With the 10-week “Supporting the Child’s Sexual Development for Mothers and Fathers Program” carried out in cooperation with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Ministry Anti-Drug Commission and the Near East University Atatürk Faculty of Education, families will now act more consciously on this issue.
The “Program for Supporting Children’s Sexual Development for Mothers and Fathers”, carried out in collaboration with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) Prime Ministry Anti-Drug Commission and the Near East University Atatürk Faculty of Education, has been successfully completed. The project, which was initiated within the scope of the protocol signed last year, was carried out with the aim of increasing parents’ awareness of sexual education, enabling them to better understand their children’s developmental processes and to establish healthy communication.
Within the scope of the project; parents with children aged 48-72 months were included in the program. In the pre-tests conducted before the training process began, it was determined that the parents' knowledge level on sexual education was low. At the end of the 10-week program, a significant improvement was seen in the parents' attitudes towards sexual education. It was also determined that their communication skills with their children on this subject were strengthened.
The study, conducted by Hulin Sıddık, a doctoral student in the Department of Basic Education at the Atatürk Faculty of Education of Near East University, was carried out under the consultancy of Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl, Dean of the Faculty of Education of Near East University, and Prof. Dr. Filiz Erbay, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences of KTO Karatay University. The researchers emphasized that this program provides an important gain in preventing problems that the child may encounter during the sexual development process.
Teyfide Tecel Hatipoğlu: “Families have a great responsibility.”
The TRNC Prime Ministry Anti-Drug Commission President Teyfide Tecel Hatipoğlu expressed her satisfaction with the positive results achieved with the training program and said, “Having a healthy childhood in every respect plays a critical role in the fight against substance abuse.” At this point, Teyfide Tecel Hatipoğlu emphasized the importance of raising awareness in families and stated that it is critical for parents to receive training so that they can early detect problems their children may encounter during their development and make the necessary interventions.
Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl: “This program not only provided information to mothers and fathers, but also encouraged them to establish healthier and more conscious communication with their children.”
Emphasizing that healthy communication in child development makes a big difference in terms of their future psychosocial health, Dean of the Atatürk Faculty of Education of the Near East University, Prof. Dr. Umut Akçıl said, “Sensitive issues such as sexual development in particular should be addressed by parents with accurate information and in a clear manner. This program not only provided information to mothers and fathers, but also encouraged them to establish healthier and more conscious communication with their children.”
“We believe that the gains made during the education process will play an important role in reducing the risks that children may face in later ages,” said Prof. Dr. Akçıl, adding, “This project will not only contribute to the development of individuals, but will also support development by contributing to a healthy social structure.”
