Adult discrimination against children: the case of abstinence-only education in twenty-first-century USA

This paper analyses abstinence-only education programmes and discourses within the frame of theories of adult discrimination against children. To begin with, a definition of abstinence-only programmes and of the political context in which they were created will be provided. These programmes will then be analysed through the lens of children's rights, as these have been defined by the United Nations. Finally, the concept of ‘childism’ as defined will be used to underline how abstinence-only education programmes can be seen to fit within the larger frame of discrimination against children.