Sexuality Education in Residential Care - Is the Criticism of the Last 15 Years Justified?

For many years, sexuality education in various residential care settings was criticized for being too passive or, worse, for being effectively non-existent. A pilot study by Reinhard Winter, and an understanding of sexuality education (and good sexuality education, especially) as needing to be actively provided using readable models, were both factors in this critical appraisal. The present article subjects both factors to critical scrutiny. The explanatory power of the pilot study is analysed, and an alternative understanding of sexuality education based on Michael Winkler's understanding of pedagogy is explored. In this approach, marked by caregivers paying heed to the appropriation processes of children and adolescents, seemingly passive forms of sexuality education can also represent a satisfactory modus operandi. These considerations are supplemented by empirical data from a master's thesis study which indicate that caregivers in residential care settings pay attention to and are aware of sexuality-related appropriation processes in children and adolescents. The paper concludes that the longstanding criticisms advanced in this area may not be justified and that further empirical data is needed.