Abstract

PIP: The Far Right has exerted influence on sexuality education programs in public schools to use curriculum that is fear based and promotes only an abstinence technique for expression of premarital adolescent sexuality. Other abstinence programs do exist such as the Grady Memorial Hospital's Postponing Sexual Involvement that do not rely on scare tactics. A listing of programs and addresses are provided for those programs that have a goal of abstinence but do not rely on fear to teach. The account of a North Carolina school board which effectively prevented fear-based education from replacing responsible education is presented. The thrust of this article is to provide a detailed critical examination of fear-based curriculum in the following published documents: Sex Respect by Coleen Mast, Facing Reality by James Coughlin, Me and My World and My Future by LeAnna Benn, Sexuality and Commitment and Family by Steve Potter, Family Accountability in Communicating Teen Sexuality by Rose Fuller, Learning About Myself and Others by Anne Nesbit, An Alternative National Curriculum on Responsibility by Terrance Olson and Christopher Wallace, Families and Decision Making and Human Development by Terrance Olson et al., Responsible Sexual Values Program by April Thoms, The Art of Loving Well by Ronald Goldman et al., and Free Teens by Richard Panzer. The common features of the fear-based curriculum reviewed are as follows: 1) scare tactics, 2) contraceptive method information omissions, 3) exclusively negative consequences of sexual behavior images, 4) misinformation on medical issues, 5) sexual orientation omissions or distortions, 6) distortions of people with disabilities, 7) insensitivity to race or class, 8) religious bias, and 9) omissions in diversity of family structures. This review is part of a Ford Foundation grant to establish a Community Advocacy Project which documents community battles on sexuality education nationally, creating a Community Action Kit to teach citizens to counteract for Comprehensive Sexuality Education was one framework used to evaluate the 11 programs; important topics for inclusion are identified as human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, society, and culture.