The design, implementation and evaluation of a sexuality education program for parents

Most parents say they would like to be the primary sex educators of their children, but research indicates a tremendous gap between this expressed desire and actual provision of sex education in the home. One reason for this gap is undoubtedly the lack of honest sex education received by parents as they were growing up.

The central purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an investigator-designed and taught program of sexuality education for parents on sexual knowledge, sexual attitudes, sense of preparedness, sense of comfort in sexual discussion, and frequency of sexual communication with children aged 3-10.

The study utilized the quasi-experimental Nonequivalent Control Group Design, with neither random selection nor random assignment of participants possible due to difficulty in recruiting enough interested parents. The main criterion for parental eligibility for the study was that he/she have at least one child between the ages of three and ten living at home. The final sample consisted of 17 treatment parents (ten female and seven males, including six couples) and 11 control parents (eight females and three males, including three couples). The sample could be characterized as mainly white, middle-class, and very well educated.

Analysis of covariance indicated: (a) postprogram group differences for the attitude subscales related to sexual myths and masturbation, with the treatment group scoring in the direction of greater sexual tolerance on these scales, and (b) the treatment group's postprogram sense of preparedness for doing home sex education was significantly higher than was that of the control group. If was concluded that these differences were due to the treatment program.

Feedback from parents about the treatment program indicated the desire on the part of some participants for more specific course emphasis on adult-child sexual communication and a strongly positive reaction to the group process and to the instructor.