Student Voice in School-Based and SNS-Delivered Sex Education
Abstract
The outcomes of risky sexual behaviors among adolescents is an acute public health problem in Indiana. State STI rates are second highest among the 13-19 age group, new HIV infections for this group are on the rise and Indiana has the 17th highest teen birth rate in the nation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2018; Indiana State Department of Health [ISDH], 2015; ISDH, 2013; ISDH, 2018). In addition to risky sexual behavior, dating violence and sexual assault are significant problems for Indiana teenagers (CDC, 2016; The Indiana Youth Institute, 2017). In the hopes of mitigating these problems more effective approaches are needed to help adolescents make healthy decisions in all aspects impacting their sexual well-being. School-based health education has been found to be a cost-effective approach that can help teens adopt healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors. Although student input can help develop effective sexual health curriculum, student voice is not well-documented in sex education curriculum development and implementation. The primary goal of this dissertation was to fill this gap by exploring high school students’ preferences for their ideal school-based sex education curriculum. Specifically, the aims of this dissertation investigated 1) students’ opinions about their current sex education 2) students’ recommendations for content and instruction preferences in their ideal sex education curriculum and 3) the manner in which pertinent sex education content can be disseminated via social media. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect the opinions and beliefs of Indiana high school students ages 14-18. Findings revealed that participants in this study wanted school-based sex education that included information and instruction that was 1) relevant-timely and applicable to students’ current lived experiences, 2) relatable-made a personal connection with students and 3) reliable-medically sound information that was inclusive of a variety of sexual activities and sexual orientations. In addition, results showed that adolescents were in favor of receiving sex education from the SNS of LHDs, but they knew very little about their LHDs and their SNS accounts. Therefore, participants suggested that LHDs 1) inform intended audiences about products by building offline connections 2) use promotions to create greater brand awareness 3) emphasize price during giveaways and publicize free services and 4) use the right people to motivate others to follow accounts. Henceforth, this study suggests that the student voice could be a tool to develop sex education and health promotion strategies that resonates with adolescents.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Feinberg, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Behavioral psychology|Criminology|Psychology|Public health|Sexuality|Web Studies
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