In the past few weeks, I've facilitated training and discussion about positive youth development, and I've been thinking a lot about it. There are many similarities between the goals of positive youth development and those of high quality, fact-based sexuality education. I am a big fan of the keys to healthy youth development identified by Gisela Konopka , the "mother of social work," who provided leadership in and made huge contributions to the field of youth development. I'd recommend looking into Konopka's life and work, it is really extraordinary. (I will give you a fun fact to get you interested: May 24th is Gisela Konopka Day in Minnesota.) Konopka's (1973) requirements for healthy youth development include:
- Participate as citizens, as members of a household, as workers, as responsible members of society
- Gain experience in decision-making
- Interact with peers, and acquire a sense of belonging
- Reflect on self, in relation to others and discover self by looking outward as well as inward
- Discuss conflicting values and formulate one's own value system
- Experiment with one's own identity, with relationships to other people, with ideas; try out various roles without having to commit oneself irrevocably
- Develop a feeling of accountability in the context of a relationship among equals
- Cultivate a capacity to enjoy life
Sexuality education should provide opportunities for all of these things. We always try to provide opportunities for skills practice around communication skills, decision-making, and values clarification. It's also about young people interacting with their peers, reflecting on their self, developing empathy for others, and reflecting on norms. I think one of the most important things we can do as sexuality educators is to show that there are nonjudgmental, open people out there who are willing to talk about what is often deeply personal and unfortunately uncomfortable. That is a key way to get at the last thing on the list, cultivating a capacity to enjoy life. For so many people, especially young people, sexuality is only framed as negative and risky. Obviously, it is important to understand safer sex practices, but it is also important to develop a healthy understanding of one's self and body especially in the context of culture and relationships. And, it's important for us, as educators, to remember that sexuality is about so much more than prevention. More on this in the future!
Konopka, G. Requirements for the Healthy Development of Adolescent Youth in Adolescence, VIII, 31, Fall, 1973.