Orientação sexual nas escolas: concepções de pais e professores.

Abstract

Sexuality is a very complex issue that involves the subject’s social environment and that is strongly influenced by it. The objective of this study was to analyze the concept of parents and teachers about the inclusion of sexual orientation in schools. We developed a descriptive, field, qualitative and quantitative research. Our population was parents and teachers of elementary school from Cajazeiras – PB. The sample consisted of 7 teachers of a public school and 25 students’ parents from that same school. We used survey questionnaires as instruments for data collection and their examination was organized seeking to realize the aspects and meanings in the words of teachers and parents who were surveyed. Collected data show us the importance of sexual orientation in the school context as a way to clarify and encourage teachers and parents’ reflection on issues related to sexuality. We presented data in tables and graphics then we reported them descriptively. We discussed the way how teachers and parents deal with issues related to sexuality in an appropriate way to their stage of development. In general, we can conclude that there is still a big taboo by some teachers and parents who avoid talking about sexuality to their children and teenagers; we also concluded that the teachers we have interviewed are not prepared to address the sexuality issue with their students. Parents and teachers associate their children and students’ sexuality to sexually transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy and they think sexual orientation is a very important issue to be discussed at school.