every
third name in the enrollment list with a random
selection of the first name and to continue
through the list a second time until the desired
sample size was obtained. The secretaries in
the elementary schools were instructed to mail
questionnaires to mothers of all students en-
rolled in grade 6. Included in the mailing were
stamped return envelopes. Questionnaires
were returned by 130 mothers giving a
response rate of 42%.
Characteristics of the Sample
There was a higher percentage of mothers
with children in grade 6 (39%) than in grades 9
(33%) or 12 (28%). More questionnaires were
received from mothers of female children
(58%) than from mothers of male children
(42%). It is not known whether an equal
number of questionnaires were mailed to
mothers of male and female children.
Eighty-three percent of the respondents
were between 30 and 45 years of age with the
mean age being 40 years. Almost one-half
(45%) of the respondents had received some
college or university education and 33% had
completed high school. Most of the respon-
dents (89%) were married. Less than 2% were
widowed and 9% were divorced or separated.
Most (69%) were Protestant. Only 9% were
Catholic and 14% reported no religion. Twenty-
eight percent attended church once a week or
more. One-third attended church less than

Table 1.
Attitudes of Mothers Toward Sex Education and Premarital Sex
Agree Uncertain Disagree
Item % % %
1. The school should have some responsibility for sex
education. 68.4 20.8 10.7
2. Any sex education should be limited to biological facts. 19.3 20.8 60.0
3. School should inform teens about the different methods
of birth control. 69.3 17.7 13.1
4. Sex education in school is best avoided. 2.3 6.9 90.8
5. Sex education teachers should avoid preaching
at youngsters. 76.0 10.1 14.0
6. To discourage PMI is an important objective of sex
education. 36.2 19.2 44.7
7. Teenagers are better off not to know about contra-
ception because such information will lead to sexual
experimentation. 1.6 3.9 94.6
8. The school should connect sex exclusively with marriage
and parenthood. 20.2 14.7 62.5
9. Premarital sex is acceptable for the 18-year-old male
when he is engaged to be married. 20.8 22.4 56.8
10. Premarital sex is acceptable for the 18-year-old male
when he is in love. 16.8 22.4 60.8
11. Premarital sex is not acceptable for the 18-year-old
male regardless of the situation. 37.6 18.4 44.0
12. Premarital sex is acceptable for the 18-year-old female
when she is engaged to be married. 23.2 20.8 56.0
13. Premarital sex is acceptable for the 18-year-old female
when she is in love. 18.4 20.0 61.6
14. Premarital sex is not acceptable for the 18-year-old
female regardless of the situation. 36.8 20.0 43.2
15. In general, I feel that the sex education given to me by
my parents was satisfactory. 20.2 10.9 69.0
16. As a teenager, I felt uncomfortable approaching my
parents about sex. 13.3 3.1 83.7
17. I wish my parents had talked more to me about sex. 75.2 9.3 15.6
18. As a teenager, I felt that I could talk to my parents. 17.7 11.5 70.7

