Mar Venegas Dpt Sociology, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Granada, Spain...

Mar VenegasDpt Sociology, Faculty of

Education Sciences, University of Granada, [email protected]

How Can Sex and Relationships Education Help Combat Gender-

Related Violence?

Seminars on ‘Violence and Young People: Approaches to Study and Intervention’,

CYWS, Brunel University London

mailto:[email protected]

Mar Venegas, SRE combats gender violence? CYWS, Brunel, 2015

Why establish this link between SRE – coeducation – GV?

Gender-related Violence in Spain

The case of adolescence


What is gender-related violence?

Gender-related violence is a particular kind of violence perpetrated on women as a result of their historical position of socio-structural inequality.

This violence can be, therefore, physical, symbolic, economic, labour, affective, sexual, etc.

Thus, gender-related violence is not only physical maltreatment, but all social practices, either material or symbolic, reflecting such a structural inequality.

Ultimately, gender-related violence is a form of gender discrimination, caused by biological, anatomical differences between women and men, which have been regarded as arguments to legitimate structural inequality throughout history.

When structural inequality is embodied in institutionalised practices it leads to gender discrimination.

Understood this way, gender-related violence is a manifestation of gender discrimination, among which physical and psychological violence are its most extreme forms.


Sex and Relationships Education in Spain

Educación Afectivosexual


SRE Spanish afectivosexual: links between affect and sexuality Afectivo: qualifies, either positively or negatively, all social

relations Sexual: sexual relationship, wide variety of sexual practices,

the body is defined as a sexualised whole Afectivosexual: relational dimension of sexuality,

affection and sexuality linked to respect, communication, pleasure, as well as to reproduction

SRE: English equivalent ‘learning about sex, sexuality, emotions, relationships, sexual

health and ourselves. The term […] represents learning about sex and relationships

in all settings including home, care, community, youth, secure, school and other educational settings’ (SEF 2003, 1).

Alldred (2012, 375): ‘Editing in English […] inevitably risks requiring one’s cultural Others to make themselves meaningful in English and explain practice in relation to sex education in the UK or Anglophone countries’.

(Mar Venegas (2013): Sex and relationships education and gender equality: recent experiences from Andalusia (Spain), Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning,

DOI10.1080/14681811.2013.778823, p.2)


Holistic, democratic model of coeducational SRE

Constructivist and gender approach to promote social change towards ‘real’ equality

Pedagogic spirit and integral vision of the person

Self-knowledge of our body and our sexuality as a empowerment strategy

Sexuality as key dimension of human being: reproduction, communication, relationships, affection and pleasure

Person: subject agent of his/her body and his/her sexual-affective life

Sexual-affective citizenship

Epistemological turn

From education to politics

From Methodological individualism to a relational and socio-structural approach



Thesis:

Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) as a strategy to intervene gender violence from a global approach in the field of Education

2009

Parker, R., K. Wellings, and J.V. Lazarus. 2009. “Sexuality education in Europe: an overview of current policies.” Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning 9(3): 227-242

2010

Spanish context, a decade after the approval of the ‘Organic Law on Integral Protection Measures against Gender Violence on December 29, 2004’

This paper

My research (Granada, 2014-15)

EDUCATING ADOLESCENT LOVE AND SEXUALITY, EDUCATING FOR EQUALITY AND NON-VIOLENCE



the paper analyses data coming from an educational action research in the city of Granada

The research aims three main objectives:

1. a research objective: to investigate the politics of young people’s sexuality and relationships

2. an intervention objective: to apply the results of research to the design of a SRE course with secondary students

3. a training objective: to apply the results of research to university training of professionals of educational and social intervention, encouraging ‘prácticien(e)s reflexives’


Three theoretical axes:

Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights (UE/EU)

Sex and Relationships Education in the frame of Coeducation

The recognition of Diversity


Charter Educational and Residential Centre dependent on a religious foundation

Providing care and support to children, youth and their families, paying special attention to social and family problems

It aims to be a small autonomous city, where children can live the experience of being members of a community and actively participate in its management

Residential program since 1975 - Andalusia Ministry of Education

Children from Granada whose social and family circumstances (temporary workers, immigrants, families with low income, families with difficulties users of Social Services) do not allow them to develop an ordinary school activity


All students (1º - 4º CSE), a total of 63, aged 12-18 years old, belonging to 8 different nationalities.

The research involves several phases and techniques:

1. The project begins with a questionnaire of initial diagnosis

2. Based on its results, it follows the design and implementation of a four-session course on SRE with all levels (1º - 4º CSE) and students (all sessions recorded and analysed)

3. After that, a questionnaire of final diagnosis is passed among the students to evaluate the results of the course

4. Finally, 18 personal in-depth interviews have been carried out to study personal experiences related to the politics of sexuality and relationships

Drawing on this massive production of data, this paper will reflect on violence and young people from the angle of SRE to offer some insight on the problem and to discuss possible strategies of intervention about the phenomenon

Linking Study/Research and Intervention occupies a central space in this work


I. Initial diagnosis: Open Questionnaire


1st Conclusions: their collective imaginary

about Gender Violence Gender: similar to Biology

Gender Equality: identified with equal rights

Gender Violence = men’s violence against women / women’s violence against men

GV in their everyday life

32%

Age: 13-53

Nationality: Spanish, Moroccan, Romanian, Russian


II. Workshop on Gender Violence

The course on SRE


Starting point: data coming from the initial diagnosis

1st Thesis (conclusion): Normalisation of Gender Violence

Aim of the workshop:

to put stereotypes, myths and false beliefs about gender violence into question

in order to promote gender-related equality

and combat gender-related violence

2nd Thesis: SRE is the ‘tool’ to intervene on it


III. Final evaluation: Open Questionnaire


General perception of gender violence indicators were well identified by these adolescents


IV. Personal interviews

Individual experiences in detail


43% of girls and 64% of boys recognise to have some case of gender violence near

At least one-third of these adolescents get along with gender violence

Quantitative and qualitative data show they are not always sure about what GV is or how to deal with it

GV is normalised in this context


Can SRE combat gender-related violence?

Conclusions


Sex and relationships education appears to be a useful tool to make adolescents conscious about their everyday dynamics related to gender, sexuality, love and bodily practices

It lets both students and practicioners open reflection spaces to approach inequality and sex and love relations in order to prevent violence and develop more egalitarian relationships

The Spanish educational system still misses the inclusion of the topic in the curriculum

Mar Venegas Dpt Sociology, Faculty of Education Sciences, University of Granada, Spain...

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