Sexuality Education

Dignity, Respect, & Privacy

Belote M., Stratton K. Snell E., Reuter J., Scott E. (2016)

• Dignity, respect, and privacy are core concepts related to sexuality and sexuality education, and yet they transcend the topic of sexuality. �
• These core concepts should be evident throughout all areas of an educational program.

Beyond Sexuality Education

Emily Taylor-Snell

Respecting cultural differences

Emily Taylor Snell Discusses Cultural Differences in Privacy Video Transcript

Dignity

Core Features of Dignity

Age-appropriateness

• Age-appropriateness is reflected in the way we interact and communicate with students.�
• This includes the educational materials we use and the learning environments we create.

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Age-Appropriateness

• If you’re not sure about what is age-appropriate for your student, ask yourself the following question:
• What would this same situation be like for a typically developing student? �
• And, when appropriate, you can always ask students who are the same age as your student about things that are popular and commonly liked by that age group.�
• Other students are happy to provide this information!

Dignity

Remember: There is dignity that comes with age, regardless of disability labels.

Core Features of Dignity

Confidentiality

• It’s important for the intervener to do everything possible to ensure that personal information about the student is not shared in a public way. �
• This includes not talking about the student in front of him/her or in front of other students. �
• This is important regardless of whether you believe these students can hear or comprehend what is being said.

Dignity and Privacy

Eva Scott: Privacy From Caregivers Video Transcript

Core Features of Dignity

Respectful Routines

It is important to always ensure that personal care routines (such as toileting, diaper changing, menstrual care, etc.) are performed in ways and in locations that respect the dignity of the student.

Watch the following video of a parent talking about respect

Jillana Reuter: Making Space for Private Moments Video Transcript

Core Features of Respect

Intimate Touch

• It’s important to always ask a student’s permission before touching the student in intimate ways, regardless of whether the student’s communication can be clearly understood. �
• For all others—peers and staff members alike—who interact with the student, this models respect for the student. �
• It also helps reinforce the concept that the student has control over how and where she/he is touched, and by whom.

Personal Touch

• Try to give the student the words and language for issues related to personal touch. �
• This includes how and where he/she is being touched.�
• A sample of this might be to communicate something like, “I’m going to have to rub some medicine on the sore you have on your inner thigh.”

Core Features of Respect

Control of One’s Own Body

• One of the essential concepts we teach children is that they have control over their bodies and that it’s okay to say no—or express negation in some way—to an adult or peer.�
• It’s important for children to understand that if something doesn’t feel right about a situation, they have the right to say “no.”

Core Features of Respect

Respect for Students as Individuals

• Students may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or may be questioning their sexual orientation or gender identification. �
• It’s important that instruction—and the language we use—is respectful of these individual differences and that instruction is relevant to all students.

Expression of Identity

Maurice Belote: Students and Gender Identity Video Transcript

Privacy

“All human beings have three lives: public, private, and secret.” ― Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

Basic Terminology

• Private: Any place where no one can see you and there is little or no chance of being seen or heard.�
• Public: Any place where people can or may see or hear you.

Watch the following clip by a parent talking about issues of privacy

Jillana Reuter: Making Room for our Children's Safety Video Transcript

Core Features of Privacy

Abstract Concepts

Some aspects of privacy are abstract and may need to be taught directly. For example:

• Even though curtains are soft, they can provide a visual barrier but, between rooms, curtains don’t provide a sound barrier.�
• Even though glass windows are hard, they can be seen through by others but they do provide a sound barrier.�
• A well-lit room at home may be visible at night to people passing by outside.

Core Features of Privacy

Home Life

• It’s important to clearly communicate with the student and/or the student’s family about privacy issues in the student’s home. This might include discussing:
• private locations in the home,
• times of day that might allow privacy, and
• family customs and beliefs about privacy.�
• Don’t assume that a student’s bedroom provides the student with visual and auditory privacy. The student might share the bedroom with others or sleep in a room that is not closed off from other rooms.

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Watch the following educator talk about issues of privacy in the home

Dr. Kasee Stratton: Teaching About Private Locations Video Transcript

Core Features of Privacy

School Life

• It’s important for educational team members to model privacy at school (e.g., stepping away from other students to have private conversations, performing personal care routines, etc.). �
• When the student needs to discuss personal issues with the intervener, insist that the student communicates with the intervener at a time and place that allows for privacy.

Core Features of Privacy

Communication Tools

The intervener may need to give the student the words and language to use for issues related to privacy. For example:

• Description of what makes a specific location at school private or public, and why.�
• How to determine if a time and place are private.

Core Features of Privacy

Communication Tools (cont.)

The intervener may need to give the student the words and language for:

• The kinds of personal information that might be appropriate to share with specific individuals the student interacts with throughout the day.�
• Questions that are too personal for the student to ask of other people, particularly people who are just casual acquaintances or school staff members.

Watch the following clip by an educator talking about privacy

Eva Scott: Ensuring a Student's Right to Privacy Video Transcript

“When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.”

--David Brin

Thoughts on Privacy . . .

Sexuality Is Part of Life

Eva Scott: Sexuality is Part of Life Video Transcript

OHOA Deaf-Blind Intervener Learning Modules

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A national resource designed to increase awareness, knowledge, and skills related to the process of intervention for students who are deaf-blind. Developed by National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness.

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For more information, contact NCDB at

info@nationaldb.org.

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The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education #H326T130013. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the The Research Institute, nor the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Jo Ann McCann.

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