CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, AND PEDAGOGY article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Mental Health and Wellbeing in Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1509262
This article is part of the Research TopicSexuality education that prioritizes sexual well-being: Initiatives and impactView all 12 articles
Navigating Realities: A Pornography Literacy and Sexual Health Curriculum for High School Students
Provisionally accepted
- Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, New York, United States
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The rising prevalence of internet pornography consumption among adolescents has created a need for proactive approaches to pornography literacy within sex education. This article aims to both introduce the "Navigating Realities" curriculum and advocate for an expanded approach to pornography literacy education that integrates comprehensive media literacy, critical analysis, and a sex-positive framework. This evidence-informed curriculum was developed based on a literature review on adolescent pornography consumption, its impact on sexual attitudes and behaviors, and documented gaps in existing sex education programs. Methodologically, the curriculum is grounded in backward design, the cultivation theory of mass media, and the triangle of sexual health, rights, and pleasure. Guided by these frameworks, Navigating Realities pursues three overarching aims: (1) promote critical thinking and media literacy, (2) foster healthy relationships, and (3) encourage responsible digital behavior. These aims guide the pedagogical approach, which incorporates a combination of knowledge-based activities, social norms exploration, and skill-building exercises. The curriculum emphasizes the distinction between fantasy and reality in sexual content, body image, consent, and the portrayal of violence, while reinforcing healthy relationship skills and safe digital practices. As a result, "Navigating Realities" serves as a proposed evidence-informed educational framework, tailored to high school students aged 15-18, that supports them in critiquing explicit content. Future applications will include pilot testing and broader implementation, underscoring the need for ongoing research and funding to ensure the effectiveness of comprehensive sex education initiatives.
Keywords: Pornography Literacy1, Sex Education2, Media Literacy3, Adolescent Sexual Health4, Comprehensive Education5, Curriculum6. (Min.5-Max. 8)
Received: 10 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Balliet and Ford. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Margot Balliet, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, 10032, New York, United States
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