Girls want school sex education to explore pornography, masturbation and the idea that sex can be enjoyable, according to research.
But a teaching union has warned that pupils could find such discussions “confusing” or even “frightening”, and that teachers often feel safer “resorting to a message of abstinence”.
The study, by Edinburgh-based social research agency the Lines Between, suggests that sex education focuses too much on biology, heterosexual relationships and worst-case scenarios.
It has also led to calls for schools to do more to help girls deal with unacceptable behaviour from boys, such as groping.
Jemma Tracey, digital media officer at YWCA Scotland - the Young Women’s Movement, which commissioned the research, said: “Through this research, young women are asking for a safe space to discuss everything from porn and masturbation, to pleasure and navigating sexuality.
“These are topics that, across so many schools, are not being covered at the moment in a positive and [pupil-led] format.”
‘Some teachers may prefer to avoid talking about sexual feelings with pupils because they fear the consequences of mishandling it’
But Euan Duncan, a guidance teacher and president of the Scottish Secondary Teachers’ Association, said: “I think some teachers may prefer to avoid talking about the area of sexual feelings with pupils altogether because they fear the consequences of mishandling it.
“I can’t imagine many teachers feeling comfortable or safe with the idea of suggesting that youngsters should engage in masturbation or sexual discovery with their peers.”
He added: “Teachers, understandably, are often more likely to stick to biological facts, resorting to a message of abstinence. I think youngsters might find it confusing - perhaps even slightly frightening - to hear suggestions relating to sexual exploration coming from their usual classroom teacher.”
Outside experts are better placed to deal with such issues, said Mr Duncan, “rather like a visiting firefighter speaking about fire safety”.
The study, Status of Young Women in Scotland 2016, based on 115 interviews with women aged 16 and over, also reveals the pressure that some young women feel to give in to boys’ unwanted advances, with one interviewee suggesting that not being groped by a boy “said something about your attractiveness”.
Ms Tracey said: “Young women talked about sexualised attention at school and this being tied to feelings of attractiveness, even though the attention felt violating.”
‘Unhelpful’ sex education
Many who took part in the study - which has a foreword by first minister Nicola Sturgeon and explores many issues affecting women - recalled unhelpful sex education and suggested that it should be more “direct, relevant and comprehensive”.
Jenny Kemp, the EIS teaching union’s national officer for education and equality, said her organisation encouraged an “open, discursive approach” to relationships and sexual health education, which is “vital” in preventing “serious consequences for girls’ wellbeing and future relationships”.
Some of the themes in the YWCA report chimed with the EIS’ recent Get it Right for Girls study, which revealed many teachers’ concerns about misogyny and gender-based violence.
Jordan Daly, co-founder of the campaign group Time for Inclusive Education (TIE), said there were many “alarming” findings in the latest study. It echoed research by his own organisation showing that sex education in schools was “inconsistent, exclusive of LGBTI identities and lacking any honest discussion about the issues facing young people”.
