Implementation of Sex Education in Indonesia: A “Sine Qua Non” in Taboo

Dominikus David Biondi Situmorang
(Submitted 1 May 2024)
(Published 28 June 2024)

Abstract


There are significant differences between the methods used in Western and Eastern culture to discuss sex. Any topic related to sex in Eastern culture, specifically Indonesia, is often considered taboo compared to Western culture. This is due to the strong cultural and religious values prevalent in Eastern societies, making discussions about sex feel impolite and inappropriate. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the importance of sex education as a “sine qua non” in Indonesia and the consequences of treating sex education as a taboo. The exploration process would examine the role of parents, teachers, counselors, psychologists, and the community in sex education, new sex education policies, along with recommendations, implications, and directions for future investigations.

Keywords


Curriculum; Indonesia; Sex education; Sine qua non; Taboo; New perspective; Educational psychology

Full Text: PDF

DOI: 10.22146/buletinpsikologi.95836

References


Adams,M.,Oye,J.,&Parker,T.(2003).Sexualityofolderadultsandtheinternet:Fromsexeducation tocybersex.Sexual and Relationship Therapy,18(3),405–415.https://doi.org/10.1080/1468199031000153991

Arnez,M.,&Nisa,E.(2024).Advocatingforchange:Culturalandinstitutionalfactorsofsexual violence in indonesia. In Gender, islam and sexuality in contemporary indonesia. Springer Nature Singapore.

Astuti,A.W.,Hirst,J.,&Bharj,K.K.(2020).Indonesianadolescents’experiencesduringpregnancyand earlyparenthood:Aqualitativestudy.JournalofPsychosomaticObstetrics&Gynecology,41(4), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2019.1693538

Barak,A.,&Fisher,W.A.(2001).Towardaninternet-driven,theoretically-based,innovativeapproach to sex education.Journal of Sex Research,38(4), 324–332.https : / / doi . org / 10 . 1080 / 00224490109552103

Bennett, L. R. (2007). Zina and the enigma of sex education for indonesian muslim youth. Sex Education, 7(4),371–386.https://doi.org/10.1080/14681810701635970

Bennett, L. R., & Davies, S. G. (Eds.). (2014). Sex and sexualities in contemporary indonesia: Sexual politics, health, diversity and representations. Routledge.

Berliana, S. M., Kristinadewi, P. A. N., Rachmawati, P. D., Fauziningtyas, R., Efendi, F., & Bushy, A. (2021). Determinants of early marriage among female adolescent in indonesia. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 33(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh-2018-0054

Berliana, S. M., Utami, E. D., Efendi, F., & Kurniati, A. (2018). Premarital sex initiation and the time interval to first marriage among indonesians. Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, 54(2), 215–232.https://doi.org/10.1080/00074918.2018.1440067

Buston, K., Wight, D., Hart, G., & Scott, S. (2002). Implementation of a teacher-delivered sex education programme:Obstaclesandfacilitatingfactors.HealthEducationResearch,17(1),59–72.https:

//doi.org/10.1093/her/17.1.59

Cense,M.,deNeef,M.,&Visscher,W.(2018).Culture, religion and sexual and reproductive health & rights. Rutgers.

Chu, S. K. W., Kwan, A. C., Reynolds, R., Mellecker, R. R., Tam, F., Lee, G., Leung, C. Y., et al. (2015). Promotingsexeducationamongteenagersthroughaninteractivegame:Reasonsforsuccess and implications. Games for Health Journal, 4(3), 168–174. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2014. 0059

Constantine, W. L., Jerman, P., & Constantine, N. A. (2009). Sexeducationandreproductivehealthneedsof fosterandtransitioningyouthinthreecaliforniacounties.PublicHealthInstitute.

Costello,A.,Maunsell,C.,Cullen,C.,&Bourke,A.(2022).Asystematicreviewoftheprovision ofsexualityeducationtostudentteachersininitialteachereducation.FrontiersinEducation, 787966, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.78796

Dawson,L.M.(1995).Womenandmen,moralityandethics-sexualdifferencesinmoralreasoning. BusinessHorizons,38(4),61–68.

Fillamenta, N. (2018). Teenagers self-identity who experience internet addiction. Asian Journal of AssessmentinTeachingandLearning, 8.

Fitriani, R. K., & Salim, L. A. (2021). Knowledge of HIV transmission and factors related to the incidenceof HIV/AIDS in Adolescents in Indonesia. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 15(1). Francoeur,R.T.(1992).Sexualityandspirituality:Therelevanceofeasterntraditions.SiecusReport,

20(4),1–8.

