Teen pregnancy is becoming a serious issue in the United States. What could be causing the rise of this issue? The media is constantly showing teens scenarios of having sex with multiple people, and it implies that a commitment to one person is not necessary. It shows kids their age about having sex with no consideration of moral values or consequences.
Is it the parents' fault that these girls are being given the opportunity to make the choice to have sex in the first place?
Should parents be more careful about what they allow their children, both boys and girls, watch? Should the Media be required to limit the explicity of its television shows, movies, and magazine articles? What are possible solutions?
Our responses:
Chelsie: I think that parents should always talk to their children about waiting to have sex and should remind them of the consequences that come with it. I also think that parents should monitor what their children watch; however,
I don't believe that it's the parents fault if their daughter gets pregnant. She and the father had a choice and should have been responsible enough to know that sex can result in babies raising babies. Girls and boys need to think about these
things before they engage in risky activities.
RJ:Parents should take a stand and teach their kids with a more positive mindset on sex and how it can affect their future. The parents are to blame for the negative outcome on their kids' lives if they refuse to take a stand.
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How interesting it's often automatically, culturally assigned as, ultimately, the girl's problem, thus, the girl's responsibility. I do think media imagery is partially to blame as it has us believe that sex is detrimental to girls and utterly "essential" to boys. The potential risk factors are commercialized with women being the ones more likely to be affected. Women are in the forefront, or the primary characters/spokespeople in those particular ads. Men, however, get all of the "fun" sans the danger (ever seen one of those Viagra advertisements?).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I digress as usual... Re. your topic -- another problem lies in proper sex education in schools, perhaps. There are parents who DON'T communicate about these sorts of things with their children, and they rely on the schools to handle "the talk." Unfortunately, how can this possibly work when there are parents who simply don't want sex education to be taught whatsoever?
(Ms. Jennings, I'm typing this one-handed, and a tad groggy: go me!)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was about 9, my mother had "the talk" with me- complete with diagrams and everything. She warned me of the dangers of teen pregnancies, STD's, and that since my family doesn't believe in abortion, I would be solely responsible for raising a child- I was petrified.
So I abstained because as most parents teach, sex is reserved for marriage. That is, until I fell in love, and since I wasn't allowed to have a serious relationship till I was 18...
Anyways, not all parents practice what they preach, which, as teenagers the favorite reply for everything is: "Well you did it at my age!" but I also agree with RJ- if you teach young adults about sex in a positive light, they are more likely to have respect for their bodies and sex vs. rebelling against their parents.
It also doesn't help, that everywhere you look women are being sperminated by anonymous donors and raising children on their own, i.e: Meg Ryan, Sheryl Crowe, Jodie Foster.
My parents always told me to wait and they did have talks and such with me, but I still got pregnant and had my wonderful daughter at age 18!I am 19 now,(one year later)and I am doing better than I have ever done in my life. I got back into school and Im on my way to be a teacher. I also have more money than I did before I was pregnant. So Id say that it is possible for a teen to raise a kid and do great in life. So any one who looks down on me or any other and they say that it's wrong and we can't do it or that it was my parents fault...then you guys haven't lived a real life. Youve probally been sheltered also. I am a great example of a good mom and student. So eat that!!!
ReplyDelete-Allison Kahler
I strongly feel that having sex before you are married is a personal choice. Rape victims being the exception, it is a personal decision whether to save yourself for marriage or not. In some cultures, it is frowned upon greatly if a woman does not save herself, but a man does not have enough experience. It greatly depends on what the teen wants. If the teen wants to have virtues and morals about saving themselves for their "one true love" then all power to them. If they want to take pleasure over virtue then who has the right to stop them? I think personally that it is the parents fault for making the teen feel shy about sex, to the point where they dont carry condoms and dont take birth control if its an option. It should be the parents responsibility to share the importants of using protection or in what ever culture, the importants of being abstinant. In todays society it is difficult to find a teen boy or girl that has not had sex before the end of high school. It is also societies fault for looking down upon them for making the choice of having sex. Teens are complained about, shunned, and bashed for making the decision to have sex. It is not fair to them and to the parents for simply making a PERSONAL decision.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing is for the parent to take head of the problem. Talk to the child, set rules, and stop trying to be a friend and not the parent.People want to make money and sex sells.So now it is up to the parent to limit or give an better understanding of what is being shown.
ReplyDelete-Castor B.
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ReplyDeleteI think that sex before marrige is wrong. I wouldn't want to get married and learn my wife had already had sex, and likewise i wouldn't want to do something like that to my wife. (getting married and already having had sex) I think the media has a great deal to do with it. if young people watch lots of media showing that promiscuous behavior is ok, especially if the parent doesn't say anything against it, then they will be more likely to engage in the same thing.
ReplyDeleteMost of what I learned in school has proven useless in daily life. A comprehensive sex education class would at least provide practical knowledge that wouldn't be forgotten the day after a test. Even if everybody came out of junior high as experts on sex it still comes down to personal accountability. joshpitek
ReplyDeleteThe media does have an influence on sex. From magazines, newspaper to TV and internet, sex is everywhere. Television show and movies should put a stricter limit on what is being projected. The parents should also educate the children about the “Birds and the Bees” and its consequences. Children educating other children about sex can lead to a pollution explosion. AND THAT’S REAL !!!!
ReplyDeleteit does not matter how much the parent pounds abstenence into the child's head. when the two children are about to engage in sex, no parents are in the room. the choice comes down on the two kids and no one else. any kid that has gone through forth grade health class knows that when you have sex babies are made. they know the consequences.
ReplyDeletemichael kahler
My whole life I was raised as a Christian in a southern baptist church so I have always been taught that you are suppose to wait for marriage to have sex. My parents were constantly on me about it. Even my grandparents would say to me, don't even let yourself get into a position where something could lead to sex. I remember having sex education is middle school but I also remember knowing friends and peers who had already had sex at the age of 12 and 13. And yes i think it's some what parents place to teach their children about sex and all its responsibilities but if all the media does is have commercials and movie that show teens and celebrities being sexually active and experimenting with it then it in a way defeats the purpose of a parent trying to teach their children morals. My parents taught me morals and taught me to not have sex until i'm married but, they also got pregnant with me before they were married.
ReplyDeleteI agree with those who have said that parents talking to their children about sex and everything that goes with it such as: abortion, STD's, getting pregnant, etc. is very helpful. Kids learn about it somewhat in school, but when it comes from your parents its different. They know and understand what you expect from them. Although, I also think that teens will be teens and do whatever it is that they want. They may say that aren't going to or aren't doing it, but statistics show most of them are. I think teens just need to know the facts and need to be able to live with whatever decisions they make that could cause a life change.
ReplyDeleteAs for the question asked above, I honestly do not think there's a solution, people are going to do whatever they want. I think that it would help if parents monitored what their children watched and if the media took more responsibility in not providing sex everywhere in the media. I really don't think it would prevent it, but it would most definitely help.
I think the media is part of the problem with teen pregnancy...but it's not just that, even in schools when they say abstinence is the only way to make sure you don't get a disease or pregnant, but then go ahead and tell you how to have "safe" sex anyway. At least that's what happened in my health class and i thought it was pretty much retarded!
ReplyDeleteI belive sex before marriage is wrong. Parents need to talk to their kids about the affects of having sex before marriage can do. Also, letting them know that things in shows aren't real and that they always don't end up living happily with each other. And hopefully that will help them make their decision to wait until marriage.