Remember the scene from Grease where Kenickie and Rizzo are in the back seat of his car about to get busy when his condom falls apart? In that scene there is a whole row of cars with pairs of teenagers participating in the same activity. Does this really happen? We don’t have drive-in theaters around anymore, or not many, so what’s the deal? Where are teens having this sex that’s leading to the unexpected pregnancy? Here are two clips that mention some of the places that teens are deciding to do the dirty these days.
What do you think the repercussions should be for these teens? Do you think teens find it thrilling to have sex with so many other people around? Is this just another example of teens rebelliously pushing the limits and testing authority? In some of the episodes of 16 & Pregnant the parents talk about how they were uncomfortable with the teens “going behind closed doors” or “having sex in their house”, but we don’t know whether they actually discussed being safe in their actions or not. If the parents do know this is happening, would you say that the parents can then be held responsible for not preparing their teens? Or is it the teen’s responsibility to approach their parents about how to take precautions? In your opinion how common of an occurrence does sex need to be on a high school campus before the school district steps up to deal with it? Since this is becoming more prevalent and there is no question that our teens aren’t abiding by the abstinence method, why is there still debate about sex education?
Lauren
First of all, I don't think it's the norm for teens to have sex on school grounds or in buses. I've never heard of it happening, other than in movies, until now. As for the repercussions, it's against the law to have sex in public, so they should be charged with that like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI think some teens might find it thrilling to have sex in a public place because it tests authority.
I think parents should educate their children on how (and where) to have safe sex simply because it is for their child's safety. I don't think most teens feel comfortable talking to their parents about sex, and I wouldn't say that they should be the ones responsible for starting that conversation. Parents are the ones with experience (obviously).
I feel like parents/religious officials who are unrealistic about sex education are the reason there is an ongoing debate about what we should teach. Everyone just needs to understand that humans have sexual urges and you can't stop them, not even by scaring them, and that it's better for someone to make an informed decision about having sex than it is for someone to go into sex with no idea of the risks or options that they face.
-Ryan Cuscaden
I believe that kids are going to do what they want regardless of what authority says. It is unrealistic to think everyone abides by the law because if that were the case then there would be no need for authority whatsoever. So I would have to agree with Ryan on the idea that you can give kids the information they need, and in turn they can decide what to do with this information. Parents do have a responsibility in teaching their kids about when and where to have sex; however, just growing up I have seen different ways in approaching the situation. Granted every child reacts differently to authority, but letting your children know the difference between right and wrong is better than straight up telling your children what to do. I have seen parents who are very strict on abstinence with their teen, and that is when teenagers act out on public and school grounds. I have witnessed a relationship where the girls mother never allowed for her and her boyfriend to be alone at any time. Well, after two years of dating they began getting curious, and since they did not have any opportunities to be alone, they decided staying after school and hooking up in the bathroom would suffice. Granted they never got caught, but in reality things like this do happen. And my personal opinion is that if parents would not "forbid" their children in doing things and allow them to make their own decisions, then they would not feel the need to have sex in public places. I am not saying that parents should just allow their kids to do whatever they want and to allow their children to sleep around. But at the same time their should be a healthy balance. In my experience an honest and open line of communication between teens and parents is the best way of learning about sex and what is right and what is wrong.
ReplyDeleteAmanda ^
ReplyDeleteDuring high school is a time when many teens are exploring their sexuality with their peers. I think it is normal for teens at this age to be experimenting sexually, however I do NOT think it is normal to be doing it in public places. Even though it does happen, I think it is something that might not be fully preventable. I believe schools should have a section in the hand book about "PDA" or something in order to have set consequences for having sex or performing sexual activity on school grounds. I also don't think there is a specific place that teens are having sex at that leads to teen pregnancy. Maybe teens find it thrilling to have sex in public places, but I think teens are also just thrilled to be having any sexual contact, anywhere, anytime. Therefore, they need to be educated about safety and how to prevent teen pregnancy, as well as informed of consequences for having sex on school grounds.
ReplyDeleteJessie Pietroburgo
I also think that it is the parents' and school's responsibility to teach teens about sex and teach them safety. I do think it is important for schools to teach programs other than abstinence only because teens are having sex obviously is happening regardless of the education about it.
In my school district it was not uncommon to hear of teens having sex or engaging in sexual activity not only on school grounds, but also in public places. I knew of many people who had sex in school, yet despite the known occurrences, it was never addressed by administrators. I think many people find it thrilling to have sex in public places where you run the risk of getting caught. It is a prevalent problem even here at MU; a few year ago the rec center closed its only neutral bathroom because it was being used for sex too much. It happens. Should it be accepted? No, and definitely not in the high school setting and age group.
ReplyDeleteTo prevent this from occurring in high schools, administrators need to first be aware and acknowledge that they are aware of the problem. I think some may find it embarrassing to address and thus, the issue is ignored. Second, PDA standards and limits should be in handbooks, that way students know what is expected of them and their are consequences and disciplinary procedures in place for when the rules are broken. Without these procedures, it is difficult for administrators to carry out punishments, so its important that the handbook clearly states a specific protocol to follow. At my high school, PDA were often openly displayed, with some teachers allowing more than others. While I think we have to allow some sort of expression in schools, I think limits need to be set and enforced consistently to get the point across.
-Alison Gammon