Sexuality education - What adolescents' educational rights require

Sexuality education continues to fail youths and society. Research reveals a pressing need for reform in the manner in which adolescents receive, learn, and practice information relating to their sexual development and their intimate relationships. However, legal systems generally fail to provide opportunities for such experiences. This article reviews reasons for the policy failure and suggests that the legal system can be harnessed to ensure adolescents' right to sexuality education. The proposal rests on the democratic notion that society must prepare youths for their future and for immediate social participation. Taking that fundamental truth as a starting point allows for rethinking how schools prepare youths for responsible citizenship, including the manner in which youths treat others and themselves in their intimate relationships.