The 'Caring' Approach: A Theoretical Basis for Comprehensive Sexuality Education

The paper presents a theoretical and empirical research to frame Sexuality Education (SE) within an innovative reference: the Theory of Care. SE is recognized by the world's leading health and educational institutions necessary to promote the health and full development of young people. The most recent research recommends a model called Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE), a curriculum-based approach that goes beyond a strictly health risk prevention vision to include the cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality. In 2024, Italy is one of the very few European countries that have not yet made SE mandatory in schools: current initiatives are fragmented, while Italian students, who understand the value of SE, consider the context school to be most appropriate. In response to this gap, the EduForIST project “Development of technical-practical tools for carrying out educational and training activities in the field of sexuality, relationships and prevention of STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) in the school setting” was funded from 2019 to 2025. This interdisciplinary project is carried out at the national level, with financial support from the Ministry of Health. The project adopted the CSE perspective; however, it recognized that it lacked a radical theoretical foundation. SE is first and foremost a pedagogical action: therefore, it requires a pedagogical wisdom capable of grounding actions that should not be mere informative or preventive interventions, but real opportunities for the formation of the person, including in the dimension of being that is their sexuality. The EduForIST project has found in the philosophy of care the theoretical frame of reference to ground CSE on a rigorous basis. The proposal presents a phenomenology of human being and their sexuality and a phenomenology of the educative act, conceived as an act of care. In Aristotelian terms, care is the practice that aims at the flourishing of the human being in all its aspects: consequently, a "caring CSE" can be understood as an act of care that contributes to the full flourishing of people, including in its sexual dimension. The importance of the theoretical model is confirmed by the qualitative empirical research carried out in the project. Indeed, the educators who implemented the activities were asked to write a daily reflective journal and/or summarize what happened in the classroom and their own reflections on it through a SWOT analysis. As a result, 48 documents were collected that provide insights for improving the design and implementation. The journals and the SWOT analysis were analyzed using the empirical phenomenological method, an innovative reading of Husserl applied to empirical research, since the data consist of a lived experience of the subject, the deep meaning of which can be grasped through the epochè and the search for the essence. Through a gradual coding of the texts and the construction of hierarchies of essences, we noted how educators recognized the "caring" approach of CSE as capable of fostering a meaningful relationship by meeting the needs and desires of young people and building a constructive relationship with educational agencies (school, family, communities). The relevance of the research lies in the combination of theoretical and empirical statements around a fundamental element of innovative educational practice: the caring approach.