July 1986 FAMILYRELATIONS 359

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 once a month and one-quarter never attended
church.
Results and Discussion
Attitudes Towardthe Presentation of
Sex Education in the Schools
As shown in Table 1, the results indicate ma-
jority support for the teaching of sex educa-
tion. The proportion agreeing that birth control
methods should be taught (69%) is the same
proportion as found by Alexander (1984). It
should be noted that the wording of the ques-
tions had a minor effect on the responses ob-
tained. Although 68% said the school should
have some responsibility for sex education,
91 % disagreed that sex education in schools is
best avoided.
Attitudes Toward Values in Sex Education
Table 1 shows that the majority of respon-
dents believed that sex education teachers
should avoid preaching at youngsters. Most
(65%) respondents did not feel the school
should connect sex exclusively with marriage
and parenthood, and almost one-half disagreed
that discouraging premarital sex was an impor-
tant objective of sex education. The findings
are very different from those of Libby's (1970)
in which the majority of parents felt the school
should connect sex exclusively with marriage
and parenthood. These divergent findings may
reflect changing attitudes toward premarital
sex and sexual morality which have occurred
since the time of Libby's study.
Almost all (95%) of the respondents dis-
agreed that knowledge of contraception would
lead to sexual experimentation. Only 19% of
the respondents in Libby's (1970) study be-
lieved this assumption. This is an important
finding in that it indicates most parents do not
accept the argument that teaching will lead to
experimentation.
Attitude TowardPremaritalIntercourse
As shown in Table 1 more than one-half of
the mothers disapproved of premarital sex for
18-year-old males and females whether the
teenagers were in love or engaged. Given the
fact that a significant minority of the mothers
either approved or were uncertain regarding
the acceptability of premarital sex, it is not sur-
prising that they differed in their opinions
regarding the role of schools in presenting
these topics.
Attitudes TowardOwn Sex Education
A majority of respondents (69%) disagreed
that the sex education given to them by their
parents was satisfactory. Only 13% of respon-
dents felt comfortable, when they were teen-
agers, approaching their parents about sex,
and three-quarters wished their parents had
talked more about sex. Only 18% felt that they
could talk to their parents about sex.
360 FAMILY RELATIONS
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Attitudes Toward a Sex Education Program
for Parents
A majority of respondents (68%) agreed that
many parents would benefit from a sex educa-
tion program for parents. Only 6% disagreed
with this statement. Forty-nine percent in-
dicated willingness to attend such a program.
Almost one-half (45%) of respondents agreed
that attending a sex education program for
parents would help them to communicate
about sex with their child. Similar support for
parental programs was found by Alexander
(1984) who reported that even a higher percent-
age (77%) would take such courses.
Factors Related to Sex Education Attitudes
A major objective of the study was to deter-
mine if variables related to the support of sex
education would also be related to values in
sex education. As indicated earlier the predic-
tor variables were: level of education, church
attendance, age of child, attitudes toward pre-
marital intercourse and one's own sex educa-
tion. Premarital intercourse attitudes were
measured by summing the premarital inter-
course items in Table 1 to form a scale. The
Alpha coefficient of reliability was .96. Atti-
tudes toward the presentation of sex educa-
tion were measured by summing responses to
the first four items in Table 1, and attitudes
toward values in sex education were measured
by summing responses to items 5 to 8 in Table
1. The respective reliability coefficients were
.75 and .45. Attitudes toward one's own sex
education were measured by summing the
responses to the last four items in Table 1. The
reliability coefficient was .74.
As shown in Table 2, the variable of attitudes
toward premarital intercourse had the highest
significant correlations with both the presenta-
tion of sex education (r = .37) and values in sex
education (r = .50). Thus respondents opposed
to premarital sex were more likely to oppose
sex education and to want conservative values
taught about sex. This finding is consistent
with Mahoney (1979) who found that one's atti-
tude toward premarital sex was a significant
factor distinguishing those who favoured from
those who opposed sex education. Mahoney
suggests that it is the extent to which sex
education is perceived to threaten traditional
premarital sex norms that it will be opposed by
those individuals who hold such values.
Church attendance was significantly corre-
lated with values in sex education but not with
whether sex education should be taught. Fre-
quent church attenders were not more or less
likely to approve of sex education but were
more likely to favour conservative values being
taught. This finding suggests that the more
religious are in favour of sex education provid-
ed that conservative values are emphasized.
Traditional religious norms discourage sexual
activity outside of the context of marriage.
July1986
 sexual attitudes. Mothers opposed to pre-
Consequently, mothers who are more religious
marital sex were the least supportive of sex
are less willing to have their children exposed
to sexual attitudes which differ from their own.
education and the most in favour of teaching
conservative values. These results clearly indi-
Education was significantly related to the
presentation of sex education but not to cate the necessity for educators to be aware
values. Mothers with higher education were not only of whether parents support sex educa-
tion but also of the values which they want to
more supportive of sex education but did not
have presented. School districts considering
differ from mothers having less education re-
the development of sex education programs
garding values in sex education. The finding of
no difference in values is puzzling in that previ-
should consider doing surveys not only to
determine support for programs, but also to
ous research has indicated that parents with
higher education have more liberal values gain insight into the approach toward values
(Roberts et al., 1978). which parents desire. Such surveys could not
only help to meet parental wishes and con-
Age of the child was not related to either of
the sex education variables. Perhaps because
cerns, but could also provide a scientific basis
for dealing with opponents of sex education
of the increased publicity given to the topics of
premarital sex and adolescent pregnancies, who claim to represent the majorityof parents.
The findings suggest that school boards and
parents of adolescents as well as parents of
administrators need to be cautious in assum-
young children are equally aware of the need
for sex education and are uncertain about ing that it is the more religious parents who op-
which values should be taught. pose sex education. In this study support for
One's own sex education was negatively cor-
sex education was not related to church atten-
related with both measures of sex education.
dance but the teaching of conservative values
Those who felt their own sex education was in-
was clearly related.
adequate were more supportive of sex educa- Although significant relationships were
tion and wanted a more liberal approach. found for the values in sex education scale,
Perhaps parents whose own education was in-researchers studying this concept in the future
adequate see more of a need for school sex are advised that further methodological
education and also are less accepting of the
development of the scale is required in order to
traditional approach to sex education whichincrease its reliability.
they probably had received. Most of the mothers believed their own sex
education had not been adequate. Thus, not
Table 2. surprisingly, they were in favour of school of-
Correlations Between Independent Variables fering sex education programs for parents.
and Attitudes Toward Sex Education in One-half indicated they would attend such a
Schools (N = 130) program. Such programs could not only help
Dependent Variables parents in better communicating with their
children about sexuality, but they could also
Presentation Values serve to strengthen parental support for sex
Independent of Sex in Sex
Variables Education Education education.
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July 1986 FAMILY RELATIONS 361

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