I have completed a MRes in Sexuality and Gender Studies researching the impact of Sexuality, Relationship and Health Education (RSHE) in secondary schools on the lived experience of young people; I am currently a PhD student in Health Services Management and my research investigates the impact of RSHE on specific gendered sexual behaviours and expectations, and on violence against women and girls.
I am writing on here because as a woman and the parent of a daugher who is now 21 I have had to face many challenges in guiding and supporting her navigating sexual relationships as many of her struggles were similar to the ones I had as a teenager, but a lot of the pressure young people face today feels more violent also due to the accessibility of porn from a very young age and the influence of social media. As a parent and a researcher I have put together a teaching and learning RSHE resource to support young people through difficult topics around sex, and frankly, their parents too. It's called All Of Us: Storytelling to Develop Critical Thinking in Sex Education and it's essentially based on storytelling and an attentive pedagogy to support the building of critical thinking in young people, as well as empathy, self awareness and self advocacy.
In this anthology of interviews 20 participants recount the most positive and the most negative sexual encounters in their adolescence. Together, we organically reflect on the cultural, social and personal factors that contributed to make each experience either wonderful or dreadful. The storytellers also share advice they would have wanted to hear as adolescents with the aim to support young people in navigating early sexual experience more safely, authentically and joyfully. It is empathic, sincere and deep thinking, and it provides a safe context to bridge different perspectives, build critical thinking, challenge harmful gender stereotypes and foster solidarity beyond age difference and including different genders and sexual orientations.
Please take the time to check it out and let me know if you believe it could support your teenage children (I recommend from the age of 14 onwards): https://www.allofusbook.com/
I really hope it helps, and please feel frr to let me know what you think.
Emmanuelle