The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an epidemiologic surveillance system that was established by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help monitor the prevalence of behaviors that not only influence youth health, but also put youth at risk for the most significant health and social problems that can occur during…

Child exploitation and victimization occur in numerous ways and affect young people of all ages, races, backgrounds, socioeconomic situations, and geographic locations. It is a difficult but important subject for educators, who interact with students more directly and for more hours in a week than most other adults in students' lives. But armed…

Recognising growing concerns about the incidence of staff-to-student sexual misconduct in higher education, this guidance aims to change the culture of higher education to one that prevents sexual misconduct from occurring and ensures high standards of behaviour and safety for all members of the university community. The guidance was developed by…

Cell phones are ubiquitous on campus, and the anytime anywhere nature of teenage communications means that students see no separation between life inside and outside of school, at least when it comes to activities such as texting. Allowing cell phones on campus will have students in possession of cell phones with sexually oriented messages,…

Cellphone-savvy students have created instructional and disciplinary challenges for educators for years. But the recent emergence of "sexting" by adolescents over their mobile phones caught many school administrators off guard, and the practice is prompting efforts around the country to craft policy responses. Students' sharing of nude or…

The phenomenon of "sexting," or forwarding nude or seminude photographs of other students in schools via cell phone or other electronic media, is occurring with regularity. Administrators and boards of education struggle with disciplining students for such actions when policies and procedures have not kept pace with the rapid changes in…

Purpose: The overall purpose of this exploratory research was to better understand rural educators' feelings about school-based sex education in order to foster better communication and collaboration between prevention researchers and rural teachers and administrators. In order to accomplish this purpose, the research question asked "How does…

This handbook is designed to guide faculty and administrators in working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) college students. It brings together the varied viewpoints of people concerned with providing appropriate services to LGBT students on college campuses. The book's 42 chapters discuss topics of special interest for faculty…

This article discusses the nature and extent of the problem of sexual abuse in community programs that serve people with mental retardation, as well as differing judicial approaches in assessing their ability to consent to sexual relations. Potential sources of provider liability for harm caused to program participants are explained. (Author/DB)

Selection of campus speakers on sexuality is discussed, including assessment of speaker qualifications, the importance of teaching style and tone, choice of subject, program design for a meaningful event, and the sensitivity of both the speaker and the institution. (MSE)

Newly hired teachers regularly have questions about whether their lifestyles and actions outside of school could have repercussions on their career. Because they are expected to be role models for their students and thus held to a higher level of discretion than the general citizenry, educators have had restrictions placed on their living…

Indepth interviews with two female and two male school leaders, one of each gender who were "closeted" in their sexuality and one of each who were "open." Foucault's sovereign and disciplinary power and normalization conceptually framed the study. Interviewee's fear of disclosure resulted in reproducing heteronormative power.…

Adolescents who are hopeful about their futures are less likely to become pregnant. Other factors that can help lower the teen pregnancy rate are age-appropriate K-12 sex education classes; access to contraception; and parents who have close relationships with their children and communicate their values about sex and sexuality. Sidebars cite…

This book provides suggestions for handling important and emotionally charged issues of sexuality in the schools. Six chapters offer information on teenage pregnancy, HIV and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), sexual orientation, sexual harassment, and sex education. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Searching for Intimacy"…

Challenges inherent in providing AIDS/HIV education programs to reduce student involvement in behaviors that place them at risk are examined in this bulletin. Chapter 1 highlights some of the limitations of many existing programs and offers strategies for strengthening educational efforts. Chapter 2 explores some of the factors that affect whether…