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Social Justice Sex Education

Social Justice and Sex Education: Are They Related? What is social justice anyway? Merriam-Webster defines social justice as “a state or doctrine of egalitarianism.”[1] Wikipedia defines social justice as “a concept of fair and just relations between the individual and society. This is measured by the explicit and tacit terms for the distribution of wealth, opportunities for personal activity, and social privileges.”[2] Social justice asserts that all people deserve and should have access to the same rights and resources, no matter who they are. The challenge is how to achieve…

Welcoming New Year 2019

Welcoming New Year 2019 No, I don’t make New Year resolutions. However, I’m a big fan of looking back to find the lessons learned and celebrate the accomplishments. I’m also a believer in setting intentions for the new year. Ready? Here are some highlights. Celebrating 2018 People often ask me how I’m enjoying retirement since I left my “day job” a couple years ago. Well, I simply laugh and say, “I’m anything but retired.” Instead, I’m re-fired! During 2018, I…

Baby, It’s Cold Outside Discussions Heated

Baby, It’s Cold Outside… But Discussions Are Getting Heated! A favorite part of the winter holiday season is hearing the annual sounds of beloved Christmas songs and other holiday melodies. This year, a new sound has emerged: discussions about Baby, It’s Cold Outside and whether it deserves to remain on the holiday playlist. Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard people objecting to the song because it promotes rape culture, sexism, and patriarchy. Others object to the objections by…

Federal Funding Changes Impact Sex Education

Federal Funding Changes Impact Sex Education Since its inception, the federal government has had an interest in funding the prevention of issues that negatively impact public health. Two of these issues have been teen pregnancy and HIV infection among youth. These two issues are connected to sex education since both are the result of unprotected sexual activity. In addition, evidence-based comprehensive sex education has been proven to result in these outcomes, which lead to lower rates of teen pregnancy and…

Sexual Development in Late Childhood: What to Expect?

Sexual Development in Late Childhood: What to Expect? As the school year starts to become more routine than new, children begin feeling more confident and comfortable in their surroundings. Peer relationships develop, and signs of mild or overt sexual behavior may appear. Children in late childhood – 9 to 12 years old – sometimes begin to hide sexual behavior from their families. At this stage, children have learned that some words and behaviors aren’t socially acceptable or welcomed by their families,…

Constellation: Sex, Eating Disorders, Substance Use Disorders

Look at the Constellation! Sex, Eating Disorders, and Substance Use Disorders If you want to break multiple taboos, start talking about sex and drugs! Then, toss in the subject of eating disorders for some extra shock value. As a person who has worked as a Certified Prevention Consultant and sex educator for many years, I am used to raising controversial subjects. The most common reactions I get—once people get over the initial shock—is relief and story-telling. People want to talk…

Healthy Sexual Development for Middle to Late Childhood: What’s Normal?

Healthy Sexual Development for Middle to Late Childhood: What’s Normal? Children are natural researchers, always observing the world around them. As they watch the behaviors of kids their age and the adults in their lives, healthy sexual development happens. Childhood curiosity about gender roles, body parts, and behaviors lead to voluntary exploration between children of similar age, size, and development. In fact, between 40 and 85 percent of children will engage in some form of sexual behavior by age 13.…

3 Ways to Start the School Year Right

3 Ways to Start the School Year Right School is right around the corner, and many 9- to 12- year-olds are anxiously preparing to head back for a fresh year of learning and socializing. While some may be excited at the idea of school, other kids may be feeling nervous or unsure. From a parent’s perspective, you may be experiencing the same thing! As school begins, now’s the time to have those important conversations that prepare both you and…

Ages & Stages of Healthy Childhood Sexual Development

Ages & Stages of Healthy Childhood Sexual Development How does a parent, caregiver, or educator know what is healthy and typical for children related to sexual behavior? What are typical childhood curiosity-related activities, and what are warning signs of abuse or trauma? What do children need to learn to develop into sexually healthy adults, and at what ages do we teach them? These are some of the questions that caring adults grapple with as they seek to guide children…

Happy Spring! Alias Dress Code Season Part 3: The Solutions

Dress Code Season Part 3: The Solutions If you’re just tuning in, this is the final blog of a three-part series. Dress Code Season Part 1 introduced dress codes and explained why more schools are adopting them. Part 2 described several of the problems associated with dress codes, and this blog, Part 3, will identify action-oriented dress code solutions to those problems. It’s easy to list a litany of reasons why school dress codes don’t work for everyone; the challenge…