Preference for different sexual education strategies among young adults depending on their attitude towards childhood sexuality and their experience

This study aimed to assess the relation between the preferred strategy of sexuality education, attitude towards child sexuality, and one’s own childhood experience of parental sexuality education among young adults’ living in the Russian Federation. The present study consisted of two stages. Qualitative data were obtained through in-depth interviews from 30 young women in the preliminary stage of the study. These data were processed using content analysis and transformed into a questionnaire measuring perceptions of sexuality education strategies and person’s attitude towards child sexuality. In the main study quantitative methods were used, questionnaires, several retrospective questions, and methods of mathematical statistics. The main sample included 438 people (317 women and 151 men) aged 20-35 years old. Concepts of sexuality education were divided into three types which were called sex education strategies: conservative, liberal and general plans for sexuality education. It was shown that these strategies are directly related to the attitudes towards childhood sexuality (MANOVA, p =,000) but not to participants’ experience with their parents. Namely acceptance of child sexuality was a factor in the preferences of the liberal strategy, more sophisticated plans for sexuality education, and less expression of a conservative strategy. Identified strategies were linked with the types of sexuality education, described by Kirby (D. Kirby, 2007): Conservative strategy - with abstinence only programs, liberal strategy and developed plans - with comprehensive programs of sexuality education. In view of the fact that comprehensive sexuality education was found to be more effective, paper offers a recommendation to create training for parent and professionals working with children. This training should aim at increasing acceptance of child sexuality which in turn will give the adults chance to later change their preferences for sexuality education strategy which is more beneficial for their children.