This is great. Teenagers being able to ask direct various questions about their sexual life which they're often made to feel ashamed and embarrassed about (especially girls) is truly wonderful. I think that something like this should be incorporated in the classroom where teenagers can ask questions and also serve as peer counselors.
“I like boys but I also like girls. What should I do?” (“Some people just like who they like. ... Only you can know for sure and only you know what is right for you.”) Sexual identity/orientation issues which are compounded taboos, and in some communities punishable by life threatening measures, are certainly needed. Too many parents, even the well "educated", believe that their teenage son/daughter interested in same sex relationships are in need of divine intervention for their sinful ways or are simply subject to some psychological imbalance. Boys and girls who are shamed because of their sexuality and who don't have a non-judmental pair of ears to listen often fall onto the laps of predators who roam chat lines, playgrounds and libraries.
“I think communicating with teens in whatever way they need to ask a question is important.” I don't if this already exists but I don't see why a program like this, adding twitter and other anonymous social networking platforms, can't be implemented to all our public schools where one counselor/social worker is responsible for hundreds of kids. It isn't difficult or costly. I'm sure that many parents and health professionals (even students aspired to become social workers and helth professionals) would love to volunteer their time and expertise in their local schools to help answer and save teenagers.
The only thing I will add to such a campaign is sex educational workshops for parents. Parents need to understand that part of parenting, a very critical part of parenting and loving your kids is to communicate with them. The workshops will first expose parents to all the dangerously sexually transmitted diseases out there, then train them to learn to talk about sex. Adults, most married couple, don't talk about sex. They don't talk about something they do more regularly than most other activities. So, it makes sense couples turning into parents have a hard time establishing a healthy line of communication with their teenagers around a subject that they've themselves kept under the rug all their adult lives. But just like the internet, teenagers are going to wanna have sex, it's better to show them how to and not jeopardize their lives and future instead of threatening, forbiding them or kicking them out
Hey Thierry, sounds like you are suggesting a text based hot line. You say, "I'm sure that many parents and health professionals (even students aspired to become social workers and helth professionals) would love to volunteer their time and expertise in their local schools to help answer and save teenagers." These are the people who volunteer and staff and handle hot line calls via telephone, why not have a text messaging component to it. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteAlso another good idea is sex education workshops for parents and/or caregivers (grand parents, whatever). As the widowed mother of two daughters, I dreaded the questions about sex. And although I tried to maintain an open and accepting attitude, I feel certain my daughters got much of their information about sex elsewhere. I would have jumped on such a workshop. I wanted to be there and available to talk to my daughters but often didn't have the answers or words or the comfort level.
Good idea.
I agree that parents need to become more active in their child's life and stop leaving it up to schools to teach their kids about sex... and then complain when sex ed is taught a certain way that they do not approve of... but yet they themselves still refuse to teach their child.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are a numerous amount of involved parents, but some kids after a certain age, exclude their parents from their intimate lives, not because they are not good parents, but mainly due to exercising a certain amount of independence. I think each child should have a trusted accessible adult for guidance.
ReplyDeleteThis will never change. Parents are parents and children are children. Although we are in the digital age, socialization of parents and children and generational gaps still remain.
ReplyDeletePerhaps parents need to be require to take sex education courses themselves prior to age 9-10 when children usually experience their first sexual encounter (innocent or not). Seems to me that both parties need to be educated to create some useful dialog and eventually change.
~Stace