Goldman, J. D. (2010). The new sexuality education curriculum for queensland primary schools. Sex Education, 10(1), 47–66.https://doi.org/10.1080/14681810903491370

Hasni,K.(2024).Genderinequalities,sexeducation,anddevelopmentsupervisionadolescentsinacehindonesia. Holzner,B.M.,&Oetomo,D.(2004).Youth,sexualityandsexeducationmessagesinindonesia:Issues of desire and control. Reproductive Health Matters, 12(23), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/

S0968-8080(04)23122-6

Idawati, I., Salim, L. A., Devy, S. R., Kartika, K., Yuliana, Y., Muzaffar, M., & Iriyanti, M. (2023). Literature review: The relationship between the role of parents as educators on the behavior of preventingearlymarriageinadolescents.JournalofPublicHealthinAfrica,14(2).

Ilmiah, W., & Azizah, F. M. (2022). Improving of mother’s skill about giving early sex education by audiovisiual media (ava). JournalofHealthSciences, 15(02), 132–138. https://doi.org/10.33086/ jhs.v15i02.2510

KurikulumMerdeka.(2022).Kurikulum 2013 nasional.http : / / kurikulum . kemdikbud . go . id / kurikulum-2013/

Kurniasanti, K. S., Assandi, P., Ismail, R. I., Nasrun, M. W. S., & Wiguna, T. (2019). Internet addiction: Anew addiction? Medical Journal of Indonesia, 28(1), 82–91. https://doi.org/10.13181/mji.v28i1. 2752

Lacasa,P.,delaFuente,J.,Garcia-Pernia,M.,&Cortes,S.(2017).Teenagers,fandomandidentity. PersonaStudies,3(2).

Luker, K. (2007). When sex goes to school: Warring views on sex–and sex education–since the sixties. WW Norton & Company.

Maimunah,S.,Afiatin,T.,&Febriani,A.(2024).Parent-adolescentsexualcommunicationinindonesia: Study of z generation. In Familiesmentalhealthandchallengesinthe21stcentury(pp. 67–77). Routledge.

Makol-Abdul, P. R., Nurullah, A. S., Imam, S. S., & Rahman, S. A. (2009). Parents’ attitudes towards inclusion of sexuality education in malaysian schools. International Journal about Parents in Education, 3(1), 42–56. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1557319

Markey,A.,&Loewenstein,G.(2014).Curiosity.InInternationalhandbookofemotionsineducation

(pp.228–245).Routledge/Taylor&FrancisGroup.

Marshan,J.N.,Rakhmadi,M.F.,&Rizky,M.(2010).Prevalenceofchildmarriageanditsdeterminants amongyoungwomeninindonesia.Childpovertyandsocialprotectionconference.

Mbizvo, M. T., & Zaidi, S. (2010). Addressing critical gaps in achieving universal access to sexual and reproductive health (srh): The case for improving adolescent srh, preventing unsafe abortion, andenhancinglinkagesbetweensrhandhivinterventions.International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 110, S3–S6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.04.001

Moran,J.P.(2002).Teaching sex:The shapingof adolescencein the20th century.HarvardUniversityPress.

Noorman, M. A., den Daas, C., & de Wit, J. B. (2022). How parents’ ideals are offset by uncertaintyand fears: A systematic review of the experiences of european parents regarding the sexual education of their children. The Journal of Sex Research, 60(7), 1034–1044. https://doi.org/10. 1080/00224499.2022.2064414

Nur, H. U., Ifadah, B. I., Sunfiana, I., & Syafa’ah, N. S. D. (2024). The urgency of sex education for adolescentsintheislamicreligiouseducationparadigm.AJER:AdvancedJournalofEducation andReligion,1(1),23–30.https://e-jurnal.unisda.ac.id/index.php/AJER/article/view/5545/

2799

Nurachmah,E.,Afiyanti,Y.,Yona,S.,Ismail,R.,Padang,J.T.,Suardana,I.K.,Dharma,K.K., et al. (2018). Mother-daugther communication about sexual and reproductive health issues insingkawang,westkalimantan,indonesia.EnfermeriaClinica,28,172–175.https://doi.org/ 10.1016/S1130-8621(18)30061-5

Pinsky, D. (2022). Digitally mediated communication and school-based sex education in the usa. Sex Education,556–569.https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2022.2098469

Pop,M.V.,&Rusu,A.S.(2015).Theroleofparentsinshapingandimprovingthesexualhealthof children–lines of developing parental sexuality education programmes. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 209, 395–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.11.210

Rohmah, N., Yusuf, A., Hargono, R., & Laksono, A. D. (2020). Determinants of teenage pregnancy in indonesia. Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, 14(3), 2105–2110. https://doi.org/ https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v14i3.10736

