Sexual Education and Socio-Emotional Intelligence for Junior High School Adolescents in Dealing with Puberty Problems

Abstract

This study aims to explore the importance of sexual education and social-emotional intelligence in helping junior high
school students cope with puberty-related issues. Puberty is a transitional period filled with physical, emotional, and
social changes, which can often be confusing for adolescents. Proper sexual education and strong social-emotional
intelligence can serve as effective tools to support adolescents in understanding and managing these changes. This
research uses a quantitative approach with a Community-Based Research (CBR) methodology. In this CBR approach,
the service activities emphasize active participation from the students as collaborative partners at every stage of the
project. The research results indicate that psychoeducation plays a crucial role in increasing students' knowledge of
sexual education and social-emotional intelligence. The data shows a significant improvement in students' scores before
and after the sexual and social-emotional education program, from 11.57 to 21.54, demonstrating a notable difference
following the psychoeducational intervention. Therefore, sexual psychoeducation and the development of social
emotional intelligence in schools are essential to support mental health and well-being among adolescents in facing the
challenges of puberty.