ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on gendered, raced, classed, heteronormative, and ableist sexual education programs predominant in the United States, which are often based on conservative religious perspectives that do not match prevailing sexual norms. We demonstrate how abstinence-only (AOE) education is an explicitly criminological concern, as it does not actually teach young people about how to consent or withdraw consent, does not model healthy relationships, omits evidence of same-sex couples, relies on scare tactics, and is often not medically accurate, nor is it required to be. We explore the problems resulting from abstinence-only sexual education, which leaves young people ignorant about their own (and others’) bodies, sometimes leading to risky sexual behaviors. Throughout, we advocate for comprehensive sex education, relaying its benefits for all people—including older people—but especially for LGBTQ youth and disabled youth, who are marginalized by AOE. We position access to medically accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive sexual education as a criminological issue that has the potential for social transformation and empowerment.