Santelli, J. S., Kantor, L. M., Grilo, S. A., Speizer, I. S., Lindberg, L. D., Heitel, J., Ott, A., M., et al. (2017). Abstinence-only-until-marriage: An updated review of u. s. policies and programs and their impact. JournalofAdolescentHealth, 61(3), 273–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017. 05.031

Sedgh, G., & Ball, H. (2008). Abortion in indonesia. Issues in brief (Alan Guttmacher Institute), 2, 1–6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19035004/

Shtarkshall,R.A.,Santelli,J.S.,&Hirsch,J.S.(2007).Sexeducationandsexualsocialization:Roles foreducatorsandparents.PerspectivesonSexualandReproductiveHealth,39(2),116–119.https:

//doi.org/10.1363/3911607

Siti, M. (2019). Importance of sex education from the adolescents’ perspective: A study in indonesia.Open Journal for Psychological Research, 3(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.32591/coas.ojpr.0301. 03023m

Situmorang, D. D. B. (2021). Music therapy as an alternative treatment for people with sex addictions/hypersexuality disorder in covid-19 outbreak. AddictiveDisorders&TheirTreatment, 20(3), 215. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADT.0000000000000236

Situmorang, D. D. B. (2022). Indonesia finally returns to ‘Bhinneka Tunggal Ika’: no more hate but solidarity in COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Public Health, 44(4), e610–e611. https://doi.org/10. 1093/pubmed/fdab309

Situmorang,D. D. B. (2024). ’ifyouthinkthatsmartissexy,youmustbeasapiosexual!’:a new knowledge in sex education about sapiosexual. Journal of Public Health, fdae021. https://doi.org/10.1093/ pubmed/fdae021

Sovianti,R.,Sarwoprasodjo,S.,Hubeis,A.V.S.,&Herawati,T.(2024).Communicationinfrastructure for the prevention of free sex behavior of adolescents in bogor regency, indonesia. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 6(10), 2024214–2024214. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10. 31893/multiscience.2024214

Sutton,P.B. (2003). Therelationshipbetweenparents’attitudetowardchildren’srights,parentingstyles,and children’s right to sexuality education. Alliant International University.

Tasnim, T. (2019). Free sex behavioral factors based on the health belief model: A study in teenagers in muna,indonesia. IndonesianJournalOfHealthSciencesResearchAndDevelopment(IJHSRD),1(1), 22–31. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36566/ijhsrd/Vol1.Iss1/3

Turnbull, T., van Wersch, A., & van Schaik, P. (2008). A review of parental involvement in sex education: Theroleforeffectivecommunicationinbritishfamilies.HealthEducationJournal,67(3),182–195. https://doi.org/10.1177/0017896908094636

UNFPA, UNESCO, & WHO. (2015). Sexualandreproductivehealthofyoungpeopleinasiaandthepacific. https://asiapacific.unfpa.org/en/publications/sexual-and-reproductive-health-young-people-asia-and-pacific

Utomo, I. D., McDonald, P., Reimondos, A., Utomo, A., & Hull, T. H. (2014). Do primary students understand how pregnancy can occur? a comparison of students in jakarta, west java, west nusa tenggara and south sulawesi, indonesia. Sex Education, 14(1), 95–109. https://doi.org/10. 1080/14681811.2013.833503

Walker, J. L. (2001). A qualitative study of parents’ experiences of providing sex education for their children:Theimplicationsforhealtheducation.HealthEducation Journal,60(2),132–146.https:

//doi.org/10.1177/001789690106000205

Walker,J.L.(2004).Parentsandsexeducation-lookingbeyond‘thebirdsandthebees’.Sex Education, 4(3), 239–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/1468181042000243330

Warner,A.,&deVreede,C.(2011).Creativecurriculumintegrationinatlanticcanada:A”mindshift".

Pathways:TheOntarioJournalofOutdoorEducation,24(1),32–34.

Whaley, A. S. (1994). Sex education and the changing curriculum [Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects]. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/49

Windiarti, S., & Besral, B. (2018). Determinants of early marriage in indonesia: A systematic review. Proceedings of the International Conference on Applied Science and Health, (3), 287–293. https:// publications.inschool.id/index.php/icash/article/view/785v

Wollast, R., Puvia, E., Bernard, P., Tevichapong, P., & Klein, O. (2018). How sexual objectification generates dehumanization in western and eastern cultures: A comparison between belgium and thailand. Swiss Journal of Psychology, 77(2), 69–82. https://doi.org/10.1024/1421-0185/ a000209


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2024 Buletin Psikologi

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.