The sound of silence? Sex education and censorship in Britain

Fabienne S Portier-Le Cocq

Université Paris 13 - Sorbonne  Paris Cité, France

Abstract

In the 20th century European countries recognised the need of young people to receive sex education within the limitations of what was perceived morally acceptable. Sweden was a pioneer in introducing sex education in its curriculum. On the other hand, Great Britain lags behind. A fragile balance has emerged between private and public spheres, the parents ‘rights to educate their children themselves and the governmental task to preserve and control citizens ‘health, between the forces of the past and the visions of future. Sex education is a powerful indicator of social and cultural change. Yet, in Great Britain the mere allusion to the term sparks numerous debates on the amount of information to provide children and young people with or to censor to protect their ‘innocence’. For some, sex education acts as a brake on morality and, for others it is essential to prevent, for instance, public health issues such as the rather high rates of teenage pregnancies, and increasing rates in STIs and STDs among young people. The issue of censorship is not trivial in this sensitive and contentious context. This article explores the history of sex education in Great-Britain from the late 19th to the early 21st century and the politics of censorship towards sex education.

Keywords: Great Britain, sex education, censorship, controversy, 20th and 21st centuries