Social Action: An Action Plan to Improve Sexual Education in Boston

Introduction

This paper is based on a project is purpose to carry out in the state of Boston. It is a community based projected targeting to ensure increased sex education awareness in the state. It will involve carrying out campaigns amongst the young people. Additionally, the campaigns will be driven by the success therefore; the success of the project is mainly based on Mizhra and Rosenthal 4 C’s application including connection, credibility, contribution and communication.

Additionally, it is a requirement that we work with the Boston community to ensure a successful project.

• The potential effectiveness of the plan

As an efficient sex in Boston proponent, I have designed an action plan that is tailor made to address the issue of effective sex education in the community of Boston. This will be carried out by carrying out public awareness campaigns on the issue with the state of Boston. Even so, for the campaign to realize the desired goal, it is my request that we generate support from the state’s senator.

In carrying out sex education awareness campaigns in Boston community and in schools as a whole, we will also help in solving the issue of sex education by a great deal

• What I aim to accomplish through the project

My project is tailor made to generate attention to the current issue of sexual education in the state of Boston. There has been moral alarm in the state on youth sexually affairs (Campos, 2012). Tutors and guardians are agitated at the rate at which children are learning about sex. Both guardians and teachers are morally concerned.

Cohen describes moral panic as: A condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests; its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by the mass media; the moral barricades are manned by editors, bishops, politicians and other right-thinking people…(Cohen, 1980).

Therefore, the ongoing panic amongst tutors and parents is a threat and this paper, aims at eliminating the panic from our community.

• Trends in my project

The modern world is changing at a lightning speed. The youths are learning things that at their age, they should not be aware of (Kitty, 2006). Social media on the other hand has made it impossible for guardians to learn of the behaviors of the children when away from home.

The law what’s more, has made it even harder for guardians to discipline their children efficiently by prohibiting the punishment. The youths are today, more independent minded compared to any other time. This habit therefore is major concern to many youth affairs experts, guardians and education experts at the same time.

As days go by, the issue becomes even more complex to address. Despite the changes however, my primary action on addressing the issue remains the same. Even though I hope that as the semester goes on, I will acquire more knowledge and be in a better position to design more effective solutions to address the issue.

• Relevant readings

From my research study and readings, it is clear that tutors only focus on biological aspect of sexual education. Schools presently cannot manage quality education on sex. Stein (2007) maintains that there is need to device advocacy strategies in the case where lawmakers are involved.

Sexuality education introduction in Boston schools was anticipated to reduce the risks associated with sex at a tender age. This will be realized by ensuring people have the right details on how to protect their sexuality. Even so, research studies still indicate that sexual education on its own cannot be enough to ensure that young people make the right decisions in regards to sexual autonomy and safety (Cornog & Perper, 2006).

If youth sexuality today was to be compared to that of the past 50 years, we would note with ease that things have really changed. It is clear that risks that come with youth sexuality are not necessarily witnessed in the same way by young people because of gender, class, sexuality and race inequality that shape the experiences of young people on sex and sexual health (Anastasia, 2007).

The youth today are engaging in sexual intercourse at a tender age compared to what their parents were doing when they were their age. The bitter truth is that with the current situation, the youths are more eager to experiment sexually and more specifically with many sexual partners without keeping in mind the consequences.

According to a recent study, the average age for first sexual intercourse for people who are now 50 and 59 years is 18 (Anastasia, 2007). For those that were born between 1981 and 1986, their first sexual intercourse occurred at the age of 16 years and this is considered a sexual consent legal age. This age has however been over the past years dropping because of many reasons.

The number of youths who are attracted to same sex has also increased over the past years. According to Anastasia, 1 in 20 young people today are sexually attracted to same sex. Even so, sexual awareness comes with its benefits. For example, the number of young people using condoms or other contraceptives has risen from 17 percent men and 34.6 percent women in the 1950s to the present 90.2 percent men and 94.8percent women, who engaged in sex for the first time in 200s.

The rate of teenage pregnancy has also decreased tremendously in many developed countries (Anastasia, 2007). Even so, the number of young people aged 20 and 24 years suffering from Chlamydia has increased. One thing that has been constant over the past years is however moral dread on youth sexual habits and sex.

There are many campaigns that have been designed to help encourage parents to talk to their kids on sex risks. Even so, moral dread and fear has deterred many guardians from openly talking about the issue with their children. In our state, there are divided views on the idealness of delivering sexuality education to the youths and the risks of encouraging them to ensure safe sex (Anastasia, 2007).

A recent research carried out in Boston also aimed at the main causes of moral dread. Lack of sufficient information in essence on how sex matters can be handled was identified as one of the main reasons behind early sexual encounters. For example, one of the girls interviewed reiterated that if institutions were focused on girl education and more specifically on how to say NO when coerced into sex, many early pregnancies would be prevented.

Sexual education in schools furthermore focuses more on biological features. This does not help the young individuals to negotiate for safe sex as well as consensual encounters. The educators should therefore focus more on deeper information and social aspect discussions on sexual consent and negotiation. Despite the fact that schools are required to teach about sex, they are not entirely responsible for the same (Kitty, 2006).

Sex education should be seen a community based issue. Institutions do not have the essential resources and experts to include a comprehensive sex education course in their curriculum.

• A reflection on my own processes

A social worker’s purpose according to the Code of Ethics (1999) of social workers, main purpose is to enhance services to others above self-interest. I am expected to utilize my skills, time, values and knowledge to help individuals who are in need. Besides, my job is voluntary. I do not expect any financial benefit from my advocacy. I also wish to bring about social change on Boston state more specifically on behalf of vulnerable individuals (Brown, Gewirtz, & Kaplan, 2006).

Additionally, I would love to ensure that the youth get engaged in decisions being made on their behalf. I have tried to my best ability to organize youth forums and discussions on sexual issues more openly. Even so, I have realized that my personal strength is not enough. The process calls for entire community participation as well as the state for the forum to be successful.

• My plan of action

My project entails creating small youth groups in different states in our region. These groups of youths will be engaged in different activities that are of benefit to them and to the community at large. The groups will be based on a mutual respect strong foundation and accommodation.

Additionally, the group will include youths from different ethnic backgrounds, cultures and religious affiliations (Hoefer, 2012). Sexual education is additionally not to be forgotten in addressing every group meeting. Once these people have been educated on sex issues, we will also use advocates to reach out to the remaining group. It is additionally my belief that using the youths to educate their age mates will be more effective and an ideal approach to addressing the issue.

In conclusion, it is imperative to note that we should not put more than the required emphasis on youth engaging in sex as a danger or panic while forgetting that they should grow a healthy and positive sexual personality. The most ideal thing to do is to acknowledge youth sexuality and we should also realize their growth as sexual agents. This is a significant step in supporting their ability to negotiate for consensual and harmless sex.

Education on sexuality is also the best way to engage youths in informative forums on real life complexities associated with safer sexual decision making processes and sexual activities that are consensual. As a social worker, I foresee a community that offers equal access to quality information and education to the young people on sexual issues. This would help address many issues that the American society is facing. As the state of Boston, we can be a good example for other states on how much we care about our young generation.

 

 

 

References

Anastasia, P. (2007) Youth at ‘risk’? Young people sexual health and content. Youth Studies

Oxford: Oxford Press 26(4) 22-26 2007

Brown, M., Gewirtz, R., & Kaplan, B. (2006).What every social worker needs to know about

advocacy. Retrieved from http://www.naswma.org/associations/8381/files/FCE_advocacy.pdf

Campos, D. (2012). Sex, youth, and sex education a reference handbook. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.

Cohen, S. (1980). Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and the Rockers.

New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1980.

Cornog, M., & Perper, T. (2006). For sex education, see librarian: a guide to issues and resources (1. publ ed.). Westport, Conn. [u.a.: Greenwood Press.

Hoefer, R. (2012). Chapter 2: Social justice and advocacy practice. In Advocacy practice for

social justice (pp. 20-35). Chicago, IL: Lyceum Books.

Kitty R. (2006) Youth at risk: further marginalizing the marginalized? Journal of education

policy University of technology Sydney 21(2) 129-145.

National Association of Social Workers. (1996). Code of Ethics. Retrieved from

http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/default.asp

Stein, M. (2012) Chapter 1: The many questions this book answers: Will lawmakers really

listen? In Make your voice matter with lawmakers: No experience necessary (pp. 11-14). Boston, MA: Another Look.