Instruction in sexual matters is held by authorities to be the best and most powerful means of prevention, though not a cure-all, and the alternative to good instruction is bad instruction rather than silence.¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r1 · q1
Currency · newest study 1911 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

Reading the evidence codes

q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.

This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.

q1 i? Authorities agree instruction is the best and most powerful, though neglected, means of prevention in the sexual realm, while not a cure-all. → Foster 1911 q1 i? The real choice is between good and bad instruction, because children will obtain answers to their questions from some source regardless of adult silence. → Foster 1911 (2)

Evidence¶

Foster 1911¶

Foster, W. S. (1911). School Instruction in Matters of Sex. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://www.google.com/search?q=%22School+Instruction+in+Matters+of+Sex%22+Foster

q1 · i? · review · r1

Theoretical argument section of the essay, synthesizing authorities in medicine, hygiene, education and psychology. The author asserts instruction is "the best and most powerful means" of prevention while conceding it is no cure-all; no empirical data are offered.

"Instruction here is no more a cure-all than it is in other fields:—but that is fundamental; that it is the best and most powerful means as well as one of the most neglected ones—on this, the authorities are agreed and emphatic."

Foster 1911 (2)¶

Foster, W. S. (1911). School Instruction in Matters of Sex. Journal of Educational Psychology. https://www.google.com/search?q=%22School+Instruction+in+Matters+of+Sex%22+Foster

q1 · i? · review · r1

Argumentative passage contending that silence cannot keep children ignorant, since "The child is bound to get answers to Ins questions from some source"; the choice is therefore between good and bad instruction. No data support the assertion.

"It is not a question of silence versus teaching, but of good versus bad instruction. The child is bound to get answers to Ins questions from some source."

Discussion¶

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`claim`
`id`	`sex-instruction-best-means-of-prevention`
`title`	`Instruction in sexual matters is held by authorities to be the best and most powerful means of prevention, though not a cure-all, and the alternative to good instruction is bad instruction rather than silence.`
`description`	`Instruction in sexual matters is held by authorities to be the best and most powerful means of prevention, though not a cure-all, and the alternative to good instruction is bad instruction rather than silence.`
`status`	`review`
`evidence_strength`	`weak`
`newest_evidence`	`1911`
`generated`	by `process:wiki-ingest` on `2026-10-23`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	2 — `foster-1911`, `foster-1911-2`

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