The Role of Education in Sexual Violence: Sex Ed. and Harmful Sexual Attitudes
by Simone E. Laurent
Faculty Advisor: Cindy Meston, Graduate Student Advisor: Chelsea Kilimnik
Throughout the life span education plays a major role in shaping attitudes and behaviors. While sexual attitudes can lead to sexual violence, very little research has been done to examine how different types of sexual education shape these attitudes. Sexual education can be received formally in school, and informally from family, peers, the media, and pornography. While there have been many studies examining the effects of formal sexual education on rates of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies, only recently have studies begun to examine the effects of sexual education on sexual violence. Furthermore, studies addressing the effect of sexual education on sexual violence typically focus on educational interventions on college campuses and do not examine how existing sexual education exposure shapes sexual attitudes. The present study examines relationships among sexual education, both formal and informal, and sexual attitudes and behaviors relating to sexual violence.