Student: Andrea Williams
Advisor: Dr. Bella Provenzano
Requiring a comprehensive sex education curriculum in the United States is an ongoing debate and has quickly become a topic of current research. The benefits of a comprehensive curriculum are still being explored as well as the effects of less comprehensive or abstinence-focused curriculums. We have found that while researchers have examined a possible link between sex education and the prevalence of sexual assault, research has neglected to explore its connection to future relationships and intimate partner violence. This study aims to explore that relationship, and we hypothesize that no sex education or abstinence-focused curriculums will be associated with a higher prevalence of intimate partner violence. We looked at multiple sex education topics (abstinence, contraception, healthy choices, body image, sexual abuse/healthy relationships and gay/lesbian issues) as predictors for intimate partner violence.
We recruited 169 participants (55 Males, M-age=19.55) through the university participant pool to answer questions in an online survey. The survey consisted of three randomized sections including questions regarding the students’ type of sex education received, demographics and questions adapted from the Computer Based IPV Questionnaire. Upon completion, students were thanked for their participation and notified of the campus counseling and psychological services available to them. Results of their survey will not be shared.
We tested a regression model using sex education topics as predictors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Those who received abstinence-focused education and those who did not learn about healthy choices were significantly more likely to experience IPV such as unwanted sexual contact. Those who received abstinence-only education reported more instances of both threats/insults as well as isolation.
Based on our current data, we have found that abstinence-focused curriculums are a predictor of both isolation and verbal abuse from intimate partners, with those receiving abstinence-based education experiencing more of these types of abuse compared to those who did not. Our data also indicates a lower instance of sexual abuse reported among those who received education regarding healthy relationship choices compared to those who did not receive this education. Understanding the relationship between sex education received and the prevalence of intimate partner violence in future relationships is a topic of utmost importance. This information may help develop or support a curriculum that is essential for students’ development and ability to make healthy relationship choices in adulthood. Consequently, it may also help to lower the prevalence of intimate partner violence by identifying a potentially significant contributing factor.