POLA ASUH ORANG TUA TERHADAP PENDIDIKAN SEKSUAL BAGI ANAK USIA 5–6 TAHUN

Abstract

Sex education in early childhood is an important preventive effort to equip children with knowledge about their bodies, personal boundaries, and self-protection from the risks of sexual violence and abuse. Parents play a central role in providing sex education because the family is the first environment in which children develop their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. This study aimed to describe parenting styles in providing sex education to children aged 5–6 years and to examine the influence of parenting styles on the implementation of early childhood sex education. This study employed a qualitative descriptive approach. The participants consisted of six parents who had children aged 5–6 years. Data were collected through observations, interviews, and documentation. The data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings revealed that parenting styles significantly influenced the way parents delivered sex education to their children. Authoritarian parenting emphasized obedience to rules without adequate explanations, resulting in limited communication about sex education. Permissive parenting allowed children greater freedom; however, supervision in helping children understand personal body boundaries was still inadequate. In contrast, democratic parenting fostered open communication, provided age-appropriate explanations, and encouraged children to recognize their private body parts, distinguish between safe and unsafe touch, and report situations that made them feel uncomfortable. Therefore, democratic parenting was found to be the most effective approach for supporting early childhood sex education, as it integrates communication, affection, supervision, and character development to protect children from sexual violence.