Sex Education in Children and Adolescents With Disabilities in Yogyakarta, Indonesia From a Teachers' Gender Perspective

Asia Pac J Public Health. 2017 May;29(4):328-338. doi: 10.1177/1010539517702716. Epub 2017 Apr 25.

Abstract

Children and adolescents with disabilities (CAD) frequently engage in inappropriate sexual behaviors. In Indonesia, the need for sex education for CAD remains unclear. This study investigated teacher attitudes toward providing sex education in special schools to clarify the gender differences among teachers providing sex education. Questionnaires were sent to 180 teachers. The response rate was 72.2%. Eighty-three percent of responders were Muslim. Our findings revealed that teachers in special schools considered sex education to be important. However, the number of sex education contents was limited, and female teachers were more positive about teaching sex education than male teachers. Equally, female teachers taught a greater number of sex education contents than did male teachers. These findings were consistent with reports from developed countries although cultural and religious background differed from those of Indonesia. Sex education for CAD was accepted by teachers in Indonesia; however, materials and tools for education should be developed further.

Keywords: Indonesia; children and adolescents with disabilities; sex education; sexual behavior; special school.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Disabled Children / education*
  • Disabled Children / psychology
  • Disabled Children / statistics & numerical data
  • Education, Special
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Indonesia
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • School Teachers / psychology*
  • School Teachers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Schools
  • Sex Education* / statistics & numerical data
  • Sex Factors
  • Sexual Behavior / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires