Criminal law principles and applications

Public schools' incorporation of sexual education and family planning courses have led to a decline in teen-age pregnancies.

Sexual education curriculum

Background of history of school incorporation

Who takes the classes

What is taught

Perceived effects on teenagers thoughts about sexuality

Knowledge of sexually transmitted disease

Impact on self-esteem

Peer pressure to engage in sexual acts

Forms of preventing pregnancy

Abstinence

Forms of birth control

School's role in providing information

Family's role in providing information

Comparison of number of teenage pregnancies from 20, 10 and 5 years ago V. Conclusion

Government-funded health agencies have recorded a dramatic drop in teenage pregnancies over the past decade reaching an overall record low according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This decrease is related directly to the inclusion of sexual education in public junior high schools and high schools.

Although sex education was first proposed in the early 1950s, the concept drew fire from conservatives and health advocates up through the early 1980s. With the onset of AIDS, there came about a second epidemic that could perceivably hinder life quality for sexually active American teenagers. The need for sexual education among our nation's young people became a necessity.

By gearing the cirriculum of the courses to, not only focus on various forms of contraception, but include topics such as family financing and parenting skills, youth throughout America are taking greater precautions. They have learned a greater understanding for the dramatic life changes that can take place if they choose to be sexually active without taking preventive measures.

Through funding from non-profit organization and governmental agencies, a variety of educational programs were developed ranging in scope from developing mentorships to the proper use of a condom. But many parents and educators still had issues with the fact that by talking about sex in schools, children were essentially being encouraged to explore their own sexuality. Despite these arguments by the mid-1990s, teen birth rates had already begun to drop.

Conservatives held fast to their position and in compliance with their demands, in 1996, a federal law was passed stating that governmental funding for sexual education would only be allocated to support abstinence-only programs.

While abstinence is certainly one form of birth control, the limited scope of the educational program has been underfire by social welfare professionals, teachers and others find who point out that more than half of all American teenagers begin having intercourse in their mid- to late- teenage years.