Sexuality Education
© UNESCO
Sexuality Education is an age-appropriate, culturally relevant approach to teaching about sex and relationships by providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgemental information.
Sexuality education provides opportunities to explore one’s own values and attitudes and to build decision-making, communication and risk reduction skills about many aspects of sexuality. This approach encompasses the full range of information, skills and values to enable young people to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights and to make decisions about their health and sexuality.
Sexuality Education is integral to UNESCO’s strategy on HIV and AIDS with a focus on HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for children and young people through in-school and out of school based responses.
Bullying
A learner is bullied when s/he is exposed repeatedly over time to aggressive behaviour that intentionally inflicts injury or discomfort through physical contact, verbal attacks, fighting or psychological manipulation. Bullying involves an imbalance of power and can include teasing, taunting, use of hurtful nicknames, physical violence or social exclusion. A bully can operate alone or within a group of peers. Bullying may be direct, such as one child demanding money or possessions from another, or indirect, such as a group of students spreading rumours about another. Cyber bullying is harassment through e-mail, cell phones, text messages and defamatory websites.
Children may be more vulnerable to bullying if they live with a disability, express a sexual preference different from the mainstream, or come from a minority ethnic or cultural group or a certain socio-economic background.
Homophobic Bullying
Homophobic bullying is "a moral outrage, a grave violation of human rights and a public health crisis."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Every day, students around the world are routinely denied the basic, universal human right to education because of discrimination and violence they experience in school on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.
