December 8, 2011

Mississippi Parents Support Comprehensive Sex Education in Public Schools

Parent Survey Results Released

Jackson, Mississippi (December 8, 2011) — Mississippi parents of public school students overwhelmingly support teaching sex-related education in the schools and think the curriculum should be comprehensive and determined by public health professionals.  These are some of the key findings from a statewide survey of 3600 parents of public school students conducted by the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University and funded by the Center for Mississippi Health Policy.

The survey was conducted to assess the attitudes and opinions of parents and advise public school districts as they seek to comply with a new state law requiring school districts to select a sex-related education curriculum.  In 2011, the Legislature enacted House Bill 999 that requires school districts to adopt a policy to implement by June 30, 2012, an “abstinence-only” or an “abstinence-plus” curriculum as defined in the legislation.  The law mandates that children be separated by gender during these classes and also specifies that parents must provide written permission for their children to participate.

Ninety-two percent of parents said “yes” when asked if sex-related education should be taught in the Mississippi public school system at an age appropriate level. More than half (61%) of parents expressed the opinion that boys and girls should be taught in separate classes, and the same percentage thought that parents should give written permission.  When asked to rate who should determine the material to be taught in sex-related education classes, parents rated public health professionals and school health councils as the most important.

Although there is high overall support, parental support for teaching sex-related education in schools varied somewhat by geographic areas of the state, with the highest level of support (97%) in the lower Delta region and the lowest level (89%) in the southeastern region of the state.  Parent responses regarding the grade level at which sex-related education should begin show the majority of parents think the subject should first be taught in middle school (grades 5, 6, and 7).

The Center for Mississippi Health Policy has prepared an Issue Brief summarizing the results of the survey.  The Issue Brief, as well as a detailed report on the study, can be found on the Center’s web site at mshealthpolicy.com.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Therese Hanna
Executive Director
Center for Mississippi Health Policy

Phone: 601-709-2133 x304

Linda Southward, PhD, ACSW
Coordinator, Family & Children Research Unit
Social Science Research Center
103 Research Blvd. P. O. Box 5287
Mississippi State, MS 39762

Phone: (662) 325-7127

For additional information on the survey, including copies of the Issue Brief and detailed survey results: click here.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR MISSISSIPPI HEALTH POLICY:

The Center for Mississippi Health Policy (https://mshealthpolicy.com) is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization located in Jackson, Mississippi, that provides objective information to inform health policy decisions.  The Center’s work involves communicating research, examining health status and health care delivery trends, and analyzing relevant health policy issues affecting Mississippi.  Examples of the Center’s projects include an economic analysis of the University of Mississippi Medical Center, an analysis of the state’s trauma care system, a review of issues associated with the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a detailed examination of children’s health coverage in the state, an assessment of Mississippi’s System of Care for children with serious emotional disorders, reviews of policy issues related to all-terrain vehicle safety and distracted driving, research on options for establishing a state health insurance exchange, and an analysis of the influence of the federal Farm Bill on nutrition and health.  The Center is also directing a five-year grant project funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Bower Foundation, in collaboration with three Mississippi universities, to evaluate the impact of the Mississippi Healthy Students Act.

ABOUT THE SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH CENTER, MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY:

The Social Science Research Center’s (http://www.ssrc.msstate.edu) mission is to conduct research on social, economic, political, human resource and social-environmental problems facing the state, nation and world; to provide a support system for the university to plan, develop, secure funding for and conduct social research on problems of interest to the scientific community and to consumers of research findings; to provide a mechanism whereby existing social science research capabilities in the university can be matched with funding sources; to contribute to the university’s graduate and undergraduate program by involving students in research projects through assistantships and other work arrangements; and to provide a vehicle for unique social research and public service programs that do not fit more traditional academic structures. The Center also recognizes as part of its mission the importance of combining expertise and capacities of multiple institutions, disciplines and professions in addressing complex problems. The Center seeks to develop perspectives and approaches that lead to effective cooperative investigations.