In this issue of our magazine we present a dossier focused on the importance of offering affective-sexual education to children and young people. This is an unavoidable necessity, given the context in which the new generations are growing up. It is essential to remember that this type of education is, first and foremost, the responsibility of parents, who have the duty to transmit to their children a balanced and healthy vision of affectivity and sexuality. However, many of them did not receive this training in their youth, nor did they discuss these issues with their own parents. This lack of references and tools greatly hampers their ability to approach such delicate conversations.
Facing the context
However, silence is not an option. In a hypersexualized world, children and adolescents are being shaped by other sources: movies, series, social networks and, in many cases, pornography. It is urgent that parents take the initiative and talk to their children before environmental messages shape their view of sexuality. Screens have a profound impact on the perceptions young people develop about relationships and commitment. Today's media culture, for the most part, promotes a model in which sex is seen as mere entertainment, detached from love and genuine commitment to the other.
The Church and affective-sexual education
More than a decade ago, Spanish Bishop José Ignacio Munilla proposed that one of the great contributions of the Church in the 21st century could be precisely affective-sexual education, just as hospitals and universities were in the past. The Church has a unique opportunity to offer an alternative, more human and profound vision of affectivity and sexuality. In this sense, Catholic educational institutions, parishes and Christian communities cannot fail to attend to this fundamental aspect in the formation of children and young people. Moreover, this type of content is a privileged opportunity to maintain the link with adolescents after confirmation catechesis, a stage in which they often distance themselves from the faith and the ecclesial community.
In this dossier we have the collaboration of Bishop Munilla, who offers us a reflection on how affective-sexual education can be a beacon of light in the midst of contemporary confusion. It is a call for believers to assume this task with responsibility, offering clear and formative answers in a world where young people are looking for solid references.
The catecheses on the Theology of the Body, given by St. John Paul II between 1979 and 1984, offer a profound reflection on the meaning of the human body, sexuality and love. Undoubtedly, they represent the Church's most important contribution in this area and have given rise to numerous courses and formation programs inspired by his teachings.
Programs and experts
In addition to theoretical reflection, this dossier also includes the testimony of experts who have been working for years in the field of affective-sexual education. Rafael Lafuente, one of the most sought-after speakers in this field, writes an article to encourage parents and schools to talk to their children about these issues with confidence and naturalness. His experience has allowed him to understand the concerns of families and to offer them concrete strategies to address the education of affectivity and sexuality without fear or taboos.
We also present two affective-sexual education programs that were born in Christian environments and that have managed to consolidate in many countries: the Let's Learn to Love and the Teen STAR. Although designed from a Christian perspective, these programs have proven to be equally effective and applicable in non-believing environments. Their holistic approach, based on respect for the dignity of the person and the promotion of healthy and committed relationships, makes them valuable tools for any educational community.
In short, affective-sexual education is not an option, but an urgency. Faced with a world that offers young people confusing and often dehumanizing models, it is the responsibility of parents, educators and religious communities to provide a formation that helps them to live their affectivity and sexuality in a full, conscious and responsible way.
If you wish to read the entire dossier on affective-sexual education, you can subscribe to it here to Omnes magazine. With the subscription, you will have unlimited access to all Omnes content and will be able to enjoy the new issue at the beginning of each month